The Environmental Protection Agency released a draft permit drawing up regulations for small-scale suction dredgers in Idaho approximately one year ago. Then, in early April the EPA released its finalized permit, requiring dredgers to apply for the organization’s National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit. The permit covers small-scale suction dredgers operating “intake nozzles five inches in diameter or less and engines rated at 15 horsepower or less.” This requirement is no different than what the Idaho Department of Water Resources currently asks of dredgers; however, the state and federal permits do part ways in other areas.
“Making permits doesn’t do anything except create more legal hassles,” said Gold Prospectors Association of America member Jim Young, who lives in Biloxi, Miss. but owns a mining claim in Idaho. “I don’t see anything positive for miners or prospectors. Most of us are in compliance anyways as far as the water quality. There’s already regulations and the reality is when you’re running a dredge you aren’t putting anything in the water that wasn’t in there to start with.”

The Galice Mining District has petitioned the federal district court to hear a lawsuit against the State of Oregon over its a recent raft of proposed anti-mining legislation.

Galice Mining District President Kerby Jackson has led the charge with allegations leveled at Governor John Kitzhaber and three state senators: Sen. Peter Courtney, Sen. Jackie Dingfelder and Sen. Alan Bates.

Critical Deadline: Special meeting online by the Park Service regarding San Gabriel Watershed and Rim of the Valley. You must get on this call. Los Angeles area stands to lose access to Angeles National Forest, San Bernadino National Forest and Los Padres National Forest. This is a big deal.

Small-scale miners are encouraged to oppose two recently proposed Oregon state senate bills: https://olis.leg.state.or.us/liz/2013R1/Committees/SENR/2013-04-15-15-00/Agenda

• SB 838 (Moratorium on mechanized placer mining)
  
• SB 401  (Scenic Rivers)
  

These two bills have been assigned a hearing date of April 15 and miners are encouraged to  send emails to committee administrator Beth Reiley, who will assemble comments for the attention of the whole committee.

The Western Mining Alliance recently sent a letter addressed to three state agencies  demanding a seat at the table in response to a recent request by the Center for Biological Diversity to invoke emergency powers to ban to all mechanized mining — not just suction dredges.

Hundreds of miners showed up on the steps of Oregon’s State Capitol Building yesterday to protest the an inundation of anti-mining legislation proposed by the Democrat controlled state senate. The purpose of the rally was “to educate legislators and the public and to protest the wrongful and illegal proposed anti-mining legislation” on the table in state.
Miners rally in Oregon
Watch video of Tom Kitchar at rally
Watch video of Kerby Jackson property rights
Watch video of Kerby Jackson at rally
Watch video of senators speaking at rally

Oppose huge 2013 Omnibus federal lands bill

The American Lands Rights Association is urging all GPAA members and land rights groups to oppose  a huge Omnibus Federal Lands Bill:  We thought Senators Wyden and Reid might not go forward on the 2013 Omnibus Federal Lands Bill. Now, it is clear they are moving quickly. Senator Wyden is joining Reid to lead the Omnibus Federal Lands Bill effort. It looks like Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) may join them.

Approximately 600 million acres threatened by U.S./Canada Commission proposing massive expansion of jurisdiction over lands and waters in the northern United States and Canada. Problem: Attempt by Obama Administration to use various wetlands and water jurisdiction tools to gain control over all lands and waters to achieve the goals they failed to win in the last Congress with the Clean Water Restoration Act by former Congressman James Oberstar (D-MN) and former Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI). This was the bill that tried to remove the word “Navigable” from the Clean Water Act. The Obama Administration is still trying to bypass the word “Navigable” through its new EPA, Corps of Engineers “Wetlands Guidance Regulations” which Congress is trying to defund.

Show your support for Oregon miners who are under siege from the state government with three anti-mining senate bills. Attend the Oregon Gold Miners Rally on the north steps of the State Capitol Building in Salem, Ore. Thursday, Feb. 28. Show your support for Oregon miners who are under siege from the state government.

Olympic National Park is going through another Wilderness planning process. The only result of this will be expanded Wilderness further reducing visitor opportunities on the Olympic Peninsula. It is no surprise to you that the Olympic Peninsula as a whole is suffering from severe job shortage. Some of this is caused by the Olympic Park and National Forest expanding Wilderness areas making more lands on the Peninsula off limits for many people. Anything the Olympic National Park does to exclude people from more areas in the park reduces potential visitor opportunities thereby reducing the number of people who come to the area. This hurts tourism, small-scale mining and jobs in general. A Wilderness designation makes it very difficult for the handicapped, elderly and children to visit and use vast areas of both Olympic National Park and the Olympic National Forest. Both have broken promises over the years to local communities to hold the line on Wilderness. More Wilderness is a job killer.