Washington State Miner

Ocean Beach Mining To Be Subject Of Public Meeting

2012-02-02T14:38:00.000-08:00

Note: Due to a computer crash I have been unable to post to this blog for several weeks. Things are slowly getting straightened out so I hope to be able to update more regularly now. My apologies for the lengthy absence.

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The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission together with Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) will hold an open meeting on February 16 at 6:30 P.M. at the Montesano City Hall, 112 N Main Street, Montesano, Washington.

The purposes of the meeting, as set forth in the official announcement, are to "provide information about small-scale beach prospecting rules that were enacted last year to regulate the activity on Washington’s ocean beaches, and to hear public opinions and preferences about those rules."

Questions about this meeting should be directed to " Lisa Lantz, State Parks Acting Stewardship Program Manager, at 360-725-9777."

Previous posts on ocean beach mining in Washington can be found here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.

A Google Maps map showing the location of the Montesano City Hall is available at the link here.

HPA Fee Bill Introduced in Senate

2012-01-10T14:39:00.000-08:00

As reported here and here, the Washington State Legislature is considering legislation that would impose a $150 fee for a Hydraulic Project Approval (HPA) application.

SB 6011 is the companion to HB 2135 that would impose this fee. Like its House counterpart, the Senate bill was introduced at the request of the Department of Fish and Wildlife by sponsors Ranker, Hargrove and Shin.

SB 6011 had its first reading on January 9 and was referred to the Energy, Natural Resources & Marine Waters committee. HB 2135 remains in the House Committee on Ways & Means.

It will pay to watch these bills closely as public hearings tend to be scheduled with very little advance notice.

"Unraveling Federal Jurisdiction within a State" - Sheriff Gil Gilbertson

2012-01-07T16:29:00.000-08:00

The title of this post is taken from the title of a report written by Josephine County, Oregon Sheriff Gil Gilbertson who has been involved in a "clash" with the U.S. Forest Service regarding the latter agency's law enforcement efforts within his county. (Sheriff Gilbertson's actions as they relate to the mining community have been mentioned previously on this blog here, here, and here.)

According to Sarah Foster, writing in Oregon Sheriff Gil Gilbertson Continues Stand Against U.S. Forest Service at NWV News, Gilbertson's report is,

... a “must read” for anyone concerned about infringements against the 10th Amendment and federal encroachments in general – like road closures, Wild Lands and Monument designations, mining and other resource uses. In other words, this is for anyone and everybody with an interest – no matter how casual -- in accessing the public lands, either as a “resource user” (a rancher or miner) or simply a casual vacationer who enjoys weekend camping.

Sections of the report do deal with mining, in particular these paragraphs from page 10:

“Public land” that is disposed by claims under the act of 1872 becomes “Public Domain”. “The locators of all mining locations made on any mineral vein, lode, or ledge, situated on the public domain, their heirs and assigns, w(h)ere no adverse claim existed on the 10th day of May 1872 so long as they comply with the laws of the United States, and with State, territorial, and local regulations not in conflict with the laws of the United States governing their possessory title, shall have the exclusive right of possession and enjoyment of all the surface included within the lines of their locations.”

The mechanics of what happens to the “public land’ once found to be mineral in character is expressly evidenced in the Organic Act of 1897, that “any public lands embraced within the limits of any forest reservation which…” “…shall be found better adapted for mining or for agricultural purposes than for forest usage, may be restored to the public domain.” By private settlement under various land disposal laws of the United States, such as the Mining Law of 1872, “public land” is restored to the public domain.

The federal agencies have management authority only over “public land”, not privately settled public domain. The act of location restores the land to public domain and the mining law provides the locator of such segregation “shall have the exclusive right of possession and enjoyment of all the surface included within the lines of their locations”

Federal mining claims are “private property”

“but so long as he complies with the provisions of the mining laws his possessory right, for all practical purposes of ownership, is as good as though secured by patent.”

“All mining claims, whether quartz or placer, are real estate. The owner of the possessory right thereto has a legal estate therein with the meaning of ORS 105.005”

Setting the required boundaries of a mining claim literally sets a boundary describing land separate and distinct from agency authority placing the land under the exclusive authority and jurisdiction of the locator. This interest is also stated as case law and Forest Service Manual details.

And in this paragraph from page 11:

No section of the FLPMA (Federal Lands Policy and Management Act - 1976) and, therefore, no Forest Service authority may impair or amend locator’s rights under the act of 1872. Further that, “no provision of this section or any other section of this Act (FLPMA) shall in any way amend the Mining Law of 1872 or impair the rights of any locators or claims under that Act, including, but not limited to, rights of ingress and egress”

To get the full picture of Sheriff Gilbertson's research, one should read the entire 13 page report which is available as a .pdf here: Unraveling Federal Jurisdiction within a State.

New Publications From WDGER

2011-12-06T18:33:00.000-08:00

The Washington Division of Geology and Earth Resources has announced the availability of the following publications:

Open File Report 2011-1. Geologic map of the Monroe 7.5-minute quadrangle, King and Snohomish Counties, Washington, by J. D. Dragovich, M. L. Anderson, S. A. Mahan, C. J. Koger, J. H. Saltonstall, J. H. MacDonald Jr., G. R. Wessel, B. A. Stoker, J. P. Bethel, J. E. Labadie, Recep Cakir, J. D. Bowman, and S. A. DuFrane. 2011. 42 x 36 in. color sheet, scale 1:24,000, with 24 p. text. (Available online only, at http://www.dnr.wa.gov/publications/ger_ofr2011-1_geol_map_monroe_24k.zip [15.6 MB])

Open File Report 2011-2. Analytical data from the Monroe 7.5-minute quadrangle, King and Snohomish Counties, Washington—Supplement to Open File Report 2011-1, by J. D. Dragovich, S. A. Mahan, M. L. Anderson, J. H. MacDonald Jr., G. R. Wessel, S. A. DuFrane, Recep Cakir, J. D. Bowman, and H. A. Littke. 2011. 61 p., 2 plates, and 2 Microsoft Excel files. (Available online only, at http://www.dnr.wa.gov/publications/ger_ofr2011-2_monroe_supplement.zip [34.6 MB])

Hearing on HPA Fee Bill Tomorrow!

2011-12-05T15:03:00.000-08:00

Yes, that's right folks. The House Committee on Ways & Means has scheduled a public hearing on HB 2135, the bill that would establish a $150 application fee for an HPA as reported earlier here.

The hearing is to take place in the John L. O'Brien Building, House Hearing Rm A, Olympia, WA tomorrow, December 6, at 10:00 AM...unless changed by the legislature before then.

It seems to this observer that, if these people really represented us, as they claim to do, they would actively seek our input instead of setting up so-called "public hearings" on such short notice that the public is effectively precluded from attending. But, I digress.

More on this unfolding travesty as it occurs.

Are HPA Fees On The Way?

2011-12-02T16:53:00.000-08:00

Here we go again!

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) has, through the offices of Representatives Zack Hudgins and Ross Hunter, introduced HB 2135, a bill which, if passed and signed into law, would allow WDFW to "charge a one hundred fifty dollar application fee for all applications for hydraulic project permits under this chapter to recover the costs for processing permit applications."

Needless to say, since the recently approved beach mining requires an HPA, it would cost $150 just to apply to go gold panning at the ocean if this bill is enacted, making the activity prohibitively expensive. Can you say, "Hard won, easily lost?"

Please feel free to use the links above to contact Representatives Hudgins and Hunter, if you are so inclined, and to read the text of the bill and follow its progress in the legislature. At the moment, the bill is in the House Ways & Means Committee.

Who's Watching Us?

2011-10-30T15:58:00.000-07:00

Ever since the South West Oregon Mining Association (SWOMA) published this article on their website detailing the variety of state and federal agencies that are monitoring their online activities, I've been wondering who's watching WSM?

I don't normally concern myself with the demographics of visitors to this site, although perhaps I should. Anyway, I decided to check on who's been dropping by lately. Among our visitors in the last 2 weeks:

Washington State DNR - 1 visit

Click to enlarge.

Headquarters United States Army Information Systems Command - 6 visits

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Federal Aviation Administration - 5 visits

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BLM - 4 visits

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Department Of Homeland Security - 1 visit

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WDFW - 4 visits

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State Of New Mexico - 1 visit

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Visits by some of these agencies, like DNR, BLM, and WDFW, I can understand. But the Army? The FAA? (Seen any airborne suction dredges lately?) And the Department of Homeland Security? (YIKES! This is getting scary!)

Hopefully I haven't frightened away too many of my readers. Because maybe these are just visits by folks interested in getting out into the great outdoors and panning a few flakes of our favorite yellow metal? We can hope so, anyway.

Mining Districts: The Old Becomes New Again

2011-10-25T13:33:00.000-07:00

Mining districts once constituted a bulwark for the organized protection of miners' rights. After reading the ICMJ's Prospecting and Mining Journal article linked here, it appears they are poised to do so once again. As the article above tells it, miners in southwestern Oregon have revived the late 19th-early 20th century institution of the mining district in order to more effectively organize their resistance to the increasing attacks coming from federal, state, environmentalist, and tribal sources. Instrumental in this revival is the South West Oregon Mining Association (SWOMA).

According to the SWOMA website, the Jefferson Mining District was officially created on September 2, 2011 (see document and map here) following several meetings and a vote by the miners. A couple of the assaults on miners' rights prompting the creation of the District include illegal road closures and the potential sealing of "inactive mines" (defined as "ANY mine without an approved Plan of Operations") as though they were abandoned mine lands.

Mining districts were common in Washington in the early 20th Century as shown in this 1912 map from Bulletin 507, The Mining Districts of the Western United States by James M. Hill:

Washington State Mining Districts in 1912 (Click to enlarge.)

As illustrated above, there were some 59 mining districts in Washington in those days. Could they be revived? And would doing so benefit local miners? Given the recent activity in southwestern Oregon, the answers to both questions would seem to be, "yes!" What can work in Oregon can work in Washington. In particular, the SWOMA website linked above contains ample information for anyone wanting a "blueprint" of how to form a mining district.

Washington miners should take heed of this opportunity rather than remain complacent in the face of increasing threats to their occupation, for what government and environmentalists have done to miners in Oregon (and elsewhere) they can do to miners anywhere, including Washington.

The SWOMA website is linked both in this post and in the right-hand sidebar of this page under "Clubs and Organizations" for those interested in researching the formation of a mining district.

PLSS And USGS Quadrangle Data In Google Earth

2011-10-20T16:44:00.000-07:00

PLSS (Public Land Survey System) and USGS Quadrangle locations are now available in Google Earth with free plug-ins courtesy of Metzger+Willard, Inc.

If you've ever needed to know the section, township, and range in which a certain geographical feature is located, you can now see this information as an overlay in Google Earth thanks to the PLSGE plug-in described on this page which also contains the download link.

Likewise, if you need to know which USGS Quadrangle map covers your area of interest, download and install the QUADS plug-in described on this page where you will also find the download link.

Metzger+Willard also have other free Google Earth plug-ins listed on their Earth Survey page. But the two mentioned above appeared to me to be the most useful for prospectors and miners. Links for both plug-ins are also available in the MAPPING APPLICATIONS & ONLINE SPATIAL DATA section of the Resources for Prospectors portion of the right-hand sidebar on this page.

Ocean Beach Mining Opens Sunday

2011-10-07T19:57:00.000-07:00

As reported here, ocean beach mining opens Sunday, October 9, for small-scale placer operations. Remember, you need an individual HPA in hand before you can placer mine on the beaches as the Gold and Fish Pamphlet does NOT fulfill this requirement. (Why miners need an HPA to dig holes in the sand but clam harvesters and sand castle architects do not is beyond me.)

The areas open to mining are in the Seashore Conservation Area which is defined in RCW 79A.05.605 as

...all lands now or hereafter under state ownership or control lying between Cape Disappointment and Leadbetter Point; between Toke Point and the South jetty on Point Chehalis; and between Damon Point and the Makah Indian Reservation and occupying the area between the line of ordinary high tide and the line of extreme low tide, as these lines now are or may hereafter be located, and, where applicable, between the Seashore Conservation Line, as established by survey of the Washington state parks and recreation commission and the line of extreme low tide, as these lines now are or may hereafter be located; and shall also include all state-owned nontrust accreted lands along the ocean: PROVIDED, That no such conservation area shall include any lands within the established boundaries of any Indian reservation.

Precisely where these "lands now or hereafter under state ownership or control" which are open to mining lie is unknown to this writer and may take some research in the property records of Clallam, Grey's Harbor, Jefferson, and Pacific counties to determine. I have heard that the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) has a map or maps showing which areas are open to mining but this writer has yet to locate a copy. In any event, here is a map taken from Handbook For Gold Prospectors In Washington by Wayne S. Moen and Marshall T. Huntting, Information Circular 57, Washington Department of Natural Resources, Division of Geology and Earth Resources, 1975, page 36, showing where gold was found in beach deposits in the past. (NOTE: The locations shown below are for historical information only and are NOT necessarily open for prospecting under the new rules. Check the appropriate land ownership or WDFW map records - if they exist - before mining.)

Historical Beach Placer Locations (Click to enlarge.)

The following placers numbered on the map above are described in Information Circular 57:

1 - Shi Shi Beach: Beach between Portage Head and Point of Arches in Sections 18, 19, and 30 Township 32N Range 15W. Beach deposit in which a thin layer of fine heavy sand rests on a wave-cut terrace in sandstone overlain by 1 to 3 feet of gravel and sand. Gold and platinum are found in the thin layer and in cracks in the bedrock.

2 - Ozette Beach: Section 12 Township 31N Range 16W. Beach deposit of gold and platinum concentrated along surface of a wave-cut terrace in sandstone.

3 - Little Wink: Center S½SW¼ Section 1 Township 30N Range 16W. Reworked Pleistocene gravels in a beach placer.

4 - Morgan: NW¼NW¼NE¼ Section 12 Township 30N Range 16W. Reworked Pleistocene gravels at high-tide level.

5 - Morrow: SW¼SW¼ Section 18 Township 30N Range 15W. Beach deposit in which there is a 2-foot layer of gravel reworked by wave action from Pleistocene gravel. Spotty fine gold content averaged $4.00 per cubic yard at $20 gold.

6 - Yellow Banks: 2 miles south of Sand Point in SW¼ Section 18 Township 30N Range 15W. Beach deposit of gold and platinum concentrated on surface of a wave-cut terrace in Pleistocene drift.

7 - Main and Bartnes: NW¼NW¼ Section 19 Township 30N Range 15W. Sand and gravel cemented by clay and iron oxide.

8 - Johnson Point: NW¼ Section 5 Township 28N Range 15W. Beach placers and gold in Pleistocene deposits of the bench adjacent. Some pans of sand ran as high as 60 cents Au and some panners recovered $2 to $10 per day at $20 gold.

9 - Cedar Creek: Near mouth of Cedar Creek in E½ Section 18 Township 29N Range 15W. Gold and platinum occur in a beach placer in a 2- to 15-inch sand layer on the surface of a wave-cut beach in clay. The sand layer is said to be 400 feet long and 100 feet wide at low tide. Said to yield from 2 to 5 pennyweights of gold and platinum per cubic yard. Ratio of Pt to Au ranges from 1:5 to 1:15.

10 - Sunset Creek: Section 19 Township 29N Range 15W.

11 - Ruby Beach: E½NE¼ Section 31 Township 26N Range 13W. On tombolo (a sand bar connecting an island to the mainland or to another island) between Abbey Island and Ruby Beach. Very fine grained gold in beach sand.

12 - Moclips River: Section 8 Township 20N Range 12W.

13 - Oyhut: On ocean beach at Oyhut. Beach placer. Assays 72 cents gold per ton at $20 gold.

14 - Point Brown: Sections 15 and 23 Township17N Range 12W.

15 - Ocean Park: Ocean beach at Ocean Park. 87 cents gold per ton at $20 gold.

16 - Fort Canby: Mouth of Columbia River near Fort Canby. Sand. 81 cents gold per ton at $20 gold.

17 - Sand Island: Island at mouth of Columbia River just south of Ilwaco. Sand. $1.51 gold per ton at $20 gold.

See Information Circular 57 at the link above for more details.

Beach Mining Rules Effective October 9 -- HPA REQUIRED!

2011-09-28T18:48:00.000-07:00

The new beach mining rules adopted by the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission on August 11 will take effect on Sunday, October 9, 2011, according to the Southwest Region Office.

