Professional Equipment for Serious Detectorists!

Magazine

PLP and Mining Districts

PLP Update

I had the opportunity to attend the Public Lands for the People (PLP) get together near Randsburg, California in late April/early May.

Over 100 prospectors gathered for three days of detecting, drywashing and camaraderie, along with some updates on what PLP has been doing on behalf of miners.

It was a very interesting and historical piece of property of about 140 acres offered up for use by PLP board member Bill Samarin of Mad Mining. Samarin said the property had been thoroughly tested and sampled by the US Army back during WWII for scheelite, the primary ore of tungsten, but even though gold is known to be prevalent in this area, gold content was ignored because that was not the goal at the time. Large equipment was deployed to scrape the area down to bedrock. As a result, there were countless piles of material throughout the property as the Army went through much of the area and sampled for scheelite. It was ultimately determined that the amount of scheelite present was not found in high enough concentrations to continue at the price per ton at that time.

While  the Army did not test for potential gold content, that’s been the focus of Samarin’s efforts.

“There’s plenty of gold here,” said Samarin. “They just didn’t test for it. Most of it is fine gold, but there are some small nuggets.”

Samarin pointed to a large, exposed section of bedrock and stated, “You can see they (the US Army)used a really large bucket excavator. The scrapes in that rock are from the bucket’s teeth.”

While attendees attempted to recover gold using their own drywashers and detectors, Samarin set out to testing a version of the new commercial drywashing units he has developed.

Other activities for the three-day event included a small-scale Sierra Blaster demonstration, a kids’ detecting hunt, a huge pot-luck dinner. Afterwards, PLP board members provided an update about their procedures for using suction dredges for reclamation and answered a few questions from members.

The Saturday evening event ended with a raffle. Things became a bit challenging when the hot, dry weather was interrupted by 30mph winds with occasional gusts nearing 50 mph. Everyone jumped in after the raffle to help clean up before the winds could carry everything away.

© ICMJ's Prospecting and Mining Journal, CMJ Inc.
Next Article »« Previous Article

Add a Comment

Additional articles that might interest you...

MMAC Update


This is the third trip MMAC has made to DC this year, so some of the congressional staff members are gaining a better understanding of the current problems miners face and how MMAC-assisted Mining Districts can alleviate those problems.

MMAC Update


We have found strong support from legislators in both the House and Senate for several proposed bills that will provide Mining Districts with a greater role in the decisions that affect access to mining claims, oversight and regulations.

MMAC Update


... officials with BLM have been impressed by MMAC’s professional approach and consistency.

PLP Update


Suction Dredging is Back in Most of California!

MMAC & PLP Update


Just prior to our press deadline, we learned that a bill had been introduced in the Idaho House of Representatives to redefine suction gold dredging as a preferred use in public waterways in Idaho.

Proof Mining Districts Work!


If you need more proof that having an organized Mining District can help you, look no further than the recently proposed Methow Headwaters Withdrawal in north-central Washington State.

PLP Update


The miner was drywashing using a small, gas-powered drywasher for a short period of time—maybe an hour—when he was asked by a ranger to see his permit, which is not required to prospect at this small of a scale.

Subscription Required:
The Bawl Mill   • Ask The Experts - How do I stake this claim?   • Ask The Experts - Is this non-toxic leaching system for real?   • Ask The Experts - Where can I find more information about this claim?   • Ask The Experts - Can you tell me more about the Meadow Lake area?   • Tracing Gold To Its Source   • Tips & Tricks: How to Revive a Dredge Engine That’s Been Submerged   • Quit While You’re Goin’ Good   • The Historic Gold Rush Town of Quincy   • Gold Prospecting for Better or Worse: Add This to Your Bucket (Check) List   • Finding Gold Beyond Your Detector   • Opinion: Another Attack on Oregon’s Rural Communities   • Rand, Red Mountain, Atolia Mining Districts of Kern and San Bernardino Counties, California   • Melman on Gold & Silver   • Mining Stock Quotes and Mineral & Metal Prices

Free:
Legislative and Regulatory Update

Advertisements

Precious Metals Recovery plants and equipment
Fighting to keep public lands open to the public
Specializing in the processing of precious metal ores!
Watch prospecting shows on your computer right now
Free Online Sample Issue