BONDING By Chuck Chase, Bonding Chairman
For those of you that send in bonds using the bonding sheet in the back of the newsletter. Please fill it out with your claim name, ORMC number, the Forest your in (WWNF or the Umitilla NF).
Some of you that send in your bond with the $3,000 bond circled when you only have a $1,500 bond previously. I hope this clears up this misunderstanding over the $1,500 and the $3,000 reclamation bond. The $1,500 reclamation bond is a general bond that is issued to miners for small disturbances. To receive this bond you have to be a member in good standing with paid up dues.
The $3,000 good miner reclamation bonds are only issued to miners that have proven themselves by reclaiming their mine sites when they had the $1,500 reclamation bond. The $3,000 bond costs 10% of the amount or $300 for the first year. And like the $1,500 bond $30 per year there after. If you wish to put in for a good miner $3,000 reclamation bond you may submit your bond sheet with your 10% remittence to the EOMA. We will check with the Forest to see if they have any problems with previous reclamation you have done in the past. We will also take into consideration other miners that recommend you for this bond.
To hold your bond in good standing you need keep it current by paying your $30 bond fee each year. When you stop paying your bond fee you need to reclaim all disturbance on your claim that you were bonded for. Remember you can’t bond if your dues aren’t current. I hope this answers questions that miners have been asking over the years.
Keep in mind this is a good will agreement between us and the Forest and can be rescinded at any time by either party. Miners that skip out on their obligation to reclaim their mine site throws their reclamation obligation responsibility back onto your friends and other miners and the EOMA to complete the reclamation obligation. Being good stewards of your mining claim fosters good will between miners and the Forest Service and keeps you mining without putting up a cash bond.
EOMA MEETINGS
Meetings are on the first Friday of the month. They are held at 1st and Auburn at the City Hall Chambers. Board meetings start at 6:00 and the general meeting starts at 6:30.
GUEST SPEAKER NEXT MEETING By Terry Drever Gee
EOMA will host the Vale BLM District Manager Donald Gonzalez at the next meeting. Donald has just recently taken over the leadership position of the Vale BLM District upon the retirement of former manager David Henderson in 2009.
At the April BLM Resource Advisory Council (RAC) meeting where the BLM District Managers and Forest Service Forest Supervisors meet each quarter with RAC (citizen) members. During a one, on one, conservation an invitation to come to a future EOMA meeting was extended and accepted by Mr. Gonzalez. Donald Gonzalez is new to his position and not well informed, from the miner’s point of view, in regard to the mining issues and challenges going on in the Baker District. We would like to present Don with a list of issues so he can come to the meeting somewhat prepared to answer your questions. The fastest way to get the issue you may be dealing with is contact Jan Alexander with the concerns you want presented at the meeting. You can get in touch with Jan at 541 446-3413 by phone or email her a alxk@ortelco.com. Your help is much appreciated. By having the information ahead of time for Don should allow everyone to have his or her turn to speak as well.
These are the meeting rules of conduct:
Be respectful
Do not interrupt while someone is speaking, wait your turn
No rude conduct or language
Be to the point and specific
Allow time for others to speak
The meeting goal is to get the issues on the table and have solutions in mind we can accomplish. Bottom line, GET MINING PLANS APPROVED AND THE MINERS WORKING. This outcome will benefit our local economy and provide needed jobs
NEXT YEAR DUES AND BOND
We decided to move the dues date back to January 1, 2011. We apologize for the conflict of changing the dues date,
SUBMIT AN ARTICLE IN THE NEWSLETTER RULES By Editor Chuck Chase
At the last meeting people inquired about articles submitted to the newsletter. If it didn’t get printed the rules below are the reason why.
1- All articles submitted need to be proofed by the Author.
2- Needs to be sent as an attachment of MS Word or Word Perfect.
3- If your article has a agenda it might or might not get printed.
4- If I have to rewrite, correct spelling, punctuate and check for grammar, probably not.
5- Article needs to be fairly short, less but not more than a half a page unless it is an important subject for the miners.
6- You can submit multiple articles, all the rules above apply.
7- If you want to use the Newsletter for your forum, the editor says NO.
If you have a interesting mining or treasure hunting story to tell, by all means send it. No limit on size of article within reason.
