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Legislative and Regulatory Update
April 2020 by Scott Harn
• Washington State copies California’s wayward regulations
On March 9, the Washington State legislature sent a bill to Gov. Inslee’s desk that will prohibit all forms of motorized mining in streams where Endangered Species Act listed fish are present. The governor is expected to sign the measure.
House Bill 1261 passed 60-35, while companion bill SB 5322 passed in the Senate 37-10, with votes passed along party lines; Democrats were in favor, while Republicans were against it.
The bill would make all motorized prospecting and mining illegal in ESA-designated waterways. Uneducated legislators swayed by extreme environmental groups continue to ignore the benefits provided by suction gold dredgers.
The evidence is clear that dredge miners remove heavy metals like mercury and lead and create desired thermal refugia as they clean our waterways. Dredging “seasons” were already in place so that dredging operations did not interfere with spawning seasons.
Bills like these passed in Washington State are the reason why we continue to focus our efforts on changes at the federal level. Utilizing federal preemption on federal mining claims, we believe these types of frivolous regulations can be overcome, and we continue to advocate for changes at the federal level during our trips to Washington, DC with Public Lands for the People. (You can read more about our efforts in the “PLP Update” column.)
Wyoming Expects Profits from Uranium
Growth in worldwide demand for uranium is leading producers back to Wyoming, which leads the nation in uranium production.
Legislative and Regulatory Update
• Mining reform introduced in Senate
• Obama signs lands bill
• Cap-and-trade
Gold in Rotten Rock
Rotten rock (saprolite) can be found in all warm, humid regions, but is best developed in humid, subtropical climates, like that found in the American South. Outwardly, it looks like bedrock, but upon closer inspection, it can be seen that roots penetrate it and that it can be worked with a shovel or hydraulic monitor.
Oldest Journal Contest - The Winners
We received entries from readers in fourteen states for our contest to find out who has the oldest surviving copy of the Journal, originally named the California Mining Journal..
The Montezuma Quadrangle, Summit County, Colorado
The Montezuma mining district of Summit County, Colorado, is a rugged, structurally complex area of the Rocky Mountains. Home to the first silver claim in Colorado, the Montezuma district hosts stockwork gold deposits, disseminated molybdenum, and abundant silver-bismuth veins.
IBLA Limits Patent to Mineral Rights in Wild & Scenic River Corridors
The following was excerpted from a published decision of Interior Department Office of Hearings and Appeals
The Bawl Mill
• Down on the farm...
• Who you gonna call...
• Deceased still collect wages...
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The Bawl Mill
• Sampling for Success—Part II
• Ask The Experts - Investing: How do you know which companies have potential?
• Miners Fight Back When BLM Says 'Your Claim Is Too Long'
• It's Another 'Ben Day'
• How to Research Prospecting Locations and Mining Claims
• Some Tips and Tricks for Dredgers: Determining Pulley Size and Belt Length
• Where Will The Gold Price Go From Here?
• Holcomb Valley Gold, Southern California
• Gold Prospecting for Better or Worse: The Good Luck and Bad Luck of Prospecting With Animals
• Lode Miner Continues to Find Pocket Gold
• Judge Backs Minnesota's Twin Metals Mine in Lease Dispute
• Over the Divide: Rick Lague
• Melman on Gold & Silver
• Mining Stock Quotes and Mineral & Metal Prices
