PLP and Mining Districts
PLP Update
August 2020 by Scott Harn
Face-to-face meetings in Washington, DC, with Trump administration officials and members of Congress are still on hold due to the coronavirus, but Public Lands for the People is continuing to work on mining-related issues via phone and email.
Clark Pearson of PLP and I have both been in regular contact with DC officials regarding the best path forward to provide regulatory relief despite the gridlock in Congress.
We submitted several written proposals to jump-starting mining on a federal level and provide regulatory relief to miners—both small- and large-scale—to friends in DC over the past month, and they are currently under review. These proposals deal with everything from streamlined permitting and access to federal lands to federal preemption.
Thank you to everyone who continues to support PLP financially for their efforts. The raffle drawing for 2020 was held after our press deadline, so we do not have a list of winners to report, but you can find them on the PLP website by the time this issue is out. The next raffle is underway, and PLP is also hosting an Oktoberfest gathering, to be held in Kern County in Southern California, October 9-11. You can find more details in their ad on their website.
MMAC & PLP Update
Each separate Mining District is a federally recognized entity. There are huge advantages—picture yourself going to an oversight meeting where 2, 3, 4, or even more Mining District representatives have obtained voting positions on the board.
MMAC & PLP Update
On July 4, we are reminded of the sacrifices our Founding Fathers made to establish this great country of ours, and in that spirit, the Minerals and Mining Advisory Council (MMAC) has created a draft Declaration of Miners.And MMAC has been hard at work writing a bill, with the unwavering support of several members of Congress, to reaffirm the rights of miners operating in traditional mining districts.
PLP Update
The changes we are seeking will most definitely help prospectors, small operations and dredgers. If you haven’t yet read our proposals, you’ll find a link to it at the end of the online version of this article.
MMAC Update
We spent our evening at some informal get-togethers at two private residences in the DC area, which provided the opportunity to talk with staff members from Congress, other agencies, and a few consultants working on public land issues. We found common ground with many of them, and found a strong ally in a former Congressman turned consultant who agreed that Mining Districts provide the smartest legal route...
Update on MMAC & PLP
MMAC & PLP Update
…what I’d like to focus on in this update is the assistance they provided to a suction gold dredger in Idaho being harassed by an environmental group.
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