Legislation & Regulation
Legislative and Regulatory Update
October 2019 by Scott Harn
• WOTUS rule finalized
It’s official. On September 12, the Trump Administration officially repealed the Obama-era Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule.
In 2014, the Obama administration decided to expand the jurisdiction of the EPA and Army Corps of Engineers beyond navigable waters. WOTUS was redefined to include all areas with even the slightest of connections to water resources, including intermittent streams, and even man-made ditches utilized by farmers, ranchers and miners. The rule was finalized in 2015.
A resulting court fight encompassed several jurisdictions and resulted in differing rules in different parts of the country because District Courts could not agree on a similar interpretation.
Congressman Paul Gosar (R-Arizona), had this to say:
“The Obama-era WOTUS Rule was an abysmal failure and represented one of the most egregious examples of federal overreach in my lifetime. President Obama’s land and water grab gave unprecedented power to bureaucrats of the DC Swamp at the expense of farmers, ranchers, small business owners and the American people. The Western Caucus led the charge against this misguided regulation and is thrilled to see it put out to pasture.”
• Reminder on new claim fees
This is a friendly reminder that the costs associated with filing a new mining claim have gone up.
The new fee for locating a 20-acre claim is $225, which includes a $20 processing fee, $40 location fee, and $165 maintenance fee.
The fees are tied to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and are reviewed every five years.
Fees can be submitted online at https://payp.blm.gov/eppcore/home (Just click on “Mining Claims” when you visit the page.)
Legislative and Regulatory Update
• Not so happy birthday
• Even more support for the PLP
MMAC Update
Within these districts, some of the roads and trails have been reopened for access, critical habitat designations have been scaled back, and a few Mining Districts were completely removed from proposed withdrawals.
Uniting The Small Miners
Have you ever wondered what it is going to take to stop the insanity of politicians and environmental groups from taking away our rights?
Because I Said So
Like all federal judges, he swore an oath to perform his duties “impartially… under the Constitution and laws of the U.S.” Nothing in those documents gives Judge Morris authority to order the BLM to work with non-government organizations (the same ones that filed the lawsuit in question) to alter America’s use of energy.
PLP Update
We now have supporters who are well known and connected in Washington, DC, and who state they will assist us in bypassing lower level staffers and getting us face-to-face meetings with Senators.
Suction Gold Dredge Miners Win On Federal Preemption
Judge Ochoa went so far as to call the California permit scheme “unenforceable.”
Legislative and Regulatory Update
• More roadblocks to dredging in California
• Two Oregon Sheriffs challenge Forest Service authority
• Gold is money
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The Bawl Mill
• Ask The Experts - Do you have more info on Silver Peak?
• Ask The Experts - Forest Service blocking claim access
• Green Valley's Fine Gold Patch
• Hard Rock and Placer Gold of Manhattan, Nevada
• Gold Prospecting for Better or Worse: Powerless
• Revisiting Old Haunts
• How to Refine Silver—Pt II
• Where to Start: Advice for the Beginning Detectorist
• Melman on Gold & Silver
• Mining Stock Quotes and Mineral & Metal Prices
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PLP Update
• MSHA Moves Ahead on Silica RFI But Leaves All Options Open
• Traders At JPMorgan Chase Indicted For Rigging Metal Prices
