NOTICE: BONDING RAISES TO THIRTY ($30) DOLLARS
The Board of Directors looked at the increased libility of standing behind a bond. The Board of Directors voted to raise the bonding for the $1,500 dollar bond to $30 dollars. For miners that have had a previous $1,500 or $2,500 or higher bond the annual fee will be $30. For the first time miners applying for a $2,500 bond the fee is 10% of the bond one time fee, or $250 dollars for a $2,500 bond. There after it will be a annual fee of $30 per year. Your dues need to be current for the year you are bonding for. Your Bond and Dues Are Due At The Same Time.
A REPORT ON THE COUNTY MEETING ON COORDINATION WITH THE FOREST SERVECE By Guy Michael
Fred Kelly Grant from the Stewards of the Range came to Baker County to speak with commissioners and the public. Commissioners from Union, Wallowa, Grant and Baker were there, commissioners from Harney, Malheur and Umatilla were also invited, but could not make it. Colby Marshall, Aid to U.S. Representative Greg Walden and Wallowa Whitman District Ranger, Ken Anderson were also part of the 30 or so that showed up to hear Mr. Grant speak about coordination.
Grant said that about 50% of the land in the counties are managed by the Federal Government and what they do will affect our economic base. He then dived in explaining the responsibilities and rights, noting also that this will entail work on our part to require coordination. Congress provided coordination for local governments and it's in every natural resource Act, not cooperate, but coordinate; it's even in the Homeland Security Act.
Grant said that some counties in the past have taken it too far by considering it to mean county supremacy, but that is unconstitutional. Congress has defined what it means; the Federal Plans must be consistent with county policy. Grant recommends to the counties to adopt the old plan, if it is a good one, and require any new plan to be consistent with the county's adopted plan. Sound science requirements must be part of the plan and have any reviews by peer review of the science as needed. The counties also need a Natural Resource Committee to deal with all of the multiple use issues in the county's plan, He also said that the citizens need to support the commissioners and committee members with information and attend the committee meetings, that's the kind of work and commitment that is necessary.
I can see now, with coordination, the citizens of the counties can get accountability on the plans, projects and programs that are being introduced by the various agencies. Grant said that the agencies loose to environmental groups because they just do not write the environmental analysis properly, there are no short cuts; enviros win, not because of the merits of the plan, but because of the procedural requirements of NEPA were not followed correctly.
A question was asked about coordination with State agencies and Grant answered that several states do have coordination requirements in their statutes, Oregon does have some statutes that require it; he also said that grants are also available for expert help that maybe needed and that most counties have an economic development department that can help.
During the question and answer period, Ken Anderson, District Ranger said that you have to know what you want, we have to listen, so try and be specific. I'd say that we're off to a good start in developing a working relationship on issues like the travel management plan, a relationship where the local governments are equals in the process, not subordinate as cooperating agency status ,by itself, would require in the MOU. The counties can continue to cooperate, but not with the Forest Service in thelead agency status; we are now learning about the co-ordain-ed status with the agencies.
Grant said that coordination is a conflict resolution process, because solutions can be found that will provide for the environment and the economic stability of the citizens in the counties. This is good, because there has long been conflict between the resource users and the enviros interests. It is becoming apparent that everyone, from agencies and citizens alike, we all want an approach that works and gets things accomplished.
However, citizen participation has been poor, mainly because when resource users did participate, no one really listened and the plan or project just went on the same. But now with coordination, citizens through the county have an equal standing, their participation is not going to get the same disrespect as has happened in the past.
DREDGING NEWS FROM CALIFORNIA By Ron Brown
YREKA, Ca. -- The Siskiyou County Board of Supervisors unanimously voted Tuesday to oppose a petition by the Karuk Tribe to ban mining in Siskiyou County rivers and streams.The Karuk Tribe issued a petition asking the California Fish and Game Department to enact emergency rules forcing suction dredge miners out of rivers while a long-awaited court ordered environmental impact report on the effects of dredging on fish is completed.The Siskiyou commissioners signed a letter addressed to the Fish and Game Department that outlined it's reasons for opposing the Karuk petition, and a resolution supporting continued mining while the environmental studies are underway.
