All Articles
Legislative and Regulatory Update
July 2009 by Scott Harn
• Roadless Rule back in play
The Obama Administration has issued an order calling for a one-year moratorium on most road building, logging and other development in National Forests that were part of the Clinton-era Roadless Rule in 2001.
Approximately 58 million acres are affected by the directive issued by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on May 28, which gives him sole authority over all proposed construction projects and management decisions in designated roadless areas in every state except Idaho. Idaho has implemented its own plan to manage these areas.
The original Roadless Rule was contested and resulted in two opposite decisions from two separate federal courts; one struck down the rule while the other upheld it. Both decisions have been appealed.
• Action needed on SB 670
It may not be too late to fire off a letter to Governor Schwarzenegger of California, regarding SB 670.
The bill would stop all suction dredging in California until a new Environment Impact Report is completed. See page 5 in this issue for more information.
• Abbey recommended to head BLM
Bob Abbey, formerly the top Interior Department official in Nevada, has been nominated to be the director of the Bureau of Land Management by President Obama.
Abbey retired in 2005 as BLM’s Nevada director after over 30 years of government service.
• Capped and jobless
Organizations are crunching numbers to determine the number of American jobs that will be lost if the Waxman-Markey cap-and-trade bill passes in Congress.
The Heritage Foundation estimates that 987,440 jobs would be lost during the first eight years of cap-and-trade regulations, rising to 2.5 million jobs lost in America over the first 25 years due to the added costs associated with cap-and-trade compliance.
• S 787
The Clean Water Restoration Act is a bill that would take jurisdiction over waterways away from individual states and give that authority to the federal government. It would also remove the requirement that a waterway be navigable to be subject to government regulation. All bodies of water—including groundwater, ditches, pipes, streets, gutters and desert washes—would be regulated under the Clean Water Act.
The Senate Environment and Public Works committee was due to vote on the bill on June 18.
• SB 796 & HR 699
The Hardrock Mining and Reclamation Act, and its companion bill in the House, HR 699, remains in committee while Congress addresses cap-and-trade, health care, and other issues.
Both bills would place additional burdens on mining in the United States with additional regulations, financial guarantees and royalties.
_______________
There are so many environmental restrictions and regulations being proposed in Congress that it’s difficult to keep track of them.
It is going to be a tough road over the next several years. Democrats are in control of Congress and the White House, and environmental groups are taking full advantage of the opportunity to push through legislation that severely restricts public and private land use in America. 
The Old Dutch Cleanser Mine
The naturally occurring white scouring powder called Old Dutch Cleanser, originally from Kern County, California, is a household helper known throughout America. As a sink, stove, and tub cleaner, the abrasive pumicite is one of...
The Golden Highway—Amador County
Leaving sprawling Calaveras County, California, and heading north, the next county along the Golden Highway (Hwy 49) is tiny Amador County. Packed into it’s roughly twenty-five mile stretch of the historical roadway are some of the most charming, scenic towns that will be encountered along the whole way. This stretch was also home to some of the richest gold placers during the gold rush, a fact not lost on those who still try their hand at panning and dredging today.
Gold Mine Proposed in Jefferson County
What could be the first underground gold mine to open in Montana in at least a decade is proposed near the ghost town of Elkhorn in Jefferson County, Montana.
New Regulations for Major Precious Metal Dealers
The Bush administration, in its latest effort to nab drug lords and terror financiers, will require major dealers in gold, diamonds and other precious metals and gems to set up comprehensive programs to combat money laundering, announced the Treasury Department.
Miners Win Again in SREP vs. USFS
It’s been three years since the Siskiyou Regional Education Project (SREP) filed a lawsuit against the Siskiyou National Forest (SNF) in an attempt to require a Plan of Operation and financial guarantee (bond) for all mining located in Riparian Reserves (in or near water).
Judge Rules Against Dredger in Idaho Civil Case
The path to winning this case should have been to make the plaintiffs prove that a foreign substance was introduced and then discharged, which is the “trigger” for regulations under the Clean Water Act.
Melman on Gold & Silver
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.
Subscription Required:
The Bawl Mill
• The Suction Gold Dredging Fight Continues in California
• Gold in the South Pass Greenstone Belt, Wyoming
• Chinese Buy Out Australian Miners
• Using a Winch to Work Smarter, Not Harder
• The Forgotten Specimen—Part II
• Germany Developing Gold Vending Machine
• How to Complete Assessment Work and Claim Maintenance
• More Tennessee Gold
• Mining Stock Quotes and Mineral & Metal Prices
Free:
Melman on Gold & Silver
