PLP Update

August 2021 by Scott Harn

Public Lands for the People completed their annual raffle and the results are listed on page 34 or on their website.

PLP continues to assist members who wish to utilize a suction dredge in California for reclamation purposes. There are certain steps that must be followed to comply with regulations and to qualify under reclamation guidelines, so they’ve been busy answering questions following an in-the-water demonstration they conducted for members last month.

The reclamation plan will likely remain the only pathway to dredging in California unless/until there is a change in administration at either the state or federal level. We were making headway in Washington, DC, in meetings with members of Congress, to get reasonable regulations established at the federal level, but a change in administration stymied those efforts. We will reassess the situation after the elections next year.

At the state level, there’s a possibility that California Governor Newsom could be removed and replaced during his upcoming recall election, which will be held in September. In California, the governor appoints all the members of the State Water Board, and a change in leadership could provide the opportunity for replacement of those board members who are ideologically against all forms of mining, including suction dredging.

Federal legislation would be preferable, as it could provide consistent, reasonable regulations across all states.

by Scott Harn

MMAC Update

January 2017
We will be bringing the first of several bills that were requested by Congress during a previous MMAC trip and presenting maps depicting all the MMAC-assisted Mining Districts.

PLP Update

May 2021

Now they have come up with a second guide (to be released on May 1) that they believe will allow dredgers in California to resume working.

What's All This Talk About Mining Districts?

April 2015
The main problem with the current scheme is that regulatory agencies often consult with you, then disregard your concerns and do what they want anyway.

PLP Update

June 2019

Rep. Grijalva (D-Arizona) assumed chairmanship of the House Natural Resources Committee after Democrats took control of the House. He introduced Mining Law Reform legislation that would set us back decades…

Mining Districts and Community Outreach

December 2016
You have made your presence known with the BLM or Forest Service, placed Mining District signs along the entrance points to your district, and found support with other local miners. But how do you gain popular support?

PLP Update

February 2023

Time To Head To Quartzsite

Update on MMAC & PLP

May 2015

I’ve fielded a few questions following several articles we published last month on the creation of the Minerals and Mining Advisory Council (MMAC) and the return to traditional mining districts. Some of those questions have been very good and I’m going to answer them here for the benefit of all our readers.

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