The California Environmental Quality Act is very clear that allegations of significant environmental impact must be substantially rooted in science or fact, and that is not the case with this petition, says County Natural Resources Specialist Ric Costales. 5th District Supervisor Marcia Armstrong agreed with Costales, saying that there is some indication that suction dredge mining is beneficial.California Fish and Game officials say the agency is required to issue a response to the petition by next Monday.
CALIFORNIA TAXES MINING CLAIMS By Art Sappington
Miners in California have been paying tax's on their mining claims. Art Sappington has done research in the area of the state imposing tax's or fees on mining claims. In researching Mining law books that were quoted in Shumway they clearly indicate the state can only regulate the mining grand in specific ways and can not diminish, nor impair the rights conveyed by the federal patent, but may.....exercise its police power that is not a right to tax or to require a fee. The state of California is in violation of taxing mining claims. One needs to stand and defend ones rights under law or there is no law. By Art Sappington
Back in the eighties the EOMA sued Grant County for the same violation, taxing mining claims. The EOMA prevailed in the suit and stopped the Grant County taxation of mining claims. If anybody has a electronic copy of the suit with Judges opinion pleas send me a copy to my email address... chase3285@msn.com. Either that tell me how to obtain one on line......... Editor
U.S. INTERNATIONAL, THE REAL PRICE OF GOLD By Art Sappington
The National Geographic's January issue has what has been the usual global sort of article about gold mining, written by Brook Larmer, accompanied by stunning photographs taken by Randy Olson, and predictably enough headlined The Real Price of Gold. The article's thrust is that gold mining is a dirty business with enormous costs to the environment and human health and that these costs are borne largely by poor people.
This is, of course, only half the story, and The National Geographic should tell the other half: That the environmental and health costs of gold mining can be remediated, but only with a higher price for the product; that government price suppression schemes not only impede the development of poor countries with natural resources but also push the less regulated gold mining there into the irresponsible practices cited in the National Geographic article; that gold is money and that the alternative form of money government issued currency without any direct convertibility into gold, silver, or some other valuable commodity has infinitely greater environmental and human costs that somehow never get inventoried, including much easier resort to war (such as the U.S. invasion of Iraq, which probably would not have been undertaken if it had had to have been financed by direct taxation rather than borrowing and printing, overconsumption, and the general expropriation of the producing class by the financial class).
You can find the National Geographic article on The Real Price of Gold here:
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2009/01/gold/larmer text Let's see how long we have to wait for the colorful magazine spread on The Real Price of Fiat Currency and Central Banking.
FROM CHRIS POWELL
Secretary/Treasurer, Gold Anti Trust Action Committee Inc.
2009 Vancouver Resource Investment Conference
GATA is a civil rights and educational organization based in the United States and tax exempt under the revenue Code. Its e-mail dispatches are free, and you can subscribe at
http://www.gata.org/.
NEVER MISS A BLM FILING DATE AND LOSE YOUR CLAIMS
That will never happen again with the 2009 EOMA Calendar. These wall calendars have all the important dates for filing your waivers, fees, and proofs of labor. They also include BLM's fee schedule, as well as various county, federal, and agency addresses, phone numbers, and contacts. The calendars highlight important mining meetings throughout the year, offer many great mining pictures each month for you to look at and pick out the folks and places you know, and include a pull-out section of interesting gold facts and lore. Each month also includes regular holidays, lunar phases, and space for your own remainders. These calendars are essential to those of you who have mining claims, just really neat if you like mining at all, and may offer some good education for those that don't. They make great, easy, and inexpensive gifts so grab the flyer in the newsletter and order yours now... Christmas is coming and a whole new year of birthdays and other gift giving occasions. Calendars will also be available for sale at our regular first Friday meetings held in Baker City.
