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Happy Birthday, ICMJ!
September 2020 by Scott Harn
You’ll note the text on the cover now says “Celebrating Our 90th Year.” Yes, we are in our 90th year of publication!
A lot has changed since our gold and black cardstock cover bearing the title California Mining Journal. Through the years, we’ve tried to balance our content to include all levels of experience, from first-time prospectors up to small operations. We’ve sought to provide consistent, quality articles in every issue, and we very much appreciate the feedback and compliments from you, our readers. It’s also been a challenge to adapt to the younger, Internet-based generation, but we now have over 20 years’ worth of articles online along with downloadable 3D issues for the past six years at www.icmj.com. We also have Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts. Yes, we are hip 90 year olds!
But we’ve noted that the majority of our readers still prefer to carry a print copy with them around the house or out at their mining site, though there is an increasing crowd of paperless online-only readers too.
To all our readers, we are grateful and we look forward to reaching 100 with your continued support.
Mining Reform and Congress
After years of negotiations between environmentalists and industry groups, observers say efforts to reform the 1872 Mining Law may finally pick up steam in Congress.
The Bawl Mill
• Stinks like limburger
• Auditors get audited
• Will you be able to afford to retire?
• The $200,000 crow
BLM Raises Location and Claim Fees
The Bureau of Land Management announced an increase in location filing fees and annual maintenance fees for unpatented mining claims, mill sites and tunnel sites.
Picks & Pans: The Perfect Paystreak
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Legislative and Regulatory Update
• Backdoor Wild Lands order
• PLP reports on latest dredge lawsuit
• Massive lands bill avoided
• No cap and trade for now
• RS-2477 rights affirmed
We’re Still Thinking About It
We have learned over the years, of course, that “previous development,” “roadless,” and “local support,” are in the mind of the beholder.
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The Bawl Mill
• Ask The Experts - What is the difference between heavy and light rare earth elements?
• Ask The Experts - What are the tax implications for partners on a claim?
• Ask The Experts - What should my plan be for testing quartz for gold in North Carolina?
• Ask The Experts - Did gold deposits come from space or were they created underground?
• Ask The Experts - Is a shaker table going to work on my flour material?
• Subtle and Not So Subtle Dangers of Hard Rock Mining
• How Should I Work This Prospect?
• Tips and Tricks: Preparing Your Dredge Engine for Storage
• Fluorescent Mineral Prospecting
• More Tips on How to Find Gold with A Detector
• What Do You Need For A Successful Micro-Scale Mine?
• Using Favorable Rock Types to Find More Gold
• Gold Prospecting for Better or Worse: Of Mice and Men
• Discovering New Territory
• Melman on Gold & Silver
• Mining Stock Quotes and Mineral & Metal Prices