Important MineCache Update

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

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.