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Legislative and Regulatory Update
July 2008 by Scott Harn
Lois Wolk, the California State Representative who previously introduced a bill to eliminate suction gold dredging in the state but was halted by Governor Schwarzenegger’s veto, is up to her old tricks.
Jerry Hobbs, president of Public Lands for the People (PLP), reported that Wolk attached a rider to the state budget bill. The rider would call for the state to conduct a two-year study of suction dredging and prohibit suction dredging during the study period.
Hobbs reported that his organization is looking at a couple of options to try and remove the rider. The New 49’ers prospecting club is also working on this issue.
The budget bill has already passed out of the Senate Budget Committee, but it will likely go through many rewrites because the state is looking at severe budget cuts.
• Travel Management Plans
Hobbs and PLP attorney David Young also attended several meetings regarding the Forest Service’s Travel Management Plan in the Eldorado National Forest.
As reported in last month’s issue, PLP filed an appeal along with a notice of intent to sue the Forest Service because of the Eldorado National Forest’s refusal to honor the 1872 Mining Law and access for mining when it decided to close off numerous historic routes across public lands.
Hobbs stated that the meetings went as expected—Forest Service officials were ignorant of the laws and rights pertaining to mining. He stated that at least one claimant has already been denied access to his mining claims. A lawsuit is forthcoming to force the Forest Service to recognize the rights of miners. Unfortunately these issues may need to be addressed with each National Forest as they release their individual Travel Management Plans.
Underground Mining: Stoping Methods
In an old mine that does not have stopes, you know the old miners did not take much if any ore out of that excavation. On the other hand, if you see large stopes within the mine you know that it is these places where the miners found profitable ore deposits within the vein.
Looking Back
Excerpts from CMJ published 50 years ago this month.
Melman on Gold & Silver
Not only is the Greenback steadily weakening, but calls for the abandonment of the US Dollar as the world’s reserve currency are growing more frequent and more strident.
BLM Launches Mining Claim Records Viewer
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has added some useful tools to their website. The Land and Mineral Use Records system has been meshed with a map viewer that allows users to obtain mining claim information in a useful format.
Prospectors & Treasure Hunters Find Gems
Members of the Rocky Mountain Prospectors and Treasure Hunters Club from Fort Collins, Colorado, were recently entertained by W. Dan Hausel, Senior Economic Geologist with the Wyoming State Geological Survey.
A Great Day On The Feather River
Mike and Machael dug in just downriver of that boulder pile and right away found good color and a few small pickers.
A New Look at Old Mines
Exploration companies are actively looking for properties with profitable potential, even if the ground was once cast off as too low in grade to be economically viable. This is especially true in states that are reasonably friendly toward...
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