The first time I found gold in the creek here is when I decided to try a new place to drywash on a hill not far from the dirt path I was on.

This was “pocket” country. All around were “pockets” that had been hand dug by old and new miners.

Given the enormous expenditures that are required to bring any mining property into production, the industry can ill afford a regulatory system which, by reversing already existent approvals, can nullify the value of funds already expended.