MERRY CHRISTMAS TWILA COMBS AND BETTY MORRIS
An up date of the Betty and Twila on going saga. The EOMA made up the difference in the fund and paid their fees to the Forest Service. This gives Betty and Twila a year of peace from being harassed by the Forest Service. Jan Alexander has filed a Congressional Inquiry with Congressman Greg Walden and Senator Ron Wyden. We will keep the heat up on the Forest Service until we get some justes for Betty and Twila.
LATE PAYMENT OF ASSESSMENT FEES NO LONGER A CURABLE DEFECT By Jan Alexander
Miners who forget to enclose a check with their affidavit of annual assessment, or who don't pay the full amount owed, will lose their claims, starting this year. Previously, if a miner meant to pay, but forgot to put a check in the envelope, this was considered a curable defect, and all you had to do was send the money. However, a BLM Solicitor recently decided that if the correct amount was not in BLM's hands by December 30, the claims would be forfeited.
So, double check that you have enclosed $10.00/claim, along with copies of your County proofs of labor when you send in your assessment to BLM in Portland. Be sure to send these documents via certified mail.
EOMA MEETING
Come to the EOMA meeting and catch up on the latest things that are happening in upcoming mining season. The EOMA holds their meeting the first Friday of the month here in Baker City. The meetings are held in the second floor in the City Hall Chambers of the City Hall. The Eastern Oregon Mining Association (EOMA) will meet at 6:30p.m. Friday in the City Hall Chambers. All are welcome for the general meeting to learn about the association and enjoy our monthly presentation. EOMA's monthly Director's meeting will precede the general meeting and begin at 6:00p.m.)
Should be an interesting evening so come on down and see what is happening. For those of you from out of town go South on Main Street until you come to Auburn Ave. Make a right, go one block, City Hall will be on your left on the corner of 1st and Auburn.
GUEST SPEAKER
You need to attend the next meeting for sure. State Senator Ted Ferrioli will be speaking at our next meeting. We will get an idea of what is on the agenda in the next legislative session.......See you there.
THE LAST OF THE 2008 MEDALLIONS
The 2009's are here and will be here by February meeting. Ken is closing out the 2008's and informed me he has sold out of all the 2008 Silver Medallions. But.......We just got out 2009's in and they are just as pretty as the 2008's. So get a hold of Ken and let him know that you want one of these limited edition medallions. The Board of Directors hasn't set a price on them as yet. By the time you send in your order we will have the price set. They should be a little cheaper than last years. Get your order in now. Mail your check or money order to: EOMA, Medallion, PO Box 932, Baker City, OR 97814. The 2007's sell for $25 plus one dollar shipping. Don't wait too much longer, it's a real deal with silver going up and up, by next year these could be cheap.
2009 EOMA CALENDARS ARE IN !!!
In time for holiday gift giving and the new year, our Third Edition Calendar is out ! Fill out the flyer in the newsletter to order your 2009 calendars today. If you liked the prior years, you're sure to love this one too. The 2009 edition includes all the important dates, contact info, and mining facts that you've come to rely on plus a whole new array of pictures. With gold prices making history in 2008, some great operations began so don't miss seeing some of the snapshots. Order one for your house, one for your cabin, and give 'em as gifts... all year long... they're collectable ! If you missed out on the First or Second Edition of this collectable set, we may be able to come up with another 2007 or 2008 calendar for about five bucks, plus another buck for postage - just send us a note with your completed order form and check.
OREGON LEGAL FUND DONATIONS....THANK YOU
Thank you for your donations, please specify which Legal Fund you want your donation placed. We would like to thank John Caspell and also Joe Mann and the Show Me Gold Prospectors for their most generous support and donations every month. With out the support from all of you we would not be able to carry the fight on DEQ Dredging Turbidity Permit. A suit filed by Hell's Canyon Preservation Council filed as Interveners on our dredge permit, because they don't think it is stringent enough. We have counter filed in the Court of Appeals. Help us keep up the good fight.......Send your generous donations to the EOMA Legal Fund, 700 PM. A special thanks to all of you for your continued support to defend our dredging rights.