Remember: WDFW still requires you to obtain a separate HPA for beach mining activities conducted under the new WAC rules as the Gold and Fish Pamphlet does not apply to the ocean beaches. From the relevant WDFW webpage:

Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission has adopted rules that allow prospecting on ocean beaches. Because that agency adopted their own rules about beach prospecting, I don't need a permit from Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, do I? Yes. The rules adopted by the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission allowing certain beach prospecting activities are in addition to WDFW's permitting requirements. Because prospecting in marine waters is not covered by the Gold and Fish pamphlet, you must apply for, and be issued, an individual HPA to legally prospect on ocean beaches.

If you are planning on doing any beach prospecting this fall, you should apply for your HPA as soon as possible as some time is involved in WDFW issuing these permits. The necessary application and instructions are available online at http://www.epermitting.org/.

Make Your Own Black Sand Magnet

2011-09-08T15:35:00.000-07:00

You can make your own black sand magnet for aiding in gold recovery using a plastic 35mm film cassette can, a piece of wire, and a magnet that will fit inside the film can.

To make mine, I used a small but powerful magnet I had in my junk box. Although it has a convenient loop at one end for attaching the wire, you may need to get a bit creative if your magnet has a different design. I drilled a hole in the bottom of the film can just large enough for the wire to pass through. The parts ready for assembly are shown below:

(Note: I recommend drilling the hole in the cap instead of in the bottom of the film can as with the latter arrangement very fine particles of black sand work their way under the cap and onto the magnet itself.)

With the wire pushed through the drilled hole in the film can, form a loop in it as shown below so that the magnet can be raised and lowered inside the can:

Attach the cap to the can to complete the assembly as shown below:

To use your new magnet, spread your black-sand-containing concentrate more-or-less evenly over the bottom of a gold pan under an inch or so of water. Keep the magnet above the concentrate while moving it in a circular motion. If you get the magnet too low or into the sand, the magnetic particles will clump and can entrap pieces of gold. As you work, you will notice the concentrate becoming lighter in color in the areas where the magnetic black sand particles have been removed.

Every few moments, withdraw the magnet from the concentrate pan. You will notice an accumulation of black sand on the bottom of the film container.

Next, position the magnet in the water in a second gold pan which will serve to collect the magnetic sand removed from the concentrate pan. Release the black sand into the pan by pulling up on the wire to raise the magnet inside the film can.

Each time you drop a load of black sand into the second gold pan, you should check it to be sure no gold particles were trapped within it. When you are satisfied that you have only black sand in the pan, you can dispose of that material as you normally do with your tailings. The second pan should now be empty (except for the water) and ready to receive the next load of black sand.

When you are no longer getting black sand on the magnet assembly from your concentrate pan, you are finished with this stage of the separation process. You will probably notice a considerable reduction in the amount of concentrate remaining in your pan, depending on how much magnetic black sand it contained, and may even see some gold pieces amid the remaining material, as on the right and bottom of the image below:

As always, happy prospecting!

New Publications From WDGER

2011-09-02T13:17:00.000-07:00

The Washington Division of Geology and Earth Resources has announced the following publications:

Information Circular 112. Inactive and abandoned mine lands--Ruby Hill Mining District, Okanogan County, Washington, by F. E. Wolff, D. T. McKay, and D. K. Norman. 2011. 35 p. (Available online only, at http://www.dnr.wa.gov/Publications/ger_ic112_iaml_ruby_hill.pdf [59.8 MB])

Also, please be aware of corrections to the following publication:

Open File Report 2010-3 [revised 2011]. Geologic map of the Skokomish Valley and Union 7.5-minute quadrangles, Mason County, Washington, by Michael Polenz, J. L. Czajkowski, Gabriel Legorreta Paulin, T. A. Contreras, B. A. Miller, M. E. Martin, T. J. Walsh, R. L. Logan, R. J. Carson, C. N. Johnson, R. H. Skov, S. A. Mahan, and C. R. Cohan. 2010 [revised 2011]. 42 x 36 in. color sheet, scale 1:24,000, with 21 p. text. (Available online only, at http://www.dnr.wa.gov/Publications/ger_ofr2010-3_geol_map_skokomish_valley_union_24k.zip [38.2 MB])

Errata for Open File Report 2010-3: The name of Holocene ‘alluvium’ (units Qa(m) and Qo(am)) was changed to ‘marine deltaic alluvium’ to distinguish it from unit Qa. The unit labels and colors of units Qoa (Holocene to latest Pleistocene alluvium) and Qao (uppermost Olympic-source recessional outwash) were inadvertently switched on the map legend. This has been corrected. Kasper van Wijk has been added as fourth author to Lamb (2009). Corrections were made to the online file on August 8, 2011.

Beach Mining Rules Available

2011-08-22T21:32:00.000-07:00

As reported here, the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission approved small-scale prospecting and placer mining in the Seashore Conservation Area on Washington's ocean beaches at their meeting in Wenatchee on August 11.

Washington State Miner has just received from Parks and Recreation a copy of the rules as passed by the Commission at that meeting. The text of the rules may be accessed as a .pdf file at the link here.

According to the source at Parks and Recreation, they do not yet have an exact date when the rules will go into effect but state it should be in mid- to late-September.

More information as it becomes available.

Beach Mining Approved by Parks and Recreation Commission

2011-08-19T21:25:00.000-07:00

On August 11 in Wenatchee the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission voted to approve small-scale prospecting and placer mining on ocean beaches in the Seashore Conservation Area.

The rules, which are yet to be posted on the Chapter 352-37 WAC site, are reported to go into effect about the middle of September. When published, the new mining rules will be designated WAC 352-37-340 and may be located at the link above.

Washington State Miner will continue to monitor the WAC site and report when the rules are posted.

Important MineCache Update

2011-06-25T16:15:00.000-07:00

An important update regarding the MineCache plug-in for Google Earth (see the previous post here) is that selecting "BLM Mine Claim Records" for either active or closed claims now retrieves data directly from the BLM's LR2000 system instead of from the GeoCommunicator system as previously. This means that MineCache now has access to nearly 3.4 million claim records instead of the 1.6 million available through GeoCommunicator. The names of the claims appear in yellow boxes outlining the sections or fractions thereof in which the claims are located. As before, clicking on a claim's name opens an information window from which you may access the complete LR2000 report.

Beach Mining Rules Being Developed

2011-06-25T15:54:00.000-07:00

The latest word on soon-to-be-allowed small scale beach mining (mentioned previously here, here, here, here, and here) is that State Parks is working on a draft of the rules and will hold a rule-making hearing on this subject at the Parks Commission meeting in Wenatchee on August 11th.

In the meantime, a draft of the proposed rules can be downloaded as a .pdf file from the link here.

Sneak Attack Continues RE: HPA Fee Bill

2011-04-21T07:53:00.000-07:00

As posted here on Monday, a public hearing on SSB 5862, the substitute HPA fee bill, was held on Tuesday before the Senate Committee on Ways & Means.

We now learn, via the Resources Coalition and Bruce Beatty, that a second substitute bill (P2SSB 5862) has been proposed as the result of a meeting between the Governor's Office and some "HPA program Stakeholders" and from which meeting the Small Scale Mineral Prospecting and Mining Community was excluded.

It is important to read the text of this new legislation which may be downloaded as a PDF file here. (Note: This file will open in a pdf reader although it does not have a .pdf extension. You may have to manually select your pdf reader in order to view this file.) But, in summary, the bill is poorly written and, if enacted, would severely restrict, if not eliminate, one's ability to prospect or mine in this state.

Accordingly, here is a link to a somewhat lengthy list of talking points to use when contacting the government departments listed below: P2SSB 5862Talking Points PDF

Senate Committee on Ways & Means - to request that this bill not be allowed to go forward and cite your concerns.

Governor's Office - to ask why was the Small Scale Mineral Prospecting and Mining community was not a part of her meetings regarding this legislation and cite your concerns.

Your Senator and Representative - to inform them of this legislation and of your concerns. Request that they take whatever steps that they can to stop this legislation.

Your Local County, City, and Dike Districts - to inform them of this legislation. They need to know your position as a taxpayer who will ultimately end up paying for this legislation. Just because they may not obtain an HPA or FPA, they will be on the hook for prosecuting violators.

Furthermore, if you wish to call or write the Governor's Office, the contact information is listed below:

Phone: 360-902-4111

Fax: 360-753-4110

Mailing Address:

Governor Chris Gregoire
Office of the Governor
PO Box 40002
Olympia, WA 98504-0002

Sneak Attack Hearing On HPA Fee Bill Tomorrow In Olympia - UPDATED!

2011-04-18T19:02:00.000-07:00

UPDATE 4/19/11 -- If you need them, here are some talking points in opposition to SSB 5862 from Bruce Beatty:

1. The bill was poorly haphazardly created containing obvious errors;
a) 2 definitions for "sandbar"
b) Section 103 states that the department "shall charge a one hundred fifty dollar submittal fee and a processing fee.." but the next paragraph states that "The department shall charge a seventy-five dollar submittal fee for single site low complexity hydraulic project permits"
c) Bill summaries and Fiscal notes state that the Gold and Fish Pamplet HPA's are exempt from fee's, but there is no language in the bill to support these statements.
d) Establishes a fee structure, then provides DFW the authority to reduce fee's based upon circumstances and at "it's discretion." There is no specific provision for reimbursement, (fee's must be paid in advance) and there is no check or balance as to whom gets the reduced fee allowing favoritism or Fraud.

2. This legislation will expand WDFW's regulatory authority. In addition to being required below the Ordinary High Water Line, HPA's will be required for certain activities (A dike, levee, bridge, shoreline or streambank protection project (new definition), or mineral prospecting and mining) in the channel migration zone (new definition), one hundred year floodplain (new definition), or within two hundred feet landward of the ordinary high water line.

3. Projects that expend enormous amounts of time, resources and $money$, such as fish passage barrier and fish habitat enhancement projects are exempted from all fees. The organizations who fall under this category already receive a Streamlined Permit process under RCW 77.55.181, and in most cases receive funding through grants. Permits issued under this statute are already exempted from permits and fee's by local governments.

4. The legislation makes no provisions that would allow an individual to obtain a permit for less than a five year term at a reduced fee.

5. The department has told the stakeholders that these permits will be given for 5 years. This legislation does not modify the length that a permit will be issued. It states that permits will be issued for up to 5 years, which leaves the length of a permit up to the discretion of the department.

6. The title of this statute will change to the "Hydraulic Code" from "Construction projects in state waters" which will forever change what the original intent of this legislation was when established in 1943.

7. Establishes a civil penalty of up to $10,000 per violation. This is up from $100 per day and is in addition the the Gross Misdemeanor Charge, punishable by up to one year in jail and/or a $5,000 fine. The lowest penalty proposed is $2,500.

8. There will not be an increase to revenue as the largest users of the program are State Agencies(WDNR, WDOT, & WDFW).

9. There will be an INCREASE of expenditures by the State, the Agencies, and by Counties. Take a look at the fiscal notes and notice the amount that will be required for capital expenditures and the number of additional employee's that must be hired. This is not a reduction of government or streamlining.

Please pass this information on to all who use or may use the HPA program. This includes those with Bulkheads, Marina's or Landscape management plans that select fish for coverage under such a plan and to those who fall under the Forest Practices Permit.

If you are able to attend the public hearings, please do so, and do not forget to sign in and mark your position (CON).

-------------------------------

The HPA Fee bill (SB 5862 and HB 2008) has arrived in a new incarnation called SSB 5862 and -- SURPRISE! -- is scheduled for a public hearing TOMORROW before the Senate Committee on Ways & Means.

As of this writing, the time and place are 2:30 P.M. in the J. A. Cherberg Building, Senate Hearing Room 4 in Olympia.

The text of the bill may be downloaded from the link: SSB 5862, titled AN ACT Relating to the administration of natural resources programs.

The link for the Legislative Bill Information Website page for this bill is here.

If you cannot attend the hearing, you may send comments via phone or email to the committee members using the information at the link here. Click on each committee member's name to be taken to their homepage where an email link is available.

More news as it develops.

Presentation on Beach Mining Pilot Program Cancelled

2011-04-07T19:59:00.000-07:00

Word just in from Olympia is that the presentation on the Ocean Beach Mining Pilot Program scheduled for 8:00 A.M. tomorrow before the House Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee by WDFW and the State Parks and Recreation Commission has been canceled. No word yet on when it might be rescheduled but WSM will keep you posted.

For background information on this subject, see my earlier post here.

Upcoming Legislation Would Restore Wilderness Study, Roadless Areas to Multiple Use Status

2011-03-31T14:19:00.000-07:00

Congressman Kevin McCarthy of California's 22nd District plans to introduce the "Wilderness and Roadless Area Release Act¹” in the near future. The purpose of this legislation is to "release all Wilderness Study Areas and Inventoried Roadless Areas, which have been recommended as not suitable for wilderness by the Bureau of Land Management or the United State(s) Forest Service, and direct that they be managed for multiple use.²" The effect, if this bill becomes law, would be to open more land for prospecting and mining as well as for other public uses.

At present, advocates of this bill are requesting that organizations (not individuals) send an email to Ben McFarland at Congressman McCarthy's office (benjamin.mcfarland@mail.house.gov) asking him to add the organization's name to the list of supporters and to also ask their Congressperson to co-sponsor this legislation. After contacting their Congressperson's office, they can download and send them this "Dear Colleague" letter.

More documentation in .pdf format regarding this bill:

Overview of the bill
Text of the bill

More information as it becomes available.

¹ Forwarded email from Chris Horgan at "Save the Trails"
² Ibid.

House Committee to Hear Presentation on Beach Mining Pilot Program

2011-03-31T13:42:00.000-07:00

The latest development in the long-in-coming opportunity to mine gold at Washington's ocean beaches will be on April 8 before the House Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee. According to the current agenda, this work session will include a "(j)oint presentation by the Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Parks and Recreation Commission on the findings of the Small Scale Mining and Prospecting on Ocean Beaches Pilot Program." As this meeting is not open for public testimony, I mention it here for information only.

For some background on the "Beach Mining Pilot Program," see my earlier posts here, here, and here.

Washington State Miner will continue to follow and report on this story.

MineCache: A Google Earth Plug-in For Gold Prospectors

2011-03-21T16:57:00.000-07:00

MineCache is a free plug-in for Google Earth that displays a wealth of information regarding locations where gold has been found in the past. That is to say, those locations where gold is most likely to be found in the present. MineCache displays gold deposit information for the entire United States, including Alaska.

The first step in getting MineCache running on your computer is to download and install Google Earth, which may be done by visiting the link in the first paragraph above and following the on-screen directions.

The next step is to download the MineCache.kml plug-in from the MineCache website linked at the start of this post. With Google Earth running on your computer, visit the download link at MineCache.com and, after registering, follow the instructions there. The MineCache folder will appear in the "Temporary Places" folder in the "Places" section of the left-hand sidebar. (When you exit Google Earth, you will be told you have unsaved items in the "Temporary Places" folder. If you want to keep the MineCache plug-in, click "Save.")

Here is a picture of my "Places" sidebar after installing MineCache (and saving it):

As you may notice, MineCache opens with the options "Auto Refresh," "All Gold Claims - MRDS," and "Zoom in closer" checked.

"Auto Refresh" means that as you move the view-port in Google Earth to a new location, after a second or two the display of gold claims will refresh. If you don't want that to happen by itself, select "Manual Refresh" lower in the list.

"All Gold Claims - MRDS" means that the data displayed is from the USGS Mineral Resource Data System; the same data source discussed in my previous articles on "Armchair Prospecting." In the case of MineCache, the data is pre-selected to show gold deposits only.

"Zoom in closer" means that you are too far out to display any gold locations. Use the zoom-in controls in Google Earth to get closer to the surface. Once you are within 100 miles of the ground, you will see a gold dot moving back and forth under the gold claims folder that is selected. This feature indicates that MineCache is checking for records of gold occurrences in the area of the view-port. When the dot stops moving and turns green, it means that the data search is complete. The "Zoom in closer" legend will be replaced with the number of mines, if any, found. Or, in the case of an area with lots of records, it may tell you to zoom in closer still for more results.

Let's take a look at a typical gold producing area near Blewett Pass in Washington:

Activating MineCache in its default mode (described above) results in the display of 58 locations in which gold was found either as the primary or as a secondary mineral:

More information is available about each of these locations by clicking on an icon in the Google Earth image. For example, if we click on the icon for the Bloom Placer (just above and to the right of the image center), a pop-up box appears with information about the deposit:

If we click on the "View more mine details" link inside the information box, a web page opens in the default browser (in this case, Google Chrome) displaying additional data:

Another feature of MineCache is its ability to display BLM mine claim records for both active and closed mines. These data come from the BLM's GeoCommunicator application and are therefore, as BLM warns, not as complete or accurate as the information provided by the BLM LR2000 site. However, as LR2000 data is not accessible via software while GeoCommunicator data is, it is best to use the MineCache BLM information for initial research on an area and, if the results are promising, go to LR2000 directly for the more up-to-date records.

