Correspondence received from California Department of Fish and Game

Public hearings on suction dredging in California have been postponed indefinitely. Correspondence received from Mark Stopher, Environmental Program Manager for the California Department of Fish and Game indicates that the hearings that were initially slated for January and February have been cancelled with no new hearing dates set, yet.

National conference to precede Vegas Gold & Treasure Show
The Gold Prospectors Association of America is calling all elected local chapter officials to attend the first official Chapter Summit in Las Vegas this spring. The summit will be held the day before the Las Vegas Gold & Treasure Show at the South Point Hotel & Casino, April 16-17. Dominic Ricci, GPAA Director of Operations, is currently planning the all-day conference, which is slated for Friday, April 15, preceding the weekend show. “The summit will run in conjunction with our largest gold show because a lot of our members like to coordinate their own vacation plans while they are in Las Vegas,” he said.

Former Alaskan governor tries her hand at beach mining

In case you missed it on TV earlier this month, former Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin and her family visited the GPAA Cripple River Camp near Nome, Alaska in their quest to find gold for Sarah’s mom and dad. The Palin family was shown talking to Tom and Cindy Massie on the banks of Cripple River. They used a couple of Keene highbankers to recover some fine gold!

Granddad recruits family to form junior division

Perhaps, even shinier than a freshly panned gold nugget, is the gleam in a child’s eyes when they are out looking for buried treasure. With 16 grandchildren, John Leschuk knows that look of excitement quite well. Still, seeing it on their faces never gets old.

Washington State director optimistic about pilot program

Beach mining has received favorable reviews in a two-year study conducted by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. Washington State GPAA Director Rob Matthews is pleased with the findings of a WDFW report, which suggests the department is satisfied that prospecting and smallscale mining on and near seven beaches pose no real threat to wildlife or the environment and that ‘beach mining’ should be allowed to continue.

With the price of gold spiking to record highs on the international stock markets in recent months, some experts are predicting that it could surpass $1,500 an ounce by the new year. Gold prices are already approaching $1,400 an ounce, more than doubling since 2007. Not only is this exciting for the Gold Prospectors Association of America and GPAA members, but it has led to more interest in prospecting and attention to the protection of property rights on public lands.

More than 35 treasure hunters and prospectors showed up at the Vail Ranch historical site in Temecula, California recently to lend a hand in the search for buried artifacts. Metal detectorists from two GPAA local chapters — Temecula Valley Prospectors and the Treasure Seekers of San Diego County — participated in all-day event Sunday, Nov. 7. All artifacts were donated to the museum.

 It's Back! The Gold Prospectors Association of America is pleased to announce that the ALL NEW Pick & Shovel Gazette is NOW IN PRODUCTION, will soon hit the press and will be mailed to all GPAA, LDMA and Gold Life members this December.

Gold prices have come roaring back in the past few weeks and are once again getting close to hitting a new all-time high.

The television and radio airwaves are filled with ads about silver and gold. TV ads want you to sell your silver and gold. Radio and Internet ads want you to buy it. What gives?