Magazine

All Articles

Legislative and Regulatory Update

June 2006 by Scott Harn

• SREP appeals
Last month we reported that the Siskiyou Regional Education Project (SREP) had their case dismissed on appeal. They had filed a lawsuit against the Siskiyou National Forest in an attempt to require a Plan of Operation and financial guarantee (bond) for all mining located in or near a waterway.

Judge Cooney originally ruled in favor of the Forest Service. SREP appealed to the District Court and Judge Michael R. Hogan dismissed the appeal.

SREP has now appealed the case to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. Public Lands for the People, which intervened to assist miners in the case, has filed briefs in support of the Forest Service. We will continue to follow this case as it progresses.

• No decision yet in Karuk case
The Karuk Tribe’s lawsuit against the California Department of Fish & Game (DFG) in Alameda County, California, is still waiting for a decision by Judge Bonnie Sabraw.

Judge Sabraw will decide whether or not to sign an agreement reached between the Karuks and DFG behind closed doors that would close off several northern California rivers to dredging and place severe restrictions on others.

It appears that DFG did not follow required procedures for rulemaking, nor did they follow required procedures for establishing emergency regulations. Several mining organizations have been granted intervenor status by the court.

We expect the judge will opt out of signing the original agreement and the case will proceed to trial. We’ll keep you posted.

• Right to Access bill
Mike Smith, owner of Pro Mack South, informed us that a legislative proposal has been submitted to US Representative Rick Renzi of Arizona.

The proposed legislation, titled “Our Right to Public Lands Access,” was originally submitted by Arizona resident Deborah Strole. It would remove some of the burden regarding environmental studies and permitting from small miners and place that responsibility back on government agencies.

The proposal has been languishing in Representative Renzi’s office. What is needed are letters of support to show Representative Renzi that there is actual support, in numbers, from concerned citizens.

Interested parties can read the entire text of the proposed legislation in the “Pending Rules, Regulations, Projects” section of our website at www.icmj.com

Smith also provided us with a sample letter that can be sent along to Congressman Renzi. Feel free to use it or develop your own.

by Scott Harn

Next Article »« Previous Article

Add a Comment

Additional articles that might interest you...

Legislative and Regulatory Update

January 2010
• EPA declares carbon dioxide a threat to environment
• Suction dredging update for California
• California Fish & Game director resigns
• More Merced River restrictions

January Issues Delayed For Weeks As USPS Searches Their Facility

February 2006
“Neither rain nor sleet nor snow...” How does that saying go?

Fellow Miner, Left for Dead, Needs Our Help

September 2002
On January 11, 2002, at 7:00 am, a passerby found what he thought was a dead body by the Pro-Mack South Quartzsite store in front of the gate to the storage lockers next door. The police arrived to find Don Thornton, the Pro-Mack South Quartzsite store manager, unconscious, black and blue...

Melman on Gold & Silver

June 2008
It is my belief that these trends toward rising budgetary and trade deficits, escalating monetary creation and interest rates that are being held at artificially low levels will continue and I believe that further US Dollar weakness has now been built into the system.