Selecting "BLM Mine Claim Records - Closed" causes the icons previously displayed to clear and new information to show on the screen:

By way of example, clicking on the "Homestead" icon in the center of the screen opens a pop-up box with links to LR2000 information regarding the closed mining claims in this area:

More information about each claim is available by clicking on the "LR2000 MC Report" link for the claim of interest. That is if the link is not broken (as indicated by the red "crosses" at the left end of each data row in the picture) which can happen if LR2000 is down for maintenance or is having some other problem.

Information on active claims is accessed in a similar manner by selecting "BLM Mine Claim Records - Active."

The best procedure is to just install MineCache into your copy of Google Earth and play around with its features. You can also read the tutorial on the MineCache website which gives additional tips and details about the application. The link to the MineCache website is permanently available in the right-hand sidebar of this blog in the section headed "Resources for Prospectors."

Armchair gold prospecting just got a whole lot easier. Have fun!

House Schedules Hearing On HPA Fee Bill (HB 2008)

2011-03-11T20:26:00.000-08:00

The companion bill in the House (HB 2008) to the Senate's SB 5862, which was given a public hearing on March 9, is scheduled to be heard before the House General Government Appropriations & Oversight Committee on March 15 at 8:00 A.M. in House Hearing Room C of the John L. O'Brien Building in Olympia.

For background on this set of bills, which would impose some rather stiff fees for Hydraulic Project Approvals outside of the Gold & Fish pamphlet, please refer to my previous post at the link here.

Updates will follow as needed.

WDFW Amends HPA Fee Bill; Hearing Scheduled

2011-03-02T19:28:00.000-08:00

UPDATE!

March 4, 2011 at 6:36 P.M.

The hearing on SB 5862 has been rescheduled for March 9 at 8:00 A.M. in Senate Hearing Room 2 of the J. A. Cherberg Building in Olympia. Note that the room number is different from that given for the original hearing.

______________________________

UPDATE!

March 3, 2011 at 3:09 P.M.

The hearing on SB 5862 scheduled for March 4 has been canceled. As far as I am aware, no reason has yet been given. Nevertheless, it would be a good idea to continue contacting legislators with messages in opposition to this bill as otherwise we might be caught napping by events in Olympia.

More information as it becomes available.

______________________________

On February 3 I published a post regarding HB 1588 and its companion bill in the Senate, SB 5529, which together represent WDFW's latest attempt to implement prohibitive fees for mineral prospecting and mining under the Hydraulic Project Approval (HPA) process.

I have now received word that WDFW has "amended" SB 5529 from its original 20 pages to a new 38 page version dubbed SB 5862. (The companion bill in the House is HB 2008.) As I understand it, and I haven't had time to read the entire text of the substitute bill, the additional 18 pages do nothing to improve this proposal from the point of the small-scale mining community.

The reason I haven't, and won't, have time to read this bill before publishing this post is that SB 5862 is scheduled for a public hearing at 8:30 A.M. on Friday, March 4, before the Senate Natural Resources & Marine Waters Committee in Senate Hearing Room 3 of the J. A. Cherberg Building. Therefore, time is of the essence in getting word out about this bill and the coming public hearing.

If you can make it to Olympia on Friday to testify, here are some "talking points*" in favor of abolishing the entire HPA process:

The HPA program:

*Is antiquated, 62 years old

*Prior to 1949, was for the administration of irrigation/water rights.

*Financially burdens the taxpayers of the state through duplication of resources and permits as reported by the HPA Task Force in 2002.

*Financially burdens the taxpayers of the state through continual Legislation and Rule Making.

*Is cumbersome, subjective and unequally applied.

*Has been a subject of legislation for over 11 years.

* In 2008, HB2530, Studying the effectiveness of the existing hydraulic project approval process was introduced but not enacted because of budgetary constraints. This would have directed WDFW to study the effectiveness of the HPA program.

*Is a leading CAUSE of property loss experienced during river high flow or flood events.

*By elimination, will save $9 million dollars. This is a new concept to Legislators and agencies who are looking to increase revenue through the implementation of fee's.

*Has been through "Streamlining" for over 5 years without success. It is time to stop wasting the taxpayers money.

* "Talking points" courtesy of Bill Thomas, President of the Resources Coalition, via email from Bruce Beatty.

HB 1307 (Now SHB 1307) Referred To Ways & Means

2011-02-16T14:06:00.000-08:00

HB 1307, which would require independent peer review for all science that is used in support of any proposed regulations affecting any activity government agencies, such as WDFW, claim is detrimental to the environment (see previous post here), passed the House Committee on Environment on February 10 in the form of a 1st substitute bill and was referred to the House Ways & Means Committee on February 15 with a "do pass" recommendation.

As passage of this bill by the Ways & Means Committee will be another step beneficial to the small-scale mining community, interested persons may want to contact the committee members at the link above and request that SHB 1307 be heard and given a "DO PASS" recommendation.

SB 5644, the companion bill in the Senate to SHB 1307, is currently languishing in the Environment, Water & Energy Committee and may benefit from polite requests for a hearing and a "DO PASS" recommendation as well.

WDFW Halts Rule-Making That Would Criminalize Prospecting

2011-02-16T13:38:00.000-08:00

As reported in this blog here and here, WDFW has been seeking to amend WAC 232-12-251 to criminalize such activities as the removal of minerals from the department's lands. The latest move in this direction was the promised filing of a supplemental CR-102 on January 19th.

It now appears this will not happen as WDFW has withdrawn the original CR-102 filed last October 20. With the governor's moratorium on rule-making, WDFW anticipates filing a new CR-102 no earlier than 2012.

Those wishing to keep abreast of this seemingly ever-changing process may contact:

Lori Preuss, Rules Coordinator
600 Capitol Way N.
Olympia WA 98501-1091
Lori.Preuss@dfw.wa.gov
fax (360) 902-2155

Ask to be informed of any rule making associated with WAC 232-12-251 and remember to provide your contact information.

WDFW's Requested HPA Bill Due For Hearing

2011-02-03T14:50:00.000-08:00

HB 1588, WDFW's requested Hydraulic Project Approval bill, is up for public hearing at 10:00 A.M. on February 8, 2011 in House Hearing Rm D, John L. O'Brien Building in Olympia.

A quick reading of the bill's text reveals some less-than-desirable characteristics of the WDFW proposed "streamlining" process:

1. There are to be three classes of hydraulic projects: Class I covers activities permitted in the Gold & Fish pamphlet; Class II covers activities which are currently undefined and which will not be defined until completion of a rule making process by January 1, 2012. (Determination as to whether the aforementioned rules work would be by means of a "pilot project" conducted by WDFW and completed sometime in 2014); Class III covers any project which is neither Class I nor Class II which, for the remainder of this year, would be anything not permitted by the Gold & Fish pamphlet.

2. Then there is the matter of fees. Class I projects would be exempt from fees -- at least for the time being. For a Class II permit (once it's defined) the application fee is $150. The fee for a Class III permit is set at $1000 ($150 for notification/application plus $850 for processing). Also, a general Class II or Class III permit would require a fee of $5000. In some cases, partial or full refunds would be available and the fees will be indexed annually to inflation. See the bill text for details, if you want them.

3. Penalties. Each violation of the rules for HPAs would be treated as a "gross misdemeanor" with an accompanying fine of $10,000. WDFW would, however, initially seek "voluntary" compliance with the rules before resorting to the penalty provisions.

The above are what jumped out at me while quickly scanning the bill. Actually, the convoluted 20-page text of HB 1588 seems itself like Exhibit-A type evidence for passage of HB 1233 removing the hydraulic project approval process altogether. (See my earlier post on HB 1233 at the link here.)

Stay tuned for future developments.

------------------------------------

Update at 8:19 P.M. 2/3/11

A couple of notes due to revised schedules:

1. HB 1233 will be heard immediately after HB 1588 at the hearing on February 8th described above. The link to the House Agriculture & Natural Resources committee agenda is here.

2. SB 5529, the companion bill to HB 1588, will be heard in the Senate Natural Resources & Marine Waters committee at 8:00 A.M. on February 9, 2011 in Senate Hearing Rm 2, J.A. Cherberg Building, Olympia. The link to the agenda is here.

How Science Informs Policy - HB 1307

2011-02-02T13:05:00.000-08:00

HB 1307 - concerning standards for the use of science to support public policy - will be the subject of a work session of the House Environment Committee at 1:30 P.M. on February 4, 2011 in House Hearing Room C, John L. O'Brien Building, Olympia, Washington. Immediately following the work session, the committee will hold a public hearing on the bill.

HB 1307 is important for miners because, if passed into law, it will require government agencies, such as WDFW, to obtain fully independent peer review for all science that is used in support of any public policy, such as "work windows" for suction dredging, etc. Peer review by qualified experts would verify the integrity of any science used to regulate the activities of citizens. This type of review would go a long way towards preventing regulations and/or statutes based on special-interest-agenda-driven pseudo-science.

It is therefore important that as many members of the mining community as possible provide testimony at the hearing in support of HB 1307. Written testimony may be presented to the committee and its members prior to the public hearing -- and the sooner the better. Oral testimony may be presented at the public hearing. Whether written or oral, testimony should adhere to the following general outline provided via Bruce Beatty:

- Tell the committee members who you are, where you live, and what you do that is impacted by science-driven public policies.

- Thank them for placing Washington in the forefront of ensuring that the science we use is fully verified before it is used to support public policy.

- Tell them your experience with how science has been used in policies that affect you personally. (Use your own story.)

-Tell them why you believe HB 1307 helps make things better.

- Please stick to the science issue . . . there are other bills where you can advocate for or against legislation covering specific issues that concern you.

- Thank them for their time and consideration of your testimony.

Even if you are giving oral testimony, it would be a good idea to bring a written copy as well to hand in. It would also be a good idea to send a copy of your testimony to Representative Jim McCune ( jim.mccune@leg.wa.gov ) as he is a co-sponsor of HB 1307 but is not on the committee.

Remember, as always, to maintain a positive tone in your remarks and an attitude of seeking to help the agencies in question do a better job of serving the public.

Proposed Changes To HPAs: The Bad And The Good

2011-01-27T19:51:00.000-08:00

First the bad news: Governor Gregoire wants to reduce the state's budget deficit by making the Hydraulic Project Approval (HPA) program fee-based. It seems WDFW has been working on legislation to make this happen and may be submitting their bill to the legislature within a week.

According to our information, if passed, the law would assess fees for a five-year Class 2 permit of $150 and for a five-year Class 3 permit of $1000 to $5000. There would be no fee for working within the constraints of the Gold & Fish pamphlet.

In order to prevent the foregoing fees from becoming an uncomfortable fact of life, members of the mining community should contact Governor Gregoire, the Senate Ways & Means Committee and the House Ways & Means Committee and voice their opposition to fee-based HPAs.

If you need "Talking Points" for your communications when you call, write, or fax the Governor and the committees, feel free to choose from those listed below:

*There will not be an increase in revenue as the largest users of the program are State Agencies;
*There will be an increase in cost to the agencies for accounting, and therefore to the taxpayers;
*The cost of the program will be borne by already financially strapped Counties;
*Federal agencies have ruled that Small Scale Mineral Prospecting and Mining is a less than significant activity and as such does not rise to the level of coming under the statute that regulates “construction projects in state waters;”
*Most Small Scale Mineral Prospectors and Miners are on fixed incomes and could never recover the cost of a permit;
*An unreasonable fee would create criminals as some people would not obtain a permit that they could not afford;
* A fee could eliminate the Small Scale Mineral Prospecting and Mining community which is a significant part of Washington State's Heritage;
*Any fee imposed must be reasonably based on the scope of the activity and as the scope of the activity is essentially non-existent, so should be any fee;
*If a fee is to be imposed to our less than significant activity, it should be imposed upon ALL activities that utilize the HPA program.

And do remember to include your name, address, and phone number in any correspondence in case someone wishes to contact you for more information.

And now for the good news: On January 17, HB 1233 ("Streamlining state environmental permitting through the elimination of the hydraulics project approval process") was introduced. The next step is for it to be heard by the House Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee.

As it appears this bill is the best shot the mining community is likely to get this year for the elimination of the HPA requirement, miners are advised to 1) contact their district Senator and request that he/she look at HB 1233 and sponsor a companion bill in the Senate and 2) contact the Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee asking that HB 1233 be heard and passed out with a “Do Pass” recommendation and give your “PRO” vote.

Some examples of "Talking Points" to include with your communication are:

*At 62 years of age the HPA process is antiquated;
*Prior to 1949, this process was for the administration of irrigation/water rights;
*The HPA program financially burdens the citizens of the state through duplication of resources;
*The HPA program is cumbersome, subjective and unequally applied;
*The HPA program has been a subject of legislation for over 11 years;
*The HPA Task Force reported in 2002 that the program duplicates other permits;
* In 2008, HB 2530, "Studying the effectiveness of the existing hydraulic project approval process," was introduced. This study would have considered the effectiveness of legislative enactments, implementation by WDFW, and the impact that historic funding levels have had on the program's effectiveness, with focus on both the level of compliance as well as the actual fish protection offered in instances of full compliance. This legislation was not enacted;
*HPA’s are being required for projects that do not “use, divert, obstruct, or change the natural flow or bed of any of the salt or fresh waters of the state,” such as bridge painting or guard rail replacement;
*The HPA process is a leading CAUSE of property loss experienced during high river flow or flood events.

Again, remember to include your contact information with your correspondence.

More Government By Stealth?

2011-01-27T19:15:00.000-08:00

As reported in this post last November, WDFW is proposing to criminalize the removal of such things as "dead standing timber, live trees, wood, soil, petrified wood, minerals, fossils, (and) plants" from "WDFW lands."

Information just received indicates that at the meeting on December 4, 2010 the Fish and Wildlife Commission voted to postpone the adoption of WDFW's proposed amendment to WAC 232-12-251 until their March 4-5, 2011 meeting. During the interim period, WDFW is supposed to work with stakeholders to refine the proposed rule changes. According to WDFW's Rules Information Website, a "supplemental CR-102 will be filed by January 19, 2011" and "(p)rior to that time, the department will work with stakeholders to refine the proposed rule changes."

In addition, the website further states:

A new public comment period will begin on January 19, 2011. Written comments will be due by February 25, 2011. Written comment may be e-mailed to lori.preuss@dfw.wa.gov.

Interestingly enough, our information is that, contrary to the above, "there have been no meetings with stakeholders and a supplemental (CR-102) has not been filed."

For these reasons, it would seem prudent for miners to "contact Lori Preuss at (360) 902-2930 or lori.preuss@dfw.wa.gov and request to be informed of any rule making activity associated with WAC 232-12-251"as well as checking WDFW’s Rules information Website often.

WDFW Seeks To Criminalize Prospecting And Mining On Its Lands

2010-11-30T20:16:00.000-08:00

In a series of moves that reek of "government by stealth," a WDFW news release of November 24, 2010 titled, "Commission to consider restricting the use of lead fishing tackle on lakes with loons," contains the buried morsel that the commission is also scheduled to hold public hearings on "Amendments to rules governing the removal of minerals, wood and artifacts from WDFW lands." (Emphasis added.)

According to the WDFW Rules Notification Center, the original notification of this proposed rule change (CR-101) was filed on January 6, 2010 and only mentions "large, old snags ... being cut down for firewood" as the reason for the proposed modifications. The subsequent "Notice and opportunity to comment on this current rule-making proposal" (CR-102) was filed on October 20, 2010 and contained the following language:

Purpose of the proposal and its anticipated effects, including any changes in existing rules: The department currently lacks the ability to prohibit people from cutting down snags and taking mushrooms and berries on land it owns or controls.

Reasons supporting proposal: Snags provide habitat for many species. This proposal will protect that habitat from destruction. The proposal will also minimize the amount of downed dead wood that people can collect and use on the department’s lands, and it will limit the amount of mushrooms that can be taken, to conserve these resources.

It's only when you get to the very end of the document that you find the new language that is of concern to miners:

Unlawful cutting down or removal of dead standing timber, live trees, wood, soil, petrified wood, minerals, fossils, or plants constitutes theft under chapter 9A.56 RCW. (Emphasis added.)

Of particular concern is that this proposal has gone so far towards implementation without the knowledge or involvement of the small-scale mineral prospecting and mining community.

Although the period for written comment (confusingly) ends on December 5, 2010 (Written comment may be e-mailed to lori.preuss@dfw.wa.gov ), the Green Sheet for this action item notes that the Fish and Wildlife Commission will "Receive the staff presentation and any comments from the public." According to the agenda for the December meeting of the Fish and Wildlife Commission, this presentation and comment session will take place at 8:30 AM on Saturday, December 4 in NRB Room 172.