EOMA MEDALLIONS 2010
Just got a look at the new 2010 medallions and they are gorgeous. Our prior medallions had one small nugget in the pan. The 2010 has a pan full of gold. So don’t miss out on these medallions, we just ordered a limited number of these beauty’s so you better get your order in soon. They brought two to the last EOMA meeting almost had a fight over who was going to get the medallions. By the way Bob Heitmanek got the new medallions by jumping up and yelling “I’ll take em.
Every month we have a drawing for one our older medallions. The procedes for the drawing goes into the Oregon Miners Legal Fund. Now I’m not saying there is skullduggery going on but it seems like an awful big coincidence that Ron Anderson has won three times in a row. Congratulations Ron, with your luck I’d be in Reno going for the big one.
We are currently sold out of the 2009's and the 2008's. These medallions are going fast with silver on the rise. So get your order in now for the 2010's. Make sure you get yours before they run out.
The price on the 2010 medallions will be $30 dollars plus $2 dollar shipping. We may have to raise it again, Kim informed me that it costs three dollars to ship and insure a single medallion. Suprisingly if we ship three or four it gets cheaper.
If you have never seen our medallions, they have a gold pan with real gold nuggets in it. The new ones are even better instead of one nugget the pan is covered with gold. Pretty cool huh.
CHECK OUT OUR NEW WEB SITE
Brian Gardner has done an excellent job of putting together and maintaining the EOMA Web site. I talked to Ken Alexander and he is sorting out the procedure with Brian for EOMA members getting their log in code. With this code you will be able to list your mines, equipment, or anything else you wish to sell. The site has links to a lot of other web sites of interest to miners.
There are back newsletters that you can browse thru, along with Rants and Raves from miners that have articles concerning regulations governing mining to what they think where the gold prices will do. There is also a place to check out the current price of gold. Then there is the Miners Store with tons of items that miners need every day in their operations at low, low prices.
Also like I said there is an awful lot for sale in there from gold to mining claims, books and you name it. You can also find an application to join the Eastern Oregon Mining Association on the Web site. You can click on our 2010 Calendars, or our 2010 silver medallion featuring a miners with a gold pan full of real gold. You can order both from the order form on the web site.
We owe a debt of thanks to Brian Gardner for his diligent work putting and keeping out web site in such good condition. Brian has said we take an awful lot of hits from interested people from across the United States and beyond. That web site is the best advertising the EOMA has.
THE 2010 CALENDARS ARE IN AND THEY ARE GOING FAST
Still have some 2010 calendars left if you need one. Fill out the flyer in the newsletter to order your 2010 calendars today. If you liked the prior years, you’re sure to love this one too. The 2010 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 2010, some great operations began so don’t miss seeing some of the snapshots. Order one for your house, one for your cabin, yer out house, 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, 2008 or 2009 calendar for about five bucks apiece, plus another buck for postage – just send us a note with your completed order form and check. The 2010's are just $7.50 plus one dollar postage, or 3 for just $20. Prior issues are just $5.00 apiece plus one dollar shipping.
GUY MICHAEL LEGAL FUND
UPDATE ON THE GUY MICHAEL CASE By Guy Michael
Thank you Waldo Miners for you most generous donation to the Guy Michael Legal Fund.
As of a couple of days ago I signed an agreement with a lawyer. His name is Theodore Mahr. I met him at the Tea Party recently held in Baker City. After talking with him on the various issues that concerns miners and discussing my case against BLM, he said that he wants to help. We later sat down to go over some things about the direction I wanted to go. I am currently bringing him up to speed on some of the history of my case and the aspects of the mining law.
I felt that Fred Kelly Grant’s health was such that it would be better to not add my case to his already full load on helping local governments understand and implement coordination. After the meeting with Ted, I think that he will do a fine job for my case. I had a little over $800 to start this case and it will not be enough.
My case will be different in some ways, because my case will be charging the employees of BLM with trespassing. It was them who confiscated my equipment and interfered with my valid mining location and it was not in the course of their duty as agents for the government. Citizens of the United States have rights under the Mining Law, it is time we start challenging when the employees of the government stop recognizing current law.
This is really a bad time in some respects, because there are so many issues in line for financial help, we have several court cases already in the works; this would include the efforts against the 700PM permit, which is beginning to escalate. Should anyone wish to help support this cