New Hal Anthony Radio Show on 1866 Mining Law

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(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

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

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!