Given the shortness of time remaining to respond to this issue, comments should be sent to the email address in the paragraph above, and/or directed to the Fish and Wildlife Commission at:

Mailing Address:
600 Capitol Way N.
Olympia, WA 98501-1091

Phone: 360-902-2267

Fax: 360-902-2448

commission@dfw.wa.gov

and/or delivered in person at the meeting on December 4 at:

Natural Resources Building
First Floor, Room 175 & 172
1111 Washington St. SE
Olympia, Washington 98501

Parks And Recreation Commission OKs Small Scale Beach Mining

2010-11-21T16:55:00.000-08:00

As reported previously on this blog (here, here, here, here and here), on March 20, 2008 SSB 6343 was signed into law requiring the State Parks and Recreation Commission and the Department of Fish and Wildlife to establish a pilot program to allow small scale prospecting and mining on Washington's ocean beaches beginning July 1, 2008.

According to a document released by the Parks and Recreation Commission describing their meeting of November 19, 2010, based on the results of the pilot program, "Parks staff is open to continuing to allow the activity (beach mining)." But before you grab your gear and head for the beaches, remember that SSB 6343 only set up a short-term exemption to the prohibition in RCW 79A.05.165 that makes beach mining unlawful and that the exemption expires on December 1, 2010.

At this point, miners need to wait for the rule making process to be completed which, according to informed sources, could occur by April 29, 2011.

Those who wish to read the November 19 meeting notes of the Parks and Recreation Commission will find the document at the following link:

http://www.parks.wa.gov/agency/commissionmeetings/2010-11-19%20detailed%20Commission%20agenda%20items.doc

The section concerning beach mining is titled "Item E-16: Findings on Small Scale Mineral Prospecting Pilot Program -- Report" and starts on the bottom half of page 32 of the 34 page document.

The Washington State Miner will continue to report on this story as it develops.

Note: The November 19 meeting document linked above is a MS-Word document which can be opened with Microsoft Office, Microsoft Office Word Viewer (available free from Microsoft at https://www.microsoft.com/downloads/en/details.aspx?FamilyID=3657ce88-7cfa-457a-9aec-f4f827f20cac&displaylang=en&pf=true), or with Open Office (available free at http://www.openoffice.org/). For those who do not have any of these applications but who have a .pdf reader such as Adobe Reader, I have created a .pdf version of the meeting document which is available at the link here: http://www.box.net/shared/37pnq4mjkt.

WDGER Introduces Enhanced Online Mapping Application

2010-11-19T15:41:00.000-08:00

The Washington Division of Geology and Earth Resources has introduced a new version of its interactive geoscience mapping application. The enhanced application allows one to create custom maps displaying various data and then capture the image as a .jpg file or download it as a printable .pdf file.

In addition to the previously available Washington Interactive Geologic Map and Earth Resource Permit Locations map, four new map themes are offered: Subsurface Geology Information System, Geothermal Resources of Washington, Tsunami Evacuation Map, and Washington State Coal Mine Map Collection.

This new public resource is accessible at the link to the Washington State Geologic Information Portal under "Resources for Prospectors" in the right-hand sidebar or at the link below:

http://www.dnr.wa.gov/ResearchScience/Topics/GeosciencesData/Pages/geology_portal.aspx

The application appears well designed and the functions are largely self-explanatory although a detailed help page is available by clicking on the "?" in the blue circle in the top right-hand corner of the map screen and then on the "Help" link at the bottom of the pop-up box that opens.

You might enjoy playing around with it as a form of "arm chair" prospecting while house-bound during these winter months.

New Geology Map And Data Supplement Released

2010-11-17T13:42:00.000-08:00

The Washington Division of Geology and Earth Resources has reported the availability of a new geologic map with accompanying data supplement.

From the WDGER announcement:

Geologic Map GM-76. Geologic map of the Cliffdell and western two-thirds of the Manastash Lake 7.5-minute quadrangles, Yakima and Kittitas Counties, Washington, by P. E. Hammond. 2010. 36 x 48 in. color sheet, scale 1:24,000, with 11 p. text. (Plotted; $23.48, including shipping and handling. Sold through the Washington Department of Printing. Also available online at http://www.dnr.wa.gov/Publications/ger_gm76_cliffdell_manastash_lake_24k.zip [23 MB].)

Open File Report 2010-6. Supplement to GM-76, Geologic map of the Cliffdell and western two-thirds of the Manastash Lake 7.5-minute quadrangles, Yakima and Kittitas Counties, Washington, by P. E. Hammond. 2010. 1 Microsoft Excel file. (Available online only, at http://www.dnr.wa.gov/Publications/ger_ofr2010-6_cliffdell_manastash_lake_supplement.xls [7.2 MB].)

WDGER Announces New Indexes Of Geologic Maps

2010-11-08T18:06:00.000-08:00

Having received notice from the Washington Division of Geology and Earth Resources that two new indexes to geologic maps of Washington are available, I have decided to reproduce the communication below including all links:

---------------------------------------

The Washington State Department of Natural Resources, Division of Geology and Earth Resources (DGER), is pleased to present two indexes of geologic quadrangle, quadrant, and whole-state maps of Washington.

Index to geologic mapping of 7.5-minute quadrangles of Washington: http://www.dnr.wa.gov/Publications/ger_24k_mapping_status.pdf

Index to geologic mapping of 30x60-minute quadrangles, state quadrants, and the state of Washington in its entirety: http://www.dnr.wa.gov/Publications/ger_geologic_maps_wa.pdf

Each index lists known geologic mapping from all sources (not just DGER), and allows you to find maps in three different ways: a graphical index on a map of Washington, a list of maps by sorted by quadrangle name, and a list of maps by author (citation).

Please note that these indexes do not cover all geologic mapping done in Washington – only mapping of quadrangles, quadrants, and the whole state of Washington. Other sources of geologic mapping can be discovered in a variety of ways:

Index to Geologic and Geophysical Mapping of Washington (last updated 2003): http://www.dnr.wa.gov/ResearchScience/Topics/GeologicHazardsMapping/Pages/mapindex.aspx
Includes all known published, open-filed, and thesis mapping in Washington, at scales from 1:480 to 1:580,000. All of the maps listed in this index are held at the Washington Geology Library.

Bibliography of the Geology and Mineral Resources of Washington State: http://www.dnr.wa.gov/ResearchScience/Topics/GeologyPublicationsLibrary/Pages/washbib.aspx
An online searchable database of the holdings of the Washington Geology Library, the most comprehensive collection of material on Washington geology in the world.

The DGER publications list: http://www.dnr.wa.gov/Publications/ger_publications_list.pdf
Lists all publications of the Washington Division of Geology and Earth Resources (and predecessors). All DGER publications are now available online – look for the blue link(s) at the end of each publication listing.

WDFW Enforcement Wants To Know: Are You A Satisfied Customer?

2010-11-01T19:41:00.000-07:00

Inasmuch as some readers of this blog may have, on occasion while in the field or elsewhere, had contact with WDFW enforcement personnel and may have formed some opinions about said contact, I'm providing links below to WDFW's newly announced "WDFW Enforcement Customer Satisfaction Survey."

The survey form contains about 22 questions and, in addition to the customary multiple-choice responses, has a few boxes for additional comments and, at the end of the form, an email address for "recommendations and suggestions for improvement." WDFW will accept survey responses through the end of this year.

News release link: http://wdfw.wa.gov/news/release.php?id=nov0110a

Direct link to survey: http://wdfw.wa.gov/enforcement/surveys/customer_survey.html

Have at it!

Permanent Rules For HPA Appeals Now In Effect

2010-10-15T16:29:00.000-07:00

In case you missed it, WDFW sent the following via email to the WDFW News Releases & Weekender mailing lists yesterday regarding permanent rules for HPA appeals:

WDFW NEWS RELEASE
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
600 Capitol Way North, Olympia, WA 98501-1091
http://wdfw.wa.gov/

October 14, 2010
Contact: Lisa Wood, 360-902-2260

Permanent rules for HPA appeals take effect today (Oct. 14)

OLYMPIA - Revisions to the process for appealing Hydraulic Project Approvals (HPAs) - including a change in the board that hears the appeals - take effect today (Oct. 14) under permanent rules.

HPAs are permits issued by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) for projects in and around water, such as bridges, docks and culverts. Conditions of the permits are designed to ensure fish and fish habitat are protected during the projects.

Under the revised rules, all formal appeals of HPA decisions and orders imposing civil penalties formerly heard by the Hydraulic Appeals Board or an administrative law judge through the Office of Administrative Hearings will be heard by the Pollution Control Hearings Board.

In addition, appeals can now be requested by email or fax, as well as through traditional mail or hand delivery.

The changes are consistent with Substitute House Bill 2935, adopted earlier this year by the Legislature. Provisions of the bill took effect July 1, 2010.

To comply with the new law, WDFW made the changes to the appeals process in July under a temporary rule. In August, the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission - a citizen panel that sets policy for WDFW - approved the revisions to permanent rules.

The revised permanent rules are expected to be available in the coming weeks on the state Legislature's website at http://apps.leg.wa.gov/wac/default.aspx?cite=220-110 . For more information on Hydraulic Project Approvals, visit WDFW's website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/licensing/hpa/ .

HPA appeals may be requested by email at HPAapplications@dfw.wa.gov , by fax at (360) 902-2946 or by mail: HPA appeals coordinator, WDFW Habitat Program, 600 Capitol Way North, Olympia, WA, 98501. Requests also can be hand delivered to WDFW's Habitat Program in the Natural Resources Building in Olympia, 1111 Washington St. SE.

New Publications from the Washington Division of Geology and Earth Resources

2010-07-01T20:48:00.000-07:00

The Washington Division of Geology and Earth Resources has announced the release of the following six new publications:

Open File Report 2010-1. Geologic map of the Carnation 7.5-minute quadrangle, King County, Washington, by J. D. Dragovich, H. A. Littke, M. L. Anderson, G. R. Wessel, C. J. Koger, J. H. Saltonstall, J. H. MacDonald Jr., S. A. Mahan, and S. A. DuFrane. 2010. 42 x 36 in. color sheet, scale 1:24,000, with 21 p. text. (Available online at http://www.dnr.wa.gov/Publications/ger_ofr2010-1_geol_map_carnation_24k.zip [15.6 MB].)

Open File Report 2010-2. Supplement to the geologic map of the Carnation 7.5-minute quadrangle, King County, Washington—Geochronologic, geochemical, point count, geophysical, earthquake, fault, and neotectonic data, by J. D. Dragovich, M. L. Anderson, J. H. MacDonald Jr., S. A. Mahan, S. A. DuFrane, H. A. Littke, G. R. Wessel, J. H. Saltonstall, C. J. Koger, and Recep Cakir. 2010. 42 p. with 8 digital appendices. (Available online at http://www.dnr.wa.gov/Publications/ger_ofr2010-2_carnation_supplement.zip [15.7 MB].)

Open File Report 2010-3. Geologic map of the Skokomish Valley and Union 7.5-minute quadrangles, Mason County, Washington, by Michael Polenz, J. L. Czajkowski, Gabriel Legorreta Paulin, T. A. Contreras, B. A. Miller, M. E. Martin, T. J. Walsh, R. L. Logan, R. J. Carson, C. N. Johnson, R. H. Skov, S. A. Mahan, and C. R. Cohan. 2010. 42 x 36 in. color sheet, scale 1:24,000, with 21 p. text. (Available online at http://www.dnr.wa.gov/Publications/ger_ofr2010-3_geol_map_skokomish_valley_union_24k.zip [38.0 MB].)

Open File Report 2010-4. Geologic map of the Lilliwaup 7.5-minute quadrangle, Mason County, Washington, by T. A. Contreras, Gabriel Legorreta Paulin, J. L. Czajkowski, Michael Polenz, R. L. Logan, R. J. Carson, S. A. Mahan, T. J. Walsh, C. N. Johnson, and R. H. Skov. 2010. 27.5 x 36 in. color sheet, scale 1:24,000, with 13 p. text. (Available online at http://www.dnr.wa.gov/Publications/ger_ofr2010-4_geol_map_lilliwaup_24k.zip [12.5 MB].)

Open File Report 2010-5. Supplement to geologic maps of the Lilliwaup, Skokomish Valley, and Union 7.5-minute quadrangles, Mason County, Washington—Geologic setting and development around the Great Bend of Hood Canal, by Michael Polenz, T. A. Contreras, J. L. Czajkowski, Gabriel Legorreta Paulin, B. A. Miller, M. E. Martin, T. J. Walsh, R. L. Logan, R. J. Carson, C. N. Johnson, R. H. Skov, S. A. Mahan, and C. R. Cohan. 2010. 27 p. (Available online at http://www.dnr.wa.gov/Publications/ger_ofr2010-5_lilliwaup_skokomish_valley_union_suppl_24k.pdf [1.6 MB].)

Information Circular 111. Inactive and abandoned mine lands—Ruby mine, Nighthawk Mining District, Okanogan County, Washington, by F. E. Wolff, D. T. McKay, and D. K. Norman. 2010. 11 p. (Available online at http://www.dnr.wa.gov/Publications/ger_ic111_iaml_ruby.pdf [6.6 MB].)

The above publications are available for download from the links above -- and therefore free!

Miners' Meeting and Potluck at Liberty June 5

2010-06-01T19:53:00.000-07:00

Richard Baasch of the North Central Cascades Mining Association is inviting all miners to attend a meeting and potluck dinner on June 5. From the email:

The North Central Cascades Mining Association (NCCMA) is extending an open invitation to all miners and their families for its next meeting and potluck picnic dinner. This event will be held at 4:00 pm next Saturday, June 5^th 2010 at “The “Toolshed”, near Liberty, WA. Things will kick-off with introductions and a short meeting, followed by a potluck dinner. Grilled hot dogs are provided and attendees are asked to bring a picnic style dish/desert to share. This will be a VERY informal outdoor affair followed by a special “Eyes In The Woods” training session.

Again from the email:

Directions: “The ToolShed” is located roughly 14-miles East of Cle Elum off US Highway 97. From Cle Elum proceed East, direction Wenatchee. (On the right), take the Liberty Road cut-off from Highway-97, heading toward Liberty, WA. The “ToolShed” is approximately 3/10ths mile on the LEFT. This building is physically located back away from the road, but you’ll see cars parked off the road along the nearby tree line. A sandwich board sign, “Miner’s Meeting Today” along the roadside marks a dirt-road on the LEFT that takes you approximately 100-yards along a grassy field.

Those desiring more information may contact Rich Baasch at (253) 858-4885.

WDFW Changes Meeting Plans Regarding New Prospecting Rules

2010-05-26T16:51:00.000-07:00

Information just received is that WDFW has canceled the June 2 meeting with the Mineral Prospecting Workgroup to discuss proposed changes to the rules. According to WDFW:

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife has decided NOT to pursue any changes to the mineral prospecting rules at this time. Therefore, the meeting of the mineral prospecting workgroup that was scheduled for June 2 is CANCELLED. Please remove that meeting from your calendar.

Instead, WDFW plans to meet with the prospector representatives of the workgroup at the time originally scheduled for the now canceled meeting. The stated purpose of this new meeting is to discuss WDFW's future mineral prospecting rule-making plans and how those plans may relate to their "efforts to obtain a Habitat Conservation Plan for the Hydraulic Program under the Endangered Species Act."

Washington State Miner is following this story and will report more information as it becomes available.

WDFW: Changing the Rules in the Middle of the Game?

2010-05-20T14:44:00.000-07:00

It appears that WDFW is undertaking to amend the mineral prospecting rules that went into effect only last year. And it further appears that they have been doing so intentionally under the radar of the small-scale prospecting and mining community.

This information comes from a somewhat widely shared email from Bill Thomas of the Resources Coalition dated May 17, 2010. Here is a summary of the situation quoted from the email:

WDFW has been meeting with NMFS and USFWS bi-weekly Since December revising the rules
WDFW filed the CR-101 (intent to conduct rule making) on Feb 23, 2010
A set of the proposed changes as of 1/27/10 can be seen in document -010. There are some absurd changes being proposed, Looks like the 1999 Green book all over again and changing dates on some streams and making some "submit application".
WDFW has scheduled a meeting for members of the Mineral Prospecting Rules Development Work Group for June 2, 2010. They plan on telling what the changes will be & why. They MAY take some of our comments, then File the CR-102 which will identify the proposed rules and open public comment.
WDFW Director has suggested that the Commission ADOPT the rules the same day as they hear public testimony. Given the time requirements for public comments after filing of the CR-102, the earliest this can happen is August.

