As spring heaves into view, various mining and mineral oriented organizations are hosting shows. Following are the ones I have been able to locate information on:
March 31 & April 1 - Mt. Baker Rock & Gem Club will have their 2012 Gem and Mineral Show at Bloedel-Donovan Park, 2214 Electric Ave., Bellingham, WA on Saturday from 10AM to 6PM and on Sunday from 10AM to 5PM. There will be a gold panning demonstration among other exhibits, demonstrations, raffles, door prizes, food service, etc.
More information here.
April 21 & 22 - North Central Washington Prospectors will put on their Gold Show at the Chelan County Expo Center in Cashmere, WA. Prizes and demonstrations of gold recovery techniques and equipment among other things.
More information here or try contacting the club at NCWProspectors(at)gmail.com.
April 21 & 22 - West Seattle Rock Club will host their Rock and Gem Show at the Alki Masonic Temple. There will be displays of rocks, minerals, fossils, etc. as well as demonstrations of jewelry and lapidary techniques, among other attractions.
More information here.
April 28 & 29 - Gold Prospectors Association of America will have their Gold & Treasure Show at the County Fair & Expo Center in Spokane, WA. See the latest prospecting equipment, attend seminars, learn to pan, win prizes, etc.
More information here.
May 4, 5 & 6 - Spokane Rock Rollers will fete their 53rd Annual Gem, Mineral and Jewelry Show at the Spokane County Fair & Expo Center in Spokane, WA. See rock and jewelry displays and meet over 40 dealers selling supplies, rough rock, etc.
More information here.
May 18, 19 & 20 - Lakeside Gem and Mineral Club will host the Northwest Federation of Mineralogical Societies Annual Show at the Benton County Fairgrounds in Kennewick, WA. There will be exhibits, demonstrations, seminars, and classes.
More information here.
June 2 & 3 - Everett Rock and Gem Club will have their 59th Annual Show at the Everett Soccer Arena at 2201 California St., Everett, WA. In addition to hourly door prizes, there will be exhibits, demonstrations, raffle drawings, dealers, refreshments, and a silent auction.
More information here.
August 24, 25 & 26 - The NW Miners Rally will take place at Liberty, WA Expect hands-on demonstrations of placer mining equipment among other happenings.
More information here.
My apologies to any organizations whose shows I missed.
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Saturday, March 17, 2012
Interactive Geologic Index Map of Washington
While poking around on the Internet, I came across an interactive geologic index map of Washington that may be of use to prospectors.
Called the Washington State Geology Index Map by creator Christopher Heg (whose homepage is here), the map features click-able quadrangles measuring 1 degree of longitude by 30 minutes of latitude which lead to a detailed geologic map of that area. On the geologic map, each rock type is shown in color. By clicking on a color, an information bar at the top of the page displays the color, symbol, era, lithology, and named unit or note about the formation. There are also buttons at the top of the map page to toggle between the geologic map and a color aerial photo of the same area. In addition, main cities and highways are labeled on both views.
Check out the link above (or in the right-hand sidebar under Resources for Prospectors/MAPPING APPLICATIONS & ONLINE SPATIAL DATA) to explore for yourself.
Called the Washington State Geology Index Map by creator Christopher Heg (whose homepage is here), the map features click-able quadrangles measuring 1 degree of longitude by 30 minutes of latitude which lead to a detailed geologic map of that area. On the geologic map, each rock type is shown in color. By clicking on a color, an information bar at the top of the page displays the color, symbol, era, lithology, and named unit or note about the formation. There are also buttons at the top of the map page to toggle between the geologic map and a color aerial photo of the same area. In addition, main cities and highways are labeled on both views.
Check out the link above (or in the right-hand sidebar under Resources for Prospectors/MAPPING APPLICATIONS & ONLINE SPATIAL DATA) to explore for yourself.
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
More Mining Troubles In Oregon
Those of you who have been following the "Miner Dave" saga (see here, here, here, and here) may be chagrined to hear of another Oregon miner who appears to be under attack by agencies of the federal government. The following is the text of an email I just received from a fellow miner who has provided reliable information in the past:
This is hot off the press and I want it to go viral. My mining partner down in John Day,Oregon called this morning and said he had just gotten a letter from the BLM at John Day and they had given him 90 days to get everything off the claim. This includes two very old cabins. They are over one hundred years old and are part of the antiquities Act. Mark (Pengelly) has had nothing but grief from the BLM since he tried to mine his claim. He has complied with all their wishes up till now and cleaned the area till it looks like a park but they have not backed off one bit. He took out a bond like they wanted and complied with ever one of their wishes but still they harass him.
He has had many things stolen off the claim, They told him he could not stay in the cabins to protect his property and kicked him out. There has been much vandalism to the claim and I have had personal things of mine stolen off the claim too but they don't patrol for the thieves so we finally got the sheriff to patrol the area. At one time vandals drove their 4x4's through the kitchen and into the living room causing thousands in damage and the Forest Service and BLM did nothing but give lip service. Is this going to happen to all of us that have machinery and cabins on our valid claims??????????????