Mining Clubs and Associations across Oregon and Washington and as far away as Kansas and Missouri mining clubs and associations have formed an alliance. We are soliciting donations to defend our right to mine. If we lose it lays open all aspects of small scale
DONATIONS TO THE EOMA LEGAL FUND
Thank you for your donations, please specify which Legal Fund you want your donation placed. A big thanks to all of you for your donation to the Jan Alexander EOMA legal Fund. Although the suit against Jan has been thrown out the animosity between us, Jan and the BLM hasn't changed much. Jan has requested that monies given in her name be placed in the EOMA Legal Fund. There will be a next time, the only thing I don't know is when.
EOMA WEBSITE By Jan Alexander
The website just gets better and better. All you need to do now when you go on the internet is type in EOMA and the site comes up. It couldn't be easier, and already there is a wealth of information on the site.
HISTORIC SIGNIFICANCE OF TWILA AND BETTY'S CABINS By Jan Alexander
Twila and Betty's cabins, along with the Workman cabin that is nearby, are historic structures associated with the old town of Bates, a community that was home to several thousand Oregonians from 1889 to 1975. The Edward Hines Lumber Company closed the sawmill at Bates in 1975. The mill was dismantled, the equipment and material was sold. The 131acre town site was cleared of structures, and all that remains of the original Bates cabins are the Morris, Combs and Workman cabins, making it essential that these cabins be preserved.
DO YOU NEED TO REGISTER WITH MSHA?
For many years we have mined our small deposits without worrying about MSHA. After all, none of us hires employees, and many of us are simply in the exploration phase of our operations. Well, unfortunately, MSHA has discovered Northeast Oregon. Anyone can turn you in if you are not registered, it could be the Forest Service, BLM, or environmentalists, so all miners need to protect themselves. Ron Jacobson, head of the Boise office of MSHA, informs me that it doesn't matter if you hire employees, and it doesn't matter if you are a one man/woman operation. If you are involved in mining, and use mechanized equipment, your operation may be of interest to MSHA. Several Baker County operations are now on the MSHA roles, and a lot more will be registering before the mining season rolls around. Some operators, such as EOMP, have already contacted MSHA, and been told they are hobby mines and do not need to register. But it is up to each of you to make the call. Ron Jacobson's phone number is 208-334-1835
EOMA MINING AND PROPERTY DIRECTORY
It only costs $1.00 per month to run your ad in the EOMA newsletter. Send your ad and payment to: EOMA, Attn. Editor, PO Box 932, Baker City, OR 97814.
FUN SIDE OF MINING WITH EOMP
Lets support our sister organization, they have supported us with their membership and contributions to our legal fund. I have attended several of these and they are a lot of fun. Chuck Chase, Executive Director, EOMA (Eastern Oregon Miners & Prospectors Inc) For a $75.00 annual family membership you can mine on any of our claims all you want, any time you want, keep all you find. We will show you how if necessary. For more info write to: EOMP P.O. Box 66 Baker City, Or 97814
http://www.eomp.org
STORIES AND LEGENDS (by Carmelita Holland)
Now in a paperback at the Oregon Trail Museum and The Record Courier for $39. Some good color photos. Sewn backs on these books, a collection of historic photos.
FOR SALE: Eighty acre association placer claim on Elk Creek. Good dredging creek, for more information call 541-523-3285.
FOR SALE: Placer Mining equipment, large trommel, Contact Bert Aylward at 509-337-6744.
FOR SALE: 2 v 4 Wisconsin 4 inch pumps were running up to two years ago, both for $450. 541-856-3642.
FOR SALE: 4 placer & 1 load claims. All equipment, to include, trommel, classifier, backhoe with bucket and scoop, 5000 watt generator, dump truck, various hoses, pumps, clamps, etc. Water rights to pond, furnished log cabin and storage shed, water tank. Forest Service land. Claims only. Not patented. 541-856-3862 or 541-910-3054. $40,000. Possible terms.