Were they implemented,the proposed changes to the rules appearing in the document linked in the third bullet-point above would seriously impair the ability of small-scale prospectors and miners to carry out exploration and development work along state watercourses. To counter the adoption of these new rules, Bill Thomas advocates contacting our legislators. To facilitate this undertaking, he has provided a sample letter together with supporting documentation which can be copied, pasted, and adapted by each individual to suit their own needs. This document, which is in .doc format and can be opened and modified with any text editor, is quite educational reading in its own right. The link to it is here.

If you need help identifying your Washington State legislators, please visit the link here and fill in your address information in the boxes at the top of the page. Contacting our legislators needs to happen sooner rather than later as WDFW seems to have put this revision effort on the fast track.

Reid: No Mining Reform This Year

2010-03-14T19:24:00.000-07:00

According to an item in the Seattle PI, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada says Congress won't have time to consider mining reform legislation this year.

It would therefore appear that legislation such as H.R. 699, the "Hardrock Mining and Reclamation Act of 2009," is going nowhere for at least the time being.

Read the article at the link here.

New Publication from Washington Division of Geology and Earth Resources

2010-03-05T16:47:00.000-08:00

For those who are interested, the Washington Division of Geology and Earth Resources has published:

Information Circular 110. Inactive and abandoned mine lands—Republic mining district, Ferry County, Washington, by F. E. Wolff, D. T. McKay, and D. K. Norman. 41 p. (Available online at http://www.dnr.wa.gov/Publications/ger_ic110_iaml_republic_mining_dist.pdf [74 MB].)

This publication is, of course, free for the taking.

SB 6448 Passed to Rules Committee

2010-02-10T20:01:00.000-08:00

For those of you following the slow-motion train wreck of our ability to peacefully work our claims free of theft-under-color-of-law, first substitute SB 6448 has been passed to the Rules Committee for a second reading by executive action taken in the Senate Committee on Ways & Means at 1:30 p.m. yesterday. (See link here.)

And so it continues.

A Suggestion and an Offer from a Reader re: SB 6448

2010-02-07T18:40:00.000-08:00

Angel Lund, a reader of this blog, sends the following:

I see that the SB 6448 is not effective until July 1, 2010.

May I suggest that everyone apply for a least 1JARPA for a HPA before then (no cost).

Also I am willing to help anyone needing help filling out their JARPA and I am willing to send copies of my JARPA applications(Slate Creek, Chiwawa River, and Blewett area) to anyone who would like one.

Please pass this along as appropriate.

Sincerely,

Angel Lund
eastwaangel@yahoo.com

Thanks to Angel for this offer of assistance with JARPAs. Let us hope also that we can prevent SB 6448 from ever becoming "effective."

ALERT: Public Hearing on Substitute SB 6448 Monday at 1:30 P.M. in Olympia

2010-02-07T17:04:00.000-08:00

As reported in an earlier post here, Substitute SB 6448 was referred to the Senate Ways & Means Committee. This committee has scheduled a public hearing on the bill for Monday, February 8, at 1:30 p.m. Unfortunately, the notice I received did not say where the meeting would be. In the past, this committee has met in Senate Hearing Rm 4 of the J.A. Cherberg Building in Olympia. The committee's phone number is 360-786-7715 for anyone who wants to and can attend this meeting to get the location.

This is very short notice which I received only minutes ago causing me to think dark thoughts as the agenda for Senate Ways & Means came out on the 5th and announced a meeting on the 8th for 3:30 p.m. with no specific bill to be discussed.

Grrr.

Substitute SB 6448 Referred to Senate Ways & Means

2010-02-04T19:33:00.000-08:00

As reported in yesterday's post here, the Senate Natural Resources, Ocean & Recreation Committee recommended that a substitute version of SB 6448 (see posts here, here, and here on the original bill) be passed and referred to Ways & Means. This has now been done.

The substitute bill appears much as described in the Senate Bill Report discussed in yesterday's post linked above. The full text of the substitute is now available at the link here as well as at a link in the "Legislative Alerts" section of the right-hand sidebar of this page.

Although mining projects authorized under the Gold & Fish pamphlet would not (for now) require a fee, the minimum proposed fees for mineral prospecting activities not covered by the pamphlet would be $250 (application submittal fee) + $275 (permit processing fee) = $525. (See pages 14 and 15 of the bill text for details.)

In my opinion this is still a bad bill for the miners and, if passed, poised to become a worse one in future incarnations.

Washington DGER Announces Online Release of Nine Complete Series of Geological Publications

2010-02-04T16:34:00.000-08:00

The Washington Division of Geology and Earth Resources has announced the availability of a large variety of geologic data via online access. For details, here is the email I received from them on this subject:

The Washington State Department of Natural Resources, Division of Geology and Earth Resources (DGER), is happy to announce that our complete series of Annual Reports (AR), Bulletins (B), Geologic Maps (GM), Information Circulars (IC), Reports of Investigations (RI), and Open File Reports (OFR) are now available online in PDF format. These join our Digital Reports (DR), Field Trip Guides (FTG), and Resource Maps (RM) series that were already available online.

All of our online publications may be accessed through our Publications List at http://www.dnr.wa.gov/Publications/ger_publications_list.pdf. Look for the blue link(s) at the end of each publication listing.

Publications are organized by series in the publications list. Some types of publications, such as geologic maps, occur in several series and may be hard to locate this way. We are developing indexes to make geologic publications easier to find. For example, we have developed a index of geologic mapping of 7.5-minute topographic quadrangles from all sources (not just DGER), which includes a graphical index on a map of Washington, a list of maps by sorted by quadrangle name, and a list of maps by author (citation). Find this index at http://www.dnr.wa.gov/Publications/ger_24k_mapping_status.pdf. Links to online publications, where known, are included. This index will be updated as we are made aware of new mapping.

Look for more DGER publications to be posted online soon!

When I clicked on the first link in the email, a .pdf file downloaded to my computer. This file is a 32 page catalog of geologic publications. Included are many out-of-print documents such as this item on page 5:

6. Geology and ore deposits of the Blewett mining district, by C. E. Weaver. 1911. 104 p., 10 pl., 1 fig. [ONLINE] Out of print

Clicking on the [ONLINE] link in the catalog listing downloads a copy of the bulletin as a .pdf file.

The second link in the email leads to an 11 page .pdf document that shows available geologic quadrangle maps and provides links, similar to those in the publications catalog, that download a copy of the associated map.

All in all, there is a tremendous amount of free information here that should prove useful to those who like to research the geology and mineral resources of an area before they go into the field.

Happy prospecting!

Senate Natural Resources, Ocean & Recreation Committee Takes Executive Action on SB 6448

2010-02-03T19:39:00.000-08:00

In an executive session at 8:00 a.m. this morning, the Senate Natural Resources, Ocean & Recreation Committee issued a majority report that a substitute version of SB 6448 (see posts here, here, and here) be passed and referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

I have not been able to find the actual text of this substitute bill but, according to the "Senate Bill Report" issued today, the proponents of this legislation have backed down on the levying of a fee for the Gold and Fish pamphlet. The pertinent statements are (emphasis added):

Exempts from the fees activities conducted under: the Family Forest Fish Passage Program; a pamphlet permit for removing and controlling noxious weeds or small scale prospecting and mining; and an approved forest practices permit. (page 2)

and

exempts from HPA fees pamphlet permits, Family Forest Fish Passage Projects, and activities conducted under an approved forest practices permit; (page 3)

Horrendous fees would apparently still apply to individual HPAs.

Even with these changes, this bill is still a camel's nose under the tent in that future circumstances could always be called upon to "justify" extending the fees to pamphlet permits in the interests of some misguided concept of "fairness."

Also of note on pages 3 and 4 of the report were names of the persons testifying on the original bill at the public hearing on January 20: in favor -- one person from the Governor's office and two from WDFW; against -- nine people (including five representing pro-mining organizations).

You can download and read this report for yourself from the links here and (less directly) here.

Three Mining-Related Bills to be Subject of Public Hearing in Olympia

2010-01-28T14:46:00.000-08:00

Three bills of interest to miners are scheduled for a public hearing on February 2 at 1:30 pm before the House Full Committee on Agriculture & Natural Resources in House Hearing Room B of the John L. O'Brien Building in Olympia.

Two of these bills have already been discussed on this blog: HB 2597 which would abolish the HPA process entirely (see here, here, and here) and HB 3037 which is a companion bill to SB 6448 and would, among other horrendous things, impose a $100 fee for the Gold & Fish pamphlet (see here and here).

The third bill is HB 2974 which would make some modifications to the enforcement provisions of chapter 77.55 RCW. The meat of this proposed legislation is contained in the following wording:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. A new section is added to chapter 77.55 RCW to read as follows:
(1) Concurrent with the initiation of an enforcement action under RCW 77.15.300, 77.55.291, or any other provision of this chapter, and within existing resources, the department must provide the person against whom an enforcement action is being taken with a statement of violation prepared consistent with the requirements of this section.
(2) Any statement of violation prepared under this section must include, at a minimum, the following contents:
(a) A detailed explanation of how the offending project is causing harm to fish life;
(b) Evidence of individual fish actually being harmed by the project, if any, including any documentation of instances of fish mortality linked to the project; and
(c) A signature by a department biologist confirming that the biologist has personally and physically investigated the impacts of the project and attests to the accuracy of the information contained in the statement of violation.
(3) The department may not pursue enforcement against any individual for a violation of this chapter that arises after the effective date of this section unless the statement of violation is provided at the time of the initiation of the enforcement action.

The apparent purpose of this bill is to require enforcement agents to produce evidence of actual harm that has occurred to fish as the result of a project instead of the current system which seems to work along the lines of "we're fining you because we think what you're doing might harm fish." Such a change would be a step in the right direction although it will do little to mitigate the damage to prospecting and mining that will occur if something along the lines of HB 3037/SB 6448 becomes law.

HB 2974 has a substantial number of sponsors in Representatives Orcutt, Herrera, Taylor, McCune, Klippert, Pearson, Kretz, Warnick, and Johnson. You can track progress of this bill at the link here. You can find the text of HB 2974 at the link here and in a link in the Legislative Alerts section of the right-hand sidebar of this blog.

HB 3037 - Companion Bill to SB 6448 - Introduced in the House

2010-01-20T17:14:00.000-08:00

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but SB 6448, the senate bill that would require us to pay a fee of $100 every five years for the priviledge of panning for gold or other minerals (not to mention higher fees for applying for permission to engage in other small-scale mining operations as presented in a previous post), now has a "companion" bill in the state house of representatives: HB 3037.

This latest effort in support of plundering the small-scale miners of Washington state was undertaken by Representatives Jeannie Darneille, (D - Tacoma and Majority Caucus Vice Chair); Dave Upthegrove (D - Kent); Hans Dunshee (D - Lake Stevens); and Zachary Hudgins (D - Seattle and Majority Floor Leader).

I have not read the entire text of this bill (doing so makes me ill) but looking it over it appears to be a near carbon copy of SB 6448. For those who are interested, the document can be accessed at the link in the first paragraph above as well as in .pdf form at the link here and in the "Legislative Alerts" section of the right-hand sidebar of this blog.

Both of these companion bills seem to be getting the big push while HB 2597, which would abolish the whole HPA process, seems to have gotten the shove. Government has to rob somebody to pay for all the wonderful "servicing" we enjoy and it looks like this time our mis-representatives intend for it to be the miners. Unless we can make enough noise to scare the jackels off.

More as it becomes available.

New Bill in State Senate Would Devastate Small-Scale Mining

2010-01-15T16:13:00.000-08:00

As if to prove the truth of Judge Gideon J. Tucker's observation that "No man's life, liberty or property are safe while the legislature is in session," Senator Ken Jacobsen (D-Seattle) has introduced SB 6448. This particular piece of legislative perversity has a number of "features" that should prove both perplexing and dismaying to the small-scale mining community. A brief summary follows:

Things get going on page 4 with the definition:

(14) "Small scale prospecting and mining" means the use of only the following methods: Pans; nonmotorized sluice boxes; concentrators; and minirocker boxes for the discovery and recovery of minerals.

This definition sort of leaves the status of dredges, highbankers, mini-highbankers and even spiral wheels in limbo.

Page 10 discloses that Section 6 permit fees will take effect on July 1 as per the schedule on page 11:

$100 for a "Pamphlet permit," which fee must be paid every five years.
$250 for an "Application submittal," plus up to
$5,250 for a "Permit processing fee."
$150 for a "Permit modification."

In case there's any doubt, the language on page 15 makes it clear that these fees apply to small-scale mining and prospecting operations:

(4) Permittees conducting activities under authority of pamphlets issued under this section (Sec. 10. RCW 77.55.091 and 2005 c 146 s 402 - Tom) must possess proof of payment of any applicable fees required by section 6 of this act.

Page 10 also discloses that

Unlawfully undertaking hydraulic project activities is a gross misdemeanor.

The civil penalties for daring to dig the queen's gold without proper authorization are described on pages 12 and 13:

Sec. 8. RCW 77.55.291 and 2005 c 146 s 701 are each amended to read as follows:

(1)(a) The department may levy civil penalties of up to one hundred dollars per day ((for violation of any provisions of RCW 77.55.021)) when a person:

(i) Constructs any form of hydraulic project or performs other work on a hydraulic project and fails to have a hydraulic project approval required under this chapter for such construction or work;
(ii) Violates any requirements or conditions of the hydraulic project approval for the construction or work;
(iii) Fails to pay applicable application submittal or permit processing fees within thirty days of receipt of expedited permits or the written follow-up to emergency oral approvals under RCW 77.55.021;35 or
(iv) Violates any rule adopted under RCW 77.55.021, 77.55.081,2 77.55.091, or section of this act that identifies the time, manner, locations, methods, or other conditions under which an activity is approved or not approved.

This bill is scheduled for a public hearing before the full Natural Resources, Ocean & Recreation Committee on 1/20/2010 at 8:00 A.M. in Senate Hearing Room 2 of the J. A. Cherberg Building in Olympia. (In the meantime, HB 2597, discussed in posts here, here, and here and beneficial to miners, languishes in the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee.)

Current information on SB 6448 is available at the link near the top of this post. You may also download a .pdf copy of SB 6448 at the link here and at the link in the right-hand sidebar in the "Legislative Alerts" section of this blog.

HB 2597 Gains New Sponsors

2010-01-12T14:31:00.000-08:00

HB 2597, which would abolish the HPA process as reported in a previous post, has two new sponsors.

Representative Kirk Pearson, who introduced the bill, has now been joined by Representatives Judy Warnick and Joel Kretz. Contact information for these three representatives may be found by clicking on their names/links above.

Update on HB 2597

2010-01-11T14:42:00.000-08:00

HB 2597, the bill in the Washington legislature that would abolish the HPA process as reported on in a previous post, had its first reading today and was referred to the committee on Agriculture & Natural Resources.

More information as it develops.

New Bill in Legislature Would Abolish HPA Process

2010-01-09T16:40:00.000-08:00

Washington miner Bruce Beatty has kindly informed this writer of a bill in the Washington state legislature that would eliminate the HPA (Hydraulics Project Approval) process.

HB 2597, titled, "AN ACT Relating to streamlining state environmental permitting through the elimination of the hydraulics project approval process;" was "prefiled for introduction" on January 8 by Representative Kirk Pearson (R) of Index.

Perhaps the key section of the bill of interest to miners is this one:

12 NEW SECTION. Sec. 9. The following acts or parts of acts are each
13 repealed:
...
27 (8) RCW 77.55.091 (Small scale prospecting and mining--Rules) and
28 2005 c 146 s 402 & 1997 c 415 s 2;

The current text of HB 2597 is 15 pages long and may be found on the legislature's website by visiting the link below and clicking the "original bill" link in the "Available Documents" section at the bottom of the page.

http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summary.aspx?bill=2597&year=2009

There is also an orange RSS feed link for this bill available on the above page that will allow the subscriber to recieve notices of changes in the bill's status.

In addition, I have provided a link to the .pdf file of the current bill here as well as in the right-hand sidebar under the "Legislative Alerts" heading.

Representative Pearson may be contacted via the information found here.

Washington State Miner will continue to follow this and any related legislation.

More on Armchair Prospecting

2009-11-29T19:05:00.000-08:00

For the basics of "Armchair Prospecting," see my previous post at the link here.

Another mapping program that utilizes the Google Earth .kml and .kmz data files is NASA's World Wind 1.4 (available free at the link here). I find World Wind of value for the different types of image overlays it provides. A quick example with illustrations will show what I mean.

