Forest Service Loots Property From Mining Claim

The South West Oregon Mining Association (SWOMA) website contains yet another report of a miner being victimized by "gangster government" in the form of the U.S. Forest Service (USFS).

The miner in this case is Mark Hepfner of Sacramento, California, and the crime is the larceny of his personal property from the Golden Eagle claim which he owns.  A few of the many items stolen include "water pumps, sluice boxes, a wheel barrow, hoses, tools, wet suits, a winch, tents, sleeping bags, air mattresses, stove, pots and pans, coffee pot, tarps, rope, and all the other things that are typically used by a miner."

Complete details regarding this latest outrage may be found at the link here.

The article includes contact information for a list of USFS officials for miners who wish to complain to those responsible for this felonious act and demand that Hepfner's property be returned.  So far, according to the article, the local sheriff's office and the FBI have failed to respond to Hepfner's criminal complaints.

Higher Claim Fees Coming This Year

Via SWOMA comes word from the Northwest Mining Association that BLM is implementing a new fee structure for placer mining claims that would result in substantially higher annual maintenance fees for claims larger than 20 acres.  Instead of paying $140 per claim as in the recent past, holders of unpatented placer claims will have to shell out $140 for each 20 acres or fraction thereof on each claim.  Under this system, a 160 acre association placer claim would incur an annual fee of $1120.  It does appear, however, that the small miner waiver will remain in place, allowing a claim holder with not more than 10 claims to sign a form that eliminates the need to pay the annual fee.

The new fee structure will apply to the maintenance fees due September 1, 2012.

The SWOMA article, linked below, also reports on provisions included in the Obama Administration's Fiscal Year 2013 Budget Report that, if implemented by Congress, would essentially repeal the federal mining laws, effectively leaving miners at the mercy of federal resource management agencies.

For complete details on the above matters, please read the SWOMA article at the link here.