All Articles
Legislative and Regulatory Update
April 2006 by Scott Harn
• USFS cost recovery
The US Forest Service issued final cost recovery rules on February 21, 2006, for special use permits.
Special use permits do not apply to locatable minerals under the Mining Law. Mining activities are non-discretionary and are governed by 36 CFR 228 regulations.
• Measure 37 affirmed
Measure 37 was passed by Oregon voters in 2004. Measure 37 provides: “If a public entity enacts or enforces a new land use regulation or enforces a land use regulation enacted prior to December 2, 2004, that restricts the use of private real property or any interest therein and has the effect of reducing the fair market value of the property, or any interest therein, then the owner of the property shall be paid just compensation.”
In lieu of providing just compensation, the measure allows the governing body responsible for enacting the land use regulation to modify, remove or not apply the regulations.
A Circuit Court had ruled that Measure 37 violated the state and federal constitutions and intruded on the authority of the legislature.
The Oregon Supreme Court overturned the lower court.
The case is Macpherson, et al v. Department of Administrative Services, et al (CC No. 05C10444; SC S52875). The case is available on the Oregon Supreme Court website at www.publications.ojd.state.or.us/S52875.htm
• Court declines to hear Canyon Resources claim
The US Supreme Court declined to hear Canyon Resources’ claim that the anti-cyanide initiative passed by voters in Montana in 1998 amounted to an illegal taking.
Canyon Resources already lost in the Montana Supreme Court. They may try to take their case to the US District Court in Montana. Canyon Resources has stated that the initiative prevents the company from bringing the Seven-Up Pete Joint Venture into production.
• Kempthorne nominated to head Interior
President Bush chose Idaho Governor Dirk Kempthorne to be the next Interior Secretary following the departure of Gale Norton.
Kempthorne spent six years in the Senate. He was elected as governor in 1998, and re-elected in 2002.
The League of Conservation Voters, the main lobbying arm for environmental groups, said its scorekeeping shows Kempthorne hostile to their interests.
Company Notes
• Pan American Silver Corp.
• Vista Gold Corp.
• Pacific Rim Mining Corp.
New Silver and Zinc Mine Slated for Montana
Arizona-based International Silver Inc. is proposing an underground silver and zinc mine in Montana and has asked Butte-Silver Bow County to lease them the surface and mineral rights to hundreds of acres.
The Search Continues
The Wyoming State Geological Survey continues research on diamonds in the Laramie Mountains northeast of the UW campus.
Searching for a Paying Hardrock Deposit
Quartz float rock is always intriguing. Where is the vein it came from if it’s still in existence, and is it carrying some gold? Because of the possibility of the quartz carrying some color, we are always looking, checking, detecting, crushing, assaying...
Melman on Gold & Silver
When I was a college student, I remember participating in a huge religious rally and the theme song, sung by hundreds of participants, had this repeating line: “I ain’t-a going to study war no more...” Those days surely are gone as headline after headline now shouts out at us that we had indeed better study and prepare for war.
The Bawl Mill
• Can you hear me now?
• IRS = Irresponsible, Renegade Scoundrels
• The $293 million dollar nap
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The Bawl Mill
• Federal Court to Address Dredge Permits—The Tulloch Rule
• Basic Geology for the Independent Miner—Part IV Geology of Hardrock Gold Deposits
• Economic Impact of Mining in Alaska
• The Kenai Peninsula Goldfields
• Copper Price Keeps Canadian Miners Busy
• The Business of Mining: Financial Recoveries for Mandated Changes
• Utilizing Geologic Maps
• The Rich Hill Outing
• Picks & Pans: Detecting at Ganes Creek
• Copper Mine Opening in Utah
• Future of Mining in Bolivia Uncertain
• Melman on Gold & Silver
• Mining Stock Quotes and Mineral & Metal Prices
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