Let's say that, as before, I am looking for potential gold placer sites. It is a well known truism that the best places to find gold (or any other mineral) are in areas where it has been found before. Turning to the Mineral Resources Data System discussed in the previous post linked above, I fill out the search box, selecting "Washington" for located in, "Gold" for with commodity, and "Placer" for operation type.

Clicking the "Search" button brings up the results screen.

Selecting "Google Earth" in the "Choose format:" drop-down box and clicking the "Get Data" button brings up the data download screen.

I elected to download the .kmz compressed data file although the full size .kml file would work just as well.

With the data file safely tucked away on my hard disk, I open World Wind and go to "File" > "Import KML/KMZ file..." and select the data file I downloaded and saved in the previous steps.

I next navigate to an area that interests me...in this case, Cashmere, Washington, just west of Wenatchee.

The image above is the basic World Wind view without overlays. As with Google Earth, mineral occurrences are denoted with "X-like" symbols. A couple of differences with Google Earth are that, 1) the name of the mineral occurrence appears next to the symbol, and 2) clicking on a symbol does NOT -- at least on my system -- open an information bubble.

For this example, lets look at the "Wenatchee River Placer" (underlined in red on the image below).

Perhaps the most useful overlay available in World Wind is "USGS Topo Maps." Zooming in on the Wenatchee River Placer and selecting this overlay results in the following image.

The Topo Map view is useful as it identifies features that are not so easily recognized on the aerial views of Google Earth.

Another World Wind overlay is "USGS Digital Ortho Photos" which, while not as detailed as Google Earth's high resolution color images, may still contain useful information. Below is the same view as the previous one, only with the Ortho Photo overlay enabled.

Next is a closer look at the Wenatchee River Placer with the Ortho Photo overlay.

And finally, for comparison, here is the Wenatchee River Placer as seen in Google Earth.

While the Google Earth pictures are more detailed, World Wind displays uniquely useful information via the topographic map overlays. Both of these Earth imaging applications can be combined with the USGS Mineral Resources Data System to identify areas worthy of further study in the search for valuable minerals.

I hope the foregoing posts contribute to both your enjoyment of and success at mineral prospecting.

Armchair Prospecting with Google Earth

2009-11-26T14:42:00.000-08:00

Now that the winter months are upon us and many prospecting regions are inaccessible due to snow, I thought it was time to introduce the topic of "armchair prospecting" to those who may not be familiar with it.

"Armchair prospecting," as I use the term, is a relatively recent method of researching potential mineral deposits using Internet technology such as Google Earth (free at the link here) in conjunction with some of the data resources linked in this blog. Below is an example illustrating how I go about using this method to locate potential gold placer locations.

The following directions are for using Google Earth on a Windows XP computer.

Under "Resources for Prospectors" in the right-hand sidebar of this blog, I locate the link for USGS Mineral Resources On-Line Spatial Data. Clicking on this link takes me to the "Mineral Resources On-Line Spatial Data" main page. Under the heading "Mineral resource data" there is a link titled Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS). Following this link takes me to a page with links to the data files for various mineral resources.

Scrolling down the page to the "Download" section, I find links for downloading data by geographic areas or by "site name, US state, or commodity." Since I'm interested in finding occurrences of gold in Washington, I click on the latter link.

This action takes me to the "Search the Mineral Resources Data System" page where there is a search form containing a number of input and drop-down boxes. I select "Washington" in the "located in" drop-down box and "Gold" in the "with commodity" drop-down box. Clicking the "Search" button, I'm taken to a page which has the same search form and below it a box with the legend, "Choose format." I select "Google Earth" in the drop-down box and click the "Get Data" button.

I'm now taken to a page titled "Package data in KML (for Google Earth) format." There is a box with links for downloading either the full-size "mrds-Washington-Gold-0.kml" file of 5.9 MB or the compressed .kmz version of 189.4 KB. Since either the .kml or .kmz file will work in Google Earth, I choose to download the smaller one (which saves download time and disk space) by clicking the link for the "Compressed data file."

With the data file safely downloaded and saved to a known location on the hard disk, all I need to do is open Google Earth. When it has loaded and is running, I click "File">"Open" and navigate to the the location of the recently downloaded data file. I next select the file (called "mrds-Washington-Gold-0.kmz") and open it. When the file loads, a large number of "X-like" symbols appear over the map of Washington state. According to the legend in the lower left corner of the image, these symbols represent either a "Mine", "Closed Mine", or "Occurrence, Prospect, or Unknown" deposit of the mineral in question -- in this case, gold.

For this example, I choose to center the Google Earth view on Index, a small town in southeastern Snohomish County. Since I'm looking for placer locations, I focus my attention on one of the Xs (that I've circled in red) on the left side of the image below on the Skykomish River near Gold Bar.

Zooming in on my selected symbol, I can see that there are a number of gravel bars on the river in this area.

Any of these bars would be likely spots to try for placer gold. Of course, I would need to determine if there is public access or else arrange permission from private property owners in order to get to the river. I would also need to determine if the locations I am considering are under active mining claim and, if I am interested in staking a claim of my own, find out if the location is open to mineral entry.

If I click on the "X" symbol on my map, I get a pop-up box that contains more information on this particular site, as shown below.

Inside this pop-up box is a link to the record for this site. Clicking on this link will take me to a web page with whatever additional information may be available for this mineral occurrence.

Although the location of this example lies in a relatively developed area, the same method can be used to explore remote wilderness locations.

I hope you have learned something useful from this post and wish you happy "armchair prospecting" sessions this winter that lead to fruitful outdoor expeditions with the return of warmer weather.

Holiday Message to My Readers

2009-11-26T10:12:00.000-08:00

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

NWMA Director Challenges SOMA Mining Rights Interpretation

2009-11-25T10:07:00.000-08:00

According to an article in the Illinois Valley News by writer Scott Jorgensen, Laura Skaer, executive director of the Northwest Mining Association based in Spokane, Washington, issued a letter on October 28 to several Washington state officials challenging the interpretation of mining rights expressed by some members of the Southwest Oregon Mining Association (SOMA).

As you may recall from a previous post on this blog, the understanding this writer received of the argument put forth by Hal Anthony, SOMA Vice President Ron Gibson, etc. was that the "uncommon minerals" (e.g. gold, silver, etc.) were given by Congress to the people by the Act of 1866 and that the terms of this grant of property are such that it cannot be terminated or restricted by any subsequent act of Congress or act of any state legislature.

Laura Skaer argues, on the other hand, that mining rights are subject to regulation as provided for in the Mining Law of 1872. Jorgensen quotes Skaer in his article as saying, “The 1872 Mining Law specifically provides that a citizen’s right to explore, occupy and purchase valuable mineral deposits in lands belonging to the United States is specifically subject to regulations prescribed by law.” (Emphasis added -- Tom)

The relevant language from the 1872 law would appear to be, "...all valuable mineral deposits in lands belonging to the United States, both surveyed and unsurveyed, shall be free and open to exploration and purchase, and the lands in which they are found to occupation and purchase, by citizens of the United States and those who have declared their intention to become such, under regulations prescribed by law...." Similar language appears in the Act of 1866: "That the mineral lands of the public domain, both surveyed and unsurveyed, are hereby declared to be free and open to exploration and occupation by all citizens of the United States, and those who have declared their intention to become citizens, subject to such regulations as may be prescribed by law...."

Although not an expert in legal matters, it seems to this writer that the question revolves around whether the phrase "under regulations prescribed by law" refers to the procedures for "occupation and purchase" of mineral lands or to the right to explore, occupy and purchase mineral lands. In any event, there is clearly a need in the mining community for a knowledgeable clarification of the federal mining laws in this regard. One hopes that such clarification will not be long in coming.

You may read the IVN article by Scott Jorgensen at the link here.

California's Suction Dredging Ban Appears Headed for Federal Court

2009-11-17T08:28:00.000-08:00

California's moratorium on suction dredge mining, implemented when Governor Schwarzenegger signed SB 670 into law last August, may be challenged in federal court, according to an article by Elizabeth Larson in the Lake County News.

According to this report:

“We are seriously considering a preliminary injunction,” said attorney David Young, who has filed a lawsuit against the state on behalf of Public Lands for the People.

The newspaper points out that SB 670 "invalidated approximately 3,624 mining permits around the state and made suction dredge mining a misdemeanor...." The injunction is being sought on the grounds that the state has infringed on miners' federally granted property rights.

For more information, read the complete article at the link here.

Oregon Miner Found Guilty

2009-11-03T09:13:00.000-08:00

The case of Gold Hill, Oregon miner Clifford R. Tracy has been mentioned in two previous posts on this blog (here and here) in connection with the 1866 Mining Law. Today we learn that Mr. Tracy has been found "guilty of mining without an operating plan approved by forest officials" by U.S. District Court Judge Owen M. Panner, as reported in this article in the Mail Tribune of Medford, Oregon. According to Mail Tribune reporter Anita Burke, Tracy was sentenced to one year probation. Further details my be found by visiting the article at the link above.

I shall endeavor to keep readers abreast of any further developments in this case as its implications are likely to be important for all small-scale miners and prospectors.

Hal Anthony on KAJO's Wednesday Morning Talk Show with Scott Jorgensen on October 7

2009-10-13T17:09:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday, October 7, Hal Anthony (see posts here, here, and here) was a guest on the KAJO Wednesday Morning Talk Show with Scott Jorgensen. The topic of discussion was the 1866 Mining Law and how it relates to all property owners (but in particular to miners), the case of Oregon miner Clifford R. Tracy, and the current proposed changes to the mining laws.

There is a lot of information and clarification about the 1866 Act in this one-hour program which may be heard by clicking on the link below:

http://www.kajo.com/features/talk_shows/programs/kajo091007.mp3

Another Hal Anthony Program Related to the Meeting with Sheriff Gil Gilbertson

2009-10-05T21:45:00.000-07:00

The latest program by Hal Anthony on the situation in Southwest Oregon relative to the 1866 Mining Law and the meeting with Sheriff Gil Gilbertson (see previous posts here and here) was aired on the Revolution Broadcasting site today (October 5) between 3:00 and 5:00 P.M. PDT.

I have not had a chance to listen to this broadcast and likely will not have a chance for several days. But, for those who are following this story and want the latest information, this most recent episode may be heard by going to this link, clicking on the "Behind the Woodshed" link, locating in the resulting list the two 1-hour segments titled Gil Gilbertson Progress In Mining Meeting Hr1 and Gil Gilbertson Progress In Mining Meeting Hr2, and clicking on the "play" buttons in the leftmost column.

If I can get .mp3 links to these program segments, as I did for the first two programs, I will furnish those in a separate post.

Gil Gilbertson is the Sheriff of Josephine County, Oregon, mentioned in the first two programs by Hal Anthony which are linked in my previous posts referenced in the first paragraph above.

Links to the Text of the Mining Law of 1866

2009-10-05T21:12:00.000-07:00

In light of the current interest in the Mining Law of 1866 (aka H.R. 365), I have provided two links to the original document in the right-hand sidebar under "Prospecting & Mining Regulations." The two links are repeated below:

Mining Law of 1866 - Original Document at the Library of Congress

Mining Law of 1866 - Link to Downloadable Copy

Read...study...learn.

New Hal Anthony Radio Show on 1866 Mining Law

2009-10-02T15:58:00.000-07:00

In the previous post I talked about an Internet radio program by Hal Anthony carried on September 28 by Revolution Broadcasting that discussed the mineral estate grant of the Mining Law of 1866.

On September 30, Hal Anthony broadcast a follow-up program on Revolution Broadcasting which re-iterated the information in the original broadcast and provided some scant update on the situation. Re-iterated were the points that the law of 1866 is "fundamental" and "above and apart from every other law" and that when enacted the 1866 legislation became property so that the miners' assertions of their rights is about property rather than about law. Updated is the fact that Hal Anthony states he has received a copy of the email that Sheriff Gilbertson sent to his deputies instructing them not to interfere with mining operations in Josephine County, Oregon, but that he has not yet received a copy of the memo the Sheriff said he "could" send to the BLM and Forest Service.

You may listen to this broadcast in two segments by visiting the links below:

Hour 1: http://lamp.revolutionbroadcasting.com/archives/2009093015-00-00.mp3

Hour 2: http://lamp.revolutionbroadcasting.com/archives/2009093016-00-00.mp3

IMPORTANT: Internet Broadcast Covers 1866 Property Grant to Miners and Its Present Day Ramifications

2009-09-29T20:00:00.000-07:00

On September 28, the Hal Anthony Internet radio show, "Behind the Woodshed," which is carried by Revolution Broadcasting, aired a two-hour program on the mineral estate grant of the Mining Law of 1866. Although there were some dead zones in the broadcast due to technical problems, the understanding I received of the argument was that the "uncommon minerals" (e.g. gold, silver, etc.) were given by Congress to the people by the act of 1866 and that the terms of this grant of property are such that it cannot be terminated or restricted by any subsequent act of Congress or act of any state legislature. Further, it is vitally important that prospectors and miners understand how to use this information to protect themselves against unlawful enforcement actions by federal, state, and/or local officials.

The incident which led up to this radio program was the arrest on September 9 of Gold Hill, Oregon, gold miner Clifford R. Tracy for working his claim in alleged violation of U. S. Forest Service regulations. (See stories here and here.) This incident led to a meeting on September 25 between broadcaster Hal Anthony, David McAllister, President of the Southwest Oregon Miners Association, Ron Gibson, Vice President of the Southwest Oregon Miners Association, and a number of media personnel on the one hand, and Josephine County, Oregon, Sheriff Gil Gilbertson on the other. According to the broadcast report of this meeting, after being shown the 1866 Grant and supporting federal and state laws, Sheriff Gilbertson agreed to instruct his deputies not to interfere with the miners and stated that he could also send a memo to both the BLM and the Forest Service appraising them of this development. The Sheriff promised a copy of this memo to Hal Anthony who stated he will make it available to the mining community once he receives it.

You may listen to this broadcast in two segments by visiting the links below:

Hour 1:http://lamp.revolutionbroadcasting.com/archives/2009092815-00-00.mp3

Hour 2: http://lamp.revolutionbroadcasting.com/archives/2009092816-00-00.mp3

A resource, courtesy of Hal Anthony's broadcast, which provides more information on this subject is the website Our Backyard. Here one can find, among other treasures, the text of the 1866 mineral estate grant, the wording of which is reflected in the General Mining Law of 1872 (US Code Title 30 Chapter 2), which incorporated provisions of both the 1866 and 1870 mining laws, to wit:

§ 22. Lands open to purchase by citizens

Except as otherwise provided, all valuable mineral deposits in lands belonging to the United States, both surveyed and unsurveyed, shall be free and open to exploration and purchase, and the lands in which they are found to occupation and purchase, by citizens of the United States and those who have declared their intention to become such, under regulations prescribed by law, and according to the local customs or rules of miners in the several mining districts, so far as the same are applicable and not inconsistent with the laws of the United States. (Emphasis added.)

I urge all of you to listen to the entire program and learn as much as possible about our actual rights as miners on the public domain. Moreover, this information needs to be distributed as far and as widely as possible, both within the mining and law enforcement communities, in order that serious misunderstandings may be avoided.

Those having further information or clarifications of this subject are invited to share the same via the "comments" section below this post.

New Geologic Map and Data Supplement for Snoqualmie 7.5-Minute Quadrangle Available

2009-09-29T19:47:00.000-07:00

The Washington Division of Geology and Earth Resources has announced the publication of the following geologic map and data supplement:

Geologic Map GM-75. Geologic map of the Snoqualmie 7.5-minute quadrangle, King County, Washington, by J. D. Dragovich, H. A. Littke, M. L. Anderson, Renate Hartog, G. R. Wessel, S. A. DuFrane, T. J. Walsh, J. H. MacDonald Jr., J. F. Mangano, and Recep Cakir. 2009. Two 36 x 42 in. color sheets, scale 1:24,000. (Plotted; $38.61, including shipping and handling. Sold through the Washington Department of Printing. Also available online at http://www.dnr.wa.gov/Publications/ger_gm75_snoqualmie_24k.zip [23.3 MB].)

Open File Report 2009-4. Geochemistry, geochronology, and sand point count data for the Snoqualmie 7.5-minute quadrangle, King County, Washington, by J. D. Dragovich, H. A. Littke, J. H. MacDonald Jr., S. A. DuFrane, M. L. Anderson, G. R. Wessel, and Renate Hartog. 2009. 3 Microsoft Excel files with 35 p. text. (Available online only, at http://www.dnr.wa.gov/Publications/ger_ofr2009-4_snoqualmie_suppl.zip [13.9 MB].)

Paper copies of map GM-75 may be ordered from the Washington State Department of Printing online General Store.

