Lost Dutchman's Mining Association going strong since 1976

The Lost Dutchman’s Mining Association proudly marks 35 years since it was founded in 1976 by George & Wilma Massie and their sons, Tom and Perry. LDMA Administrator Sharina Davis says all but the dinner table is set for this year’s special event in Las Vegas “We are proud to announce the LDMA 35th Anniversary Dinner Saturday, April 16 and we cordially invite all current LDMA members, their spouses and guests to celebrate with us in fabulous Las Vegas,” Davis said.

Outraged over BLM road closures, Alaskans prepare for legal feud with the feds

You could say that Alaska miner Carey Mills is stuck between a rock and a hard place — namely his mining claim and federal government red tape.

Five ways to collect cash for mellow yellow metal

We all know that gold is where you find it, but two of the most common questions that I get are ‘How do I sell it?’ or ‘What do I do with the gold when I find it?’ Having sold literally pounds of gold over the past decade for myself and for others, I’m pretty sure that this article will answer both these questions.

Judge says activists don’t have a dog in the fight over RS2477 rights of way

The 10th Circuit Court of Appeals sent a clear message to environmental groups recently to keep their noses out of property rights disputes.

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.