2021 Gold & Fish Pamphlet Released by WDFW

 

In May, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) released the latest version of its Gold and Fish pamphlet.  The 44 page booklet, that was reportedly developed without public input from the small-scale mining community, is the most restrictive set of "regulations" to ever have come out of this agency.  For all practical purposes, only "non-motorized" prospecting and mining equipment is allowed, and even that is substantially restricted.  Nevertheless, it is important to have a copy of this document—and required to have with you when working in freshwater with timing restrictions—to avoid running afoul of the rules.  To facilitate acquisition, there is a direct link to the PDF version in this blog's sidebar under "Washington State Prospecting Rules and Laws."  For convenience, the same link is presented here.