New Washington Geologic Maps Available Online

2009-08-09T20:51:00.000-07:00

The following geologic maps are now available from the Washington Division of Geology and Earth Resources:

Open File Report 2009-5. Geologic map of the Lake Wooten 7.5-minute quadrangle, Mason County, Washington, by R. E. Derkey, N. J. Hehemann, and Katelin Alldritt. 2009. 35 x 36 in. color sheet, scale 1:24,000. (Available online only, at http://www.dnr.wa.gov/Publications/ger_ofr2009-5_geol_map_lakewooten_24k.pdf [13.2 MB].)

Open File Report 2009-6. Geologic map of the Mason Lake 7.5-minute quadrangle, Mason County, Washington, by R. E. Derkey, N. J. Hehemann, and Katelin Alldritt. 2009. 35 x 36 color sheet, scale 1:24,000. (Available online only, at http://www.dnr.wa.gov/Publications/ger_ofr2009-6_geol_map_masonlake_24k.pdf [18.3 MB].)

Open File Report 2009-7. Geologic map of the Belfair 7.5-minute quadrangle, Mason, Kitsap, and Pierce Counties, Washington by Michael Polenz, Katelin Alldritt, N. J. Hehemann, I. Y. Sarikhan, and R. L. Logan. 2009. 45 x 36 in. color sheet, scale 1:24,000. (Available online only, at http://www.dnr.wa.gov/Publications/ger_ofr2009-7_geol_map_belfair_24k.pdf [23.0 MB].)

Open File Report 2009-8. Geologic map of the Burley 7.5-minute quadrangle, Kitsap and Pierce Counties, Washington, by Michael Polenz, Katelin Alldritt, N. J. Hehemann, and R. L. Logan. 2009. 41 x 36 in. color sheet, scale 1:24,000. (Available online only, at http://www.dnr.wa.gov/Publications/ger_ofr2009-8_geol_map_burley_24k.pdf [17.9 MB].)

The above information was kindly supplied by the Washington Division of Geology and Earth Resources.

California Bans Suction Dredge Mining -- Effective Immediately

2009-08-07T22:35:00.000-07:00

I generally don't report on events taking place in other states but, since whenever something bad happens in California it tends to metastasize across neighboring regions, I'm making an exception in this case. It seems that Governor Schwarzenegger has signed SB 670, shutting down every in-stream suction mining dredge in California immediately and for an indefinite time to come.

According to the California Department of Fish and Game website, the moratorium on suction dredge mining will remain in effect for at least two years while the department completes a court-ordered review of the permit process and makes any necessary changes to the pertinent regulations. Not only are all current dredging permits no longer valid, but permit holders will apparently not be eligible for refunds of fees paid, according to the DFG statement.

In the meantime, running a dredge in a California stream can net you up to a $1,000 fine and six months behind bars.

Those interested may read the notice from the California DFG at the link here.

Countering the California development, Public Lands for the People is preparing a Federal Injunction to stop implementation of the moratorium. Donations for legal fees are requested at the web link above.

Article Exposes Pitfalls of Proposed Federal Mining Legislation

2009-08-03T14:04:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted anything since early February on the various efforts in Congress to "reform" the 1872 mining law as most of the articles I've seen in the mainstream press are ignorant and shortsighted in their support of such legislation and I've already given more than enough space to the lies and misrepresentations contained within them.

Yesterday, however, there was a refreshing editorial at denverpost.com by Vincent Carroll which tells the other side of the story. Of course, the people who most need to know the facts presented by Mr. Carroll are not the ones reading this blog and, judging by the one comment below the article at the time I read it, at least some of those who need those facts are failing to grasp them still. In any case, it's nice to know that the truth is out there where those who need it may yet discover it and thereby help avert a calamity brought about by unwise mining legislation.

Read the Carroll piece for yourself at the link here.

WDFW Calls for Public Input on Selection of New Director

2009-07-13T21:01:00.000-07:00

As reported previously on this blog, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife is now actively recruiting a new director. WDFW issued a news release today calling for public input regarding the qualifications to be sought in the applicants for this position. To obtain this input, a public survey form is available on the commission's website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/commission/.

From the news release:

"We'd like to hear from anglers, hunters and everyone interested in the future of our state's natural resources," said Miranda Wecker, who chairs the nine-member citizen commission responsible for setting policy - and hiring a director - for WDFW. "We'll consider those responses as we get down to the business of selecting a new director."

Perhaps this is an opportunity to move WDFW toward a more small-scale-miner-friendly orientation?

New Geologic Map for Yakima County Area Available

2009-07-10T21:47:00.000-07:00

A geologic map and data supplement for the Meeks Table and western two-thirds of the Nile 7.5-minute quadrangles, Yakima County, Washington, have been published by the Washington Division of Geology and Earth Resources.

The map, Geologic Map GM-74 (36 x 38 in. color sheet, scale 1:24,000, with 12 p. text), is available through the Washington Department of Printing (http://www.prt.wa.gov/) for $23.48, including shipping and handling, or for free by download as a .pdf file from the link below:

http://www.dnr.wa.gov/Publications/ger_gm74_meekstable_nile_24k.zip [16.0MB]

The data supplement, Open File Report 2009-3, is only available online as a Microsoft Excel file at the link below:

http://www.dnr.wa.gov/Publications/ger_ofr2009-3_meekstable_nile_suppl.xls [4.4MB]

Recruitment Begins For New WDFW Director

2009-06-13T17:53:00.000-07:00

As noted in previous posts on this blog (here and here), the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife is looking for a new director. According to a News Release from the Department yesterday, recruitment for this position is now officially in progress.

The announcement states that no closing date for the position has yet been set and that an initial review of applications will begin on June 24. Once hired, the new director is expected to commence duties in October.

You may read the original press release at the link here.

Finally! An Editorial In Support Of Suction Dredging

2009-06-12T08:59:00.000-07:00

(Note: You may need to use Internet Explorer to visit the links below. Doing so with Firefox crashes the browser on my machine every time.)

At least one newspaper (albeit in California: The Union of Grass Valley) has published an editorial in support of suction dredging and countering the lies of the environmentalists. It would be nice if more newspapers...especially those here in Washington...would do the same.

You can read the article by James L. Butler, Other Voices: Fish, dredging and mercury — a second opinion, at the link here.

Washington Gold Prospecting (and Prospectors) in the News

2009-04-05T12:31:00.000-07:00

Two reports in the mainstream media mention gold prospecting in Washington State.

The first is from KING 5 News in Seattle and is titled Gold panning making a comeback. The article states that, "For the first time in a decade, panning for gold in Washington State is considered legal." While not strictly true (under the 1999 rules you could pan almost anywhere all year except in streams, where panning was allowed only during specified "work windows,") the message to the public is clear: Washington's streams are now essentially wide open to anyone with a gold pan. The story quotes Greg Christensen and Robert Cunningham of Bellingham and includes a video clip.

Read and view at the link here.

The second is from the Times Online and bears the headline New gold rush sweeps across America. The article cites the increase in interest in gold prospecting due to gold's rising price and the economic downturn. It mentions Washington State in particular and quotes GPAA general manager Ken Rucker and placer claim owner Ron Larson of Kent.

You can find this second report at the link here.

More Washington Geologic Maps Available Online

2009-04-03T19:58:00.000-07:00

Now that prospecting season is drawing near, here are some online sources for geologic maps:

The Washington Division of Geology and Earth Resources has announced that all of the 1:100,000-scale geologic maps which they publish, as well as many at other scales, are now available for download from the following link:

http://www.dnr.wa.gov/ResearchScience/Pages/PubMaps.aspx

Many of the maps not available from DGER can be found using the search functions of the USGS National Geologic Map Catalog at the link below:

http://ngmdb.usgs.gov/ngmdb/ngm_quicksearch.html

Happy prospecting!

Corrected Gold and Fish Pamphlet and Mining Brochure Now Available From WDFW

2009-04-02T17:55:00.000-07:00

In addition to the new 2009 Gold and Fish pamphlet (which has just been revised to correct printing errors -- see the link under "Prospecting & Mining Regulations" in the right-hand sidebar of this page to download a copy), the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife now has an informational flyer on mineral prospecting in Washington.

Titled, Small Scale Mineral Prospecting and Placer Mining in Washington, the two-page brochure is available for download as a .pdf document at the link here.

Washington Land Grabs in the News

2009-03-27T08:16:00.000-07:00

Titled, Some New Wilderness for WA, Too?, an article at Public News Service informs us that, "Rep. Dave Reichert (R-Wash) and Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash) have introduced a bill to expand the Alpine Lakes Wilderness Area in the North Cascade Mountains by 22,000 acres."

The article quotes Reichert as saying, "It’s the idea of bipartisanship and working together to make this an area that all of us can enjoy. It (d)oesn’t matter what party you belong to, protecting our wilderness is important to all of us." (Emphasis added -- Tom)

True to the parameters of Orwellian Newspeak, it is obvious that "all of us" does not include ALL of us. But, I digress.

Apparently, this new bill would widen the boundaries of the existing Alpine Lakes Wilderness, expanding the area that (not) ALL of us can enjoy into lower elevations along the Snoqualmie and Pratt Rivers.

The article also quotes a John Chelminiak, identified as the North Cascades Initiative Director for the Wilderness Society, saying, "It will be a spectacular place to take your children and experience wilderness without having to go to the top of a peak, almost virtually in the backyards of the communities of the North Cascades."

How much longer before these land grabs actually take our backyards?

The bill, known as H.R. 1769, "To expand the Alpine Lakes Wilderness in the State of Washington, to designate the Middle Fork Snoqualmie River and Pratt River as wild and scenic rivers, and for other purposes," is currently in the House Committee on Natural Resources. Although the bill is listed on Thomas, the text is not yet available from the Government Printing Office. The companion bill in the Senate is S. 721 for which, at this point, almost no information exists in online sources. You might check Thomas or set up an alert on GovTrack if you're interested in further developments of this legislation.

The Public News Service article, by Chris Thomas, can be read at the link here.

On a related note, our Senator Murray is also sponsoring a bill, S. 635, that would add 14.3 miles of Illabot Creek in Skagit County lying outside the Glacier Peak Wilderness to the Wild and Scenic Rivers System. This bill, currently without co-sponsors, is in the Energy and Natural Resources Committee of the Senate.

2009 Gold and Fish Pamphlet Available From WDFW

2009-03-23T19:26:00.000-07:00

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) has released the 2009 Gold and Fish Pamphlet containing the new rules for mineral prospecting and placer mining in Washington State.

The link to the .pdf file for the new pamphlet is here. You may download and print the pamphlet from this link or order it from one of the WDFW offices listed here.

In addition, the WDFW Habitat Permits & Regulations web page has moved to a new address which is linked here.

Both of these new links have been added to the right-hand sidebar: the 2009 Gold and Fish Pamphlet under "Prospecting & Mining Regulations" and the Habitat Permits & Regulations page under "Resources for Prospectors."

As the new regulations will not take effect until April 3, the current 1999 pamphlet is still available for download at the link here and in the "Prospecting & Mining Regulations" section of the right-hand sidebar until April 3.

WDFW Establishes New Habitat Conservation Working Group

2009-03-13T19:02:00.000-07:00

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is calling for nominations of persons to serve on a new working group called the Habitat Conservation Plan Advisory Committee.

The WDFW press release, citing information provided by Greg Hueckel, assistant director of WDFW's habitat program, states that the new group "will consist of up to 24 advisors who will provide guidance on the development of a conservation plan to protect sensitive fish and shellfish species potentially affected by hydraulic project activities."

“We’ve contacted a variety of interest groups and individuals to make sure the new committee reflects all points of view as we develop this important plan," the release quotes Hueckel as saying. It then goes on to report that "(I)nvitations have been sent to tribal representatives, businesses, government agencies and environmental organizations."

Owing to WDFW requirements that prospectors and miners possess hydraulic project approval before commencing activities, one wonders if they will also be represented on the new committee?

The group is slated to start work this spring and is expected to continue for two years. The deadline for nominations is April 1. Nominations may be directed to Carol Piening, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Habitat Program, 600 Capitol Way N., Olympia, WA 98501-1091. Or by email to carol.piening@dfw.wa.gov.

Further information is available from the WDFW press release at the link here.

New Geologic Maps Available

2009-02-20T13:23:00.000-08:00

There are several new geologic maps available from the Washington Division of Geology and Earth Resources, which agency has supplied the following list:

Geologic Map GM-68. Geologic map of the Camano 7.5-minute quadrangle, Island County, Washington, by Michael Polenz, H. W. Schasse, M. L. Kalk, and B. B. Petersen. 2009. 48 x 36 in. color sheet, scale 1:24,000. (Plotted; $22.18, including shipping and handling. Sold through the Washington Department of Printing. Also available online at http://www.dnr.wa.gov/Publications/ger_gm68_geol_map_camano_24k.pdf [10.1 MB].)

Geologic Map GM-69. Geologic map of the Langley and western part of the Tulalip 7.5-minute quadrangles, Island County, Washington, by H. W. Schasse, M. L. Kalk, B. B. Petersen, and Michael Polenz. 2009. 47 x 36 in. color sheet, scale 1:24,000. (Plotted; $22.18, including shipping and handling. Sold through the Washington Department of Printing. Also available online at http://www.dnr.wa.gov/Publications/ger_gm69_geol_map_langley_24k.pdf [10.1 MB].)

Geologic Map GM-70. Geologic map of the Juniper Beach 7.5-minute quadrangle, Island County, Washington, by H. W. Schasse, M. L. Kalk, and Michael Polenz. 2009. 39 x 36 in. color sheet, scale 1:24,000. (Plotted; $22.18, including shipping and handling. Sold through the Washington Department of Printing. Also available online at http://www.dnr.wa.gov/Publications/ger_gm70_geol_map_juniperbeach_24k.pdf [11.5 MB].)

Geologic Map GM-71. Geologic map of the Olsen Canyon 7.5-minute quadrangle, Lincoln and Stevens Counties, Washington, by R. E. Derkey and M. M. Hamilton. 2009. 42 x 36 in. color sheet, scale 1:24,000. (Plotted; $22.18, including shipping and handling. Sold through the Washington Department of Printing. Also available online at http://www.dnr.wa.gov/Publications/ger_gm71_geol_map_olsencanyon_24k.pdf [14.7 MB].)

Geologic Map GM-72. Geologic map of the Maytown 7.5-minute quadrangle, Thurston County, Washington, by R. L. Logan, T. J. Walsh, B. W. Stanton, and I. Y. Sarikhan. 2009. 42 x 36 in. color sheet, scale 1:24,000. (Plotted; $22.18, including shipping and handling. Sold through the Washington Department of Printing. Also available online at http://www.dnr.wa.gov/Publications/ger_gm72_geol_map_maytown_24k.pdf [30.3 MB].)

Geologic Map GM-73. Geologic map of the North Bend 7.5-minute quadrangle, King County, Washington, with a discussion of the major faults, folds, and basins in the map area, by J. D. Dragovich, T. J. Walsh, M. L. Anderson, Renate Hartog, S. A. DuFrane, Jeff Vervoot, S. A. Williams, Recep Cakir, K. D. Stanton, F. E. Wolff, D. K. Norman, and J. L. Czajkowski. 2009. 38 x 36 in. color sheet, scale 1:24,000, with 39 p. text. (Plotted; $23.48, including shipping and handling. Sold through the Washington Department of Printing. Also available online at http://www.dnr.wa.gov/Publications/ger_gm73_geol_map_northbend_24k.zip [44.7 MB].)

These maps may be either downloaded from the links above or printed copies ordered from the Washington Department of Printing.

For more information on Washington geologic publications, visit the link here.

Beach Mining Pilot Program Update

2009-02-11T13:19:00.000-08:00

As you may recall from a previous post, last March the governor signed S.B. 6343 establishing a pilot program to allow small scale prospecting and mining on Washington's ocean beaches beginning July 1, 2008.

Thanks to the kindness of Lisa Lantz, Resource Stewardship Manager for the SW Region of Washington State Parks, who supplied a copy of an update report prepared for the Parks Commission on January 22 last, we now have some insight on what has been happening behind the scenes.

According to the report, beginning in May, 2008, State Parks personnel met with WDFW and selected three areas where prospecting would be allowed: "Long Beach – from Ocean Park Ocean Beach Access (OBA) to Klipsan OBA; South Beach – from Bonge OBA to Grayland OBA; and North Beach – from Ocean City OBA to Oyehut OBA."

Subsequently, State Parks received comments that the prospecting areas selected failed to provide freshwater access for miners. As a result, State Parks, in consultation with WDFW, "opened the Iron Springs area, a one-half mile stretch of North Beach, centered on the mouth of Boone Creek," in December.