This act of causing Mark to remove the cabins is a felony in itself and is punishable by a ten year prison sentence and a big fine for destroying two cabins that are part of the Antiquities Act. I am suspecting entrapment by the BLM if Mark does remove them. If he doesn't remove them they are threatening him with doing it themselves and then charging Mark for the removal. Our government has grown rotten to it's very core and we as miners are going to have to put our feet down on this!
Episodes like the one above and the "Miner Dave" story make me wonder how these actions by the USFS and the BLM can possibly be consistent with the "national mining and minerals policy" set forth in §21a of the Mining Law of 1872, as amended:
The Congress declares that it is the continuing policy of the Federal Government in the national interest to foster and encourage private enterprise in...the development of economically sound and stable domestic mining, minerals, metal and mineral reclamation industries. (Emphasis added.)
Perhaps someone should remind the heads of the offending agencies of their responsibility to compel their subordinates to obey the law? And if that reminder be met with a general refusal, are we then to conclude that we are on our own in looking out for ourselves and each other against the depredations of a government gone rogue?
Stay tuned.
The Congress declares that it is the continuing policy of the Federal Government in the national interest to foster and encourage private enterprise in...the development of economically sound and stable domestic mining, minerals, metal and mineral reclamation industries. (Emphasis added.)
Perhaps someone should remind the heads of the offending agencies of their responsibility to compel their subordinates to obey the law? And if that reminder be met with a general refusal, are we then to conclude that we are on our own in looking out for ourselves and each other against the depredations of a government gone rogue?
Stay tuned.
Thursday, March 1, 2012
More On The "Miner Dave" Arrest
UPDATE -- As of 10:52 PM tonight I now have a link to the segment of the Bill Meyer Show posted on the SWOMA website featuring David Everist: Miner Dave on the Bill Meyer Show
As reported here, Southwest Oregon miner David Everist was arrested at his placer claim by the USFS last Thursday.
The South West Oregon Mining Association (SWOMA) now has a video on their site in which Everist describes the circumstances of his arrest by the USFS:
USFS Terror: The Illegal Arrest of "Miner Dave"
According to the video, on the evening of Thursday, February 23rd, representatives of the Jefferson Mining District were contacted by Sheriff Gil Gilbertson of Josephine County, Oregon, who told them that he had been informed by a federal agency that a warrant had been issued for the arrest of miner David Everist and that agents were on their way to the Sturgis Fork of Carberry Creek to make the arrest.
On the video, Everist states that he was arrested at his claim by USFS agent Michael Gardiner, in company with three other agents, at about 4:30 to 5:00 on the evening of February 23rd and transported by them to the Jackson County jail. (Note: According to BLM records, Everist's claim is in Josephine County.) Everist says the agents told him that they had no warrant for the arrest as it was based on an "informational complaint."
Everist says he was held in jail overnight and taken to federal court on Friday morning. After the arraignment, he was taken back to the jail by Federal Marshals and finally released about noon. The charge against him is the unauthorized cutting of timber.
In order to be released, Everist said he was "forced" to sign an agreement that he would remove his personal property from his claim within two weeks. Also, that he could visit his claim but may not stay overnight nor can he mine or prospect there or anywhere within the national forest. Everist also says that the USFS's main complaint was that he was living on his claim without their permission and without a plan of operations.
Everist was also scheduled to appear on the Bill Meyer Show on Medford, Oregon, radio station KMED 1440 AM at 8:10AM on February 29th to talk about his arrest. However, I have not yet been able to locate an audio recording of this broadcast.
More as it happens.
As reported here, Southwest Oregon miner David Everist was arrested at his placer claim by the USFS last Thursday.
The South West Oregon Mining Association (SWOMA) now has a video on their site in which Everist describes the circumstances of his arrest by the USFS:
USFS Terror: The Illegal Arrest of "Miner Dave"
According to the video, on the evening of Thursday, February 23rd, representatives of the Jefferson Mining District were contacted by Sheriff Gil Gilbertson of Josephine County, Oregon, who told them that he had been informed by a federal agency that a warrant had been issued for the arrest of miner David Everist and that agents were on their way to the Sturgis Fork of Carberry Creek to make the arrest.
On the video, Everist states that he was arrested at his claim by USFS agent Michael Gardiner, in company with three other agents, at about 4:30 to 5:00 on the evening of February 23rd and transported by them to the Jackson County jail. (Note: According to BLM records, Everist's claim is in Josephine County.) Everist says the agents told him that they had no warrant for the arrest as it was based on an "informational complaint."
Everist says he was held in jail overnight and taken to federal court on Friday morning. After the arraignment, he was taken back to the jail by Federal Marshals and finally released about noon. The charge against him is the unauthorized cutting of timber.
In order to be released, Everist said he was "forced" to sign an agreement that he would remove his personal property from his claim within two weeks. Also, that he could visit his claim but may not stay overnight nor can he mine or prospect there or anywhere within the national forest. Everist also says that the USFS's main complaint was that he was living on his claim without their permission and without a plan of operations.
Everist was also scheduled to appear on the Bill Meyer Show on Medford, Oregon, radio station KMED 1440 AM at 8:10AM on February 29th to talk about his arrest. However, I have not yet been able to locate an audio recording of this broadcast.
More as it happens.
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