It should be noted that all participants in the pilot project are required to obtain an HPA from WDFW. Information on applying for an HPA is available from the WDFW web page here. On-line forms and instructions may be found at the One-Stop JARPA Resource Center.

Originally, WDFW limited the equipment miners could use to "motorized pans, non-motorized pans, sluice boxes, mini rocker boxes and non-motorized concentrators." This list was subsequently expanded to include:

Pans; Spiral wheels; Sluices, concentrators, mini rocker boxes, rocker boxes, mini high-bankers with riffle areas totaling 3 square feet or less, including ganged equipment, and high-bankers with riffle areas totaling 10 square feet or less, including ganged equipment; Suction dredges with suction intake nozzle inside diameters no greater than 5-1/4 inches. The inside diameter of the dredge hose attached to the nozzle may be no greater than one inch larger than the suction intake nozzle size; Power sluice/suction dredge combinations with riffle areas totaling 10 square feet or less, including ganged equipment; suction intake nozzle inside diameters no greater than 5-1/4 inches; and pump intake hose inside diameters no greater than 4 inches. The inside diameter of the dredge hose attached to the suction intake nozzle may be no greater than one inch larger than the suction intake nozzle size; and, High-bankers and power sluices with riffle areas totaling 10 square feet or less, including ganged equipment, and pump intake hoses with inside diameters of 4 inches or less.

Furthermore, when miners receive their HPAs, they "also receive maps of the pilot areas and a letter from Parks requesting their cooperation in collecting basic information on the pilot project," including, "where each mining activity occurs, the number of people participating, number of days per activity, quantity of material removed from the beach, type of equipment used, and any difficulties encountered." Miners are also required to "notify WDFW and Parks staff prior to starting work."

According to the report, as of December, 48 people had registered in the North Beach area. The other areas had no reported activity.

For those interested in reading it, the update report for the Parks Commission is available the the link below:

Placer Mining Pilot Program Report.pdf

Radio Program to Discuss Mining Act Tonight

2009-02-09T12:50:00.000-08:00

Bruce Beatty, who was one of the stakeholders representing the mining community during the drafting of the forthcoming Gold and Fish Pamphlet (and not to be blamed for the shortcomings thereof!), sends the following information:

This evening 9:00-11:00 PM Central Time: Hal Anthony (host of Behind the Woodshed on RTRRadio.com) is scheduled to be a two hour guest host on Lighting The Fires Of Liberty with host Michael Badnarik.

The show will be focusing on the 1866 Mineral Estate Trust Act/Grant...Understanding its Immense Power, Importance and Availability to all Americans.

http://www.gcnlive.com/Listen_Live.html

Pick a Live Stream on Network 1

P.S. You can contact Mister Anthony for comments, questions, guest appearances, etc @ markonthebeast@yahoo.com

P.S. This is a call in show, so if there are any questions you or others have to the topic, please call and ask. Please pass this info on far and wide.

Given the ugly noises coming out of the current administration and Congress regarding overhaul of the 1872 Mining Law, listening/participating in this broadcast would be a good way to stay informed and educate other listeners.

Thanks, Bruce, for the heads-up.

Ken Salazar on the 1872 Mining Law

2009-02-02T08:19:00.000-08:00

I know this is getting old, but I think we need to stay on top of what is going on in the 'other' Washington.

The Q & A with Ken Salazar published at denverpost.com contains the following exchange with the new Interior secretary and former U.S. senator from Colorado regarding reform of the 1872 Mining Law:

The Post: Will you push for reform of the 1872 hard-rock mining law?

Salazar: Any law that has been out there for 136 years and has not been changed needs to be looked at. And in my view, the 1872 mining law is archaic in many ways and needs to be brought into modernity. There are lots of places where the environmental community and the mining community could reach consensus, including issues such as the patenting of public lands and the requirement that fair market value be paid for surface lands that are sometimes now patented as, essentially, giveaways.

The fallacy of "giveaways" of public land through patenting has been addressed so often before on this blog and elsewhere that I won't go into it again. What I find especially disturbing in this exchange, however, is the notion that the 1872 Mining Law needs reforming because it hasn't "been changed" in 136 years. If 'change for the sake of change' is really such a great idea, maybe Mr. Salazar would favor shredding the far older Constitution and Bill of Rights. But, wait! It too often seems that's already been done.

More on the Current 1872 Mining Law Reform Attempt

2009-01-30T09:06:00.000-08:00

On Wednesday I published a post concerning the latest attempt in Congress to amend the General Mining Law of 1872.

Those interested in following the progress of the current bill, H.R. 699, may do so by visiting the link here or by checking the new section in the right-hand sidebar titled Legislative Alerts and utilizing the links there.

Additionally, there is another article on this proposed measure appearing in the San Jose Mercury News which is linked here.

Stay tuned.

"Reformers" Target 1872 Mining Law -- Again

2009-01-28T07:41:00.000-08:00

I haven't reported on this subject for a while as, quite frankly, it makes me sick. But now that some sort of legislative action appears imminent, I feel I have a duty to bring it to your attention:

According to an article in the Colorado Independent, Democratic Representative Nick Rahall of West Virginia, chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee, plans to introduce the Hardrock Mining and Reclamation Act of 2009. Like its predecessors, this bill would levy "a 4 percent royalty on existing mines and an 8 percent royalty on new mines — percentages that are in line with what the coal, oil and gas industries currently pay."

I'm not even going to go into why metal mines are not comparable to coal, oil, and gas operations and therefore should not be treated on the same basis. The galling thing is that the proponents of this measure seem more interested in the APPEARANCE of fairness than in actual fairness. But I guess that's what we should expect from those who practice extortion for a living.

The article also seems to equate the current "royalty-free extraction of gold, uranium and other hard-rock minerals from public lands across the West" allowed by the General Mining Law of 1872 with a $1.6 billion subsidy over the coming decade. Huh? Isn't this like a mugger who doesn't take ALL of your money claiming that he's given you a financial contribution?

Anyway, for those hypotensive souls out there who need to elevate their blood pressure, you can find the above mentioned article at the link here.

New "Gold and Fish Pamphlet" Coming (Slowly)

2009-01-18T18:14:00.000-08:00

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife has updated their mineral prospecting web page to reflect the upcoming "Gold and Fish pamphlet" containing the new prospecting and mining rules that take effect April 3, 2009. At this time, the essential information is contained in the following two sentences (emphasis added):

1. Because WDFW will publish a new Gold and Fish pamphlet in April 2009 that incorporates new rules adopted by the Fish and Wildlife Commission on November 8, 2008, WDFW will no longer be printing or distributing copies of the 1999 edition.

2. WDFW is developing the 2009 edition of the Gold and Fish pamphlet and will post it on this page when complete.

Accordingly, you may want to visit "this page" from time to time in order to keep up with the appearance of the new regulations. I shall endeavor to do likewise and post any updates here.

Note (added 1/21/2009): RCW 77.55.091 Small Scale Prospecting and Mining -- Rules states, in part (emphasis added):

(3) Within two months of adoption of the rules, the department shall distribute an updated gold and fish pamphlet that describes methods of mineral prospecting that are consistent with the department's rule....

I was just wondering how this squares with the November 8, 2008 to April something, 2009 time frame for the publication of the new pamphlet? I guess some of us get to play fast and loose with the rules while the rest of us don't?

Happy New Year...

2009-01-01T11:23:00.000-08:00

...to all my readers and thank you for following this blog in 2008. Here's wishing all of you a safe and rewarding season in 2009.

Two New Interactive Maps From the Washington Division of Geology and Earth Resources

2008-12-07T14:38:00.000-08:00

The Washington Division of Geology and Earth Resources has announced two new applications available through its new Geologic Information Portal.

One application is called The Washington Interactive Geologic Map and "provides access to geologic mapping at several scales, earthquake and tsunami hazard mapping, and earth resource information."

The other application, called Earth Resources Permit Locations, "provides access to oil and gas exploration drillhole locations and surface mine reclamation permit sites."

In addition to base information such as highways, cities and towns, USGS quadrangles, county boundaries, rivers and Public Land Survey data, other layers show geologic features, aerial photography, and site locations. More layers are to be added in the future.

The Geologic Information Portal has been added to the Resources for Prospectors section of the right-hand sidebar.

Commission Appoints Interim WDFW Director

2008-12-02T08:40:00.000-08:00

Following up on yesterday's post, the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission has appointed WDFW deputy director for resource policy Phil Anderson as interim director following the resignation of Dr. Jeffrey P. Koenings. According to the press release, the Commission will conduct a nation-wide search for a permanent director beginning next year.

The press release is available at the link here.

Koenings Resigns as Director of WDFW

2008-12-01T17:06:00.001-08:00

Word has come that the current director of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Jeff Koenings, Ph.D., has announced his resignation effective December 11.

As far as I am aware, there is no word yet on a possible successor.

Read the entire press release at the link here.

New Prospecting Rules Adopted by Fish and Wildlife Commission

2008-11-10T17:33:00.000-08:00

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife announced in a news release dated today that the Fish and Wildlife Commission approved the proposed mineral prospecting rules at the meeting in Olympia on November 8. The press release states in part:

Adopted changes include establishing new work times designed to protect fish life, offering additional opportunities for prospectors and expanding the use of certain types of mineral prospecting equipment. The rules, which were developed with input from a 17-member workgroup and the public, become effective April 3, 2009 and are available on WDFW’s website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/hab/goldfish/mineral_prospect.htm. A new Gold and Fish pamphlet reflecting the changes will be available by that date.

The full text of the announcement can be found at the link here.

Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission Meets Saturday to Consider Adoption of New Rules

2008-11-05T20:38:00.000-08:00

The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission will meet in Olympia on Friday and Saturday (November 7 & 8) to consider adopting permanent amendments to the Gold and Fish Pamphlet. This meeting follows the public hearing held on October 3 at the last Commission meeting, also in Olympia.

Action on the mineral prospecting rules is currently (as of today's agenda revision) scheduled as the third item of business for the Saturday session which begins at 8:30 A.M. It does not appear that public comments will be accepted at this meeting, although WDFW staff members Greg Hueckel and Perry Harvester are listed under the heading, "Staff Report".

Additionally, the agenda contains a link to a "Greensheet and proposed rules" document which contains, among other things, changes to the proposed rules submitted by WDFW as a result of comments received from the public. The proposed changes are too numerous to discuss here, but it is worrisome to this writer that for some of the streams in Kittitas, Pend Oreille, Skagit, and Yakima counties, the originally proposed work window dates have been reduced to "Submit Application" status.

The meeting will be held in Room 172 of the Natural Resource Building, 1111 Washington Street SE, in Olympia.

As changes to the agenda are still possible, interested parties are encouraged to check the latest version at the link here.

WDFW Discontinues Current "Gold and Fish" Pamphlet

2008-10-10T22:10:00.000-07:00

According to the WDFW web page devoted to mineral prospecting, the current issue of the Gold and Fish pamphlet will no longer be available once the current supply runs out. To quote from the site:

NOTE: Because a new edition of the Gold and Fish pamphlet will be printed in 2009, WDFW will no longer distribute the 1999 edition when the current supply is exhausted. If you wish to prospect before the new pamphlet is issued you will need to print the online version of the 1999 Gold and Fish pamphlet.

It seems they're pretty confident the new proposed rules will be adopted.

Miners Take Note: New Rules Hearing Scheduled

2008-09-24T15:50:00.000-07:00

Word has just arrived that the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission hearing on the proposed mineral prospecting and placer mining regulations will be held in the afternoon of Friday, October 3, in the Natural Resources Building, Room 172, 1111 Washington Street S.E. in Olympia. (Note that this location has been changed from Ellensburg.) Attendees should arrive no later than 2:00 P.M. to sign in. Discussion of the proposed rules is #9 on the hearing agenda.

Following is agenda item #9 as it currently appears on the Commission website:

A good showing of miners and their supporters at this event will demonstrate to the commissioners and WDFW staff the importance with which the mining community regards this matter.

To stay abreast of any changes to the agenda, check the Commission web page here.

WDFW Commission's October Meeting Moved from Ellensburg to Olympia

2008-09-18T09:13:00.000-07:00

Please note that the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission meeting scheduled for October 3-4 reported in my post of August 18 has been moved from Ellensburg to Olympia. This change is reported on the WDFW website here and on the Commission's website here.

This is an important meeting for us miners as the Commission will be accepting public comments from those present on the new proposed mineral prospecting and placer mining rules. Written comments may still be sent to WDFW by mail or email until September 26 at:

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
Attn: Lisa Wood
RE: Mineral Prospecting Rules
600 Capitol Way N.
Olympia, WA 98501-1091

and

sepadesk@dfw.wa.gov

Thanks to Mark Erickson for alerting me to this change via his comment here.

WDFW Announces New Proposed Prospecting Rules

2008-08-26T16:17:00.000-07:00

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) has announced new proposed rules for mineral prospecting in Washington State. The Department will accept comments on the proposed rules until September 26.

For details, visit the Department's web page here:

http://wdfw.wa.gov/hab/goldfish/mineral_prospect.htm

A .pdf file containing the text of the proposed rules may be accessed here:

http://wdfw.wa.gov/hab/goldfish/2008_proposed_prospecting_rules.pdf

New Proposed Prospecting Rules for Washington Released

2008-08-18T18:54:00.000-07:00

Here is the latest news from WDFW regarding the new proposed mineral prospecting rules:

From: Pat Chapman

Sent: Monday, August 18, 2008 8:28 AM

Subject: Proposed mineral prospecting rules filed with Office of the CodeReviser

Mineral Prospecting Rule Development Workgroup:

Please distribute this message to anyone you think might be interested in commenting on proposed rules for mineral prospecting.

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife has filed proposed rules for mineral prospecting with the Office of the Code Reviser. The proposed rules will be published on September 3, 2008 in the Washington State Register. The official public comment period begins with publication in the register on September 3, and WDFW will accept comments through September 26, 2008. Comments WDFW receives before the official public comment period will be accepted provided they are sent to the following:

Lisa Wood

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

600 Capitol Way N.

Olympia, WA 98501-1091

email: sepadesk@dfw.wa.gov

FAX: (360) 902-2946

We will be posting the proposed rules on WDFW's Habitat internet page soon. On October 3 or 4, 2008 WDFW will present the proposed rules, any adjustments to them warranted by comments, and a synopsis of the comments we have received from the public to the Fish and Wildlife Commission at their meeting in Ellensburg. The Commission will accept further public comments at that meeting. Likely at the Commission’s November meeting they will vote on adopting the rules.

You may view the Washington State Register at: http://www.leg.wa.gov/CodeReviser/Washington+State+Register/

WDFW's Habitat internet pages for mineral prospecting can be viewed at:

http://wdfw.wa.gov/hab/goldfish/goldfish.htm

Pat Chapman
Regulatory Services Coordinator
Habitat Program
Washington Dept. of Fish and Wildlife
600 Capitol Way N.
Olympia WA 98501-1091
(360) 902-2571
(360) 902-2946 FAX
chapmpfc@dfw.wa.gov

In addition to the above message, a reliable source has also provided the following pertinent documents:

Proposed Rule Making notice filed with the Office of the Code Reviser
Final Draft of Proposed Mineral Prospecting Rules, Part I
Final Draft of Proposed Mineral Prospecting Rules, Part II

The above links will allow you to view or download these documents as .pdf files.

As the message from Pat Chapman at the beginning of this post states, the deadline for comments on these proposed rules is September 26. This is our chance to get a set of rules we can live with so let's let the good folks at WDFW in Olympia hear from us.

Free Topo Maps of the US and Canada

2008-08-10T17:51:00.000-07:00

If you have any use for topographic maps from the USGS, USFS, and Natural Resource Canada, check out Free Printable Topo Maps (http://www.digital-topo-maps.com/).

Getting the maps is easy. You just zoom in to your area of interest in "Map" view (which shows a road map), switch to "My Topo" view, and select the topo zoom level you want. Then click on either "Landscape" or "Portrait" next to "Print from your computer:" located below the map image. A new window will open containing your map. The map of Horseshoe Bend on the Sultan River shown below was captured by right-clicking on the map in this new window and selecting "Save image as..." from the drop-down menu. (Note: The real image measures 1800x1200 pixels and is much more detailed than Blogger's scaled-down view shown here.)

The "Hybrid" view button next to the "My Topo" button shows a satellite image with a road map overlay. Both "Map" and "Hybrid" appear to work for anywhere in the world but "My Topo" only displays results for the US and Canada.

For ease of reference, I have added the link to Free Printable Topo Maps to the "Resources for Prospectors" section of the right-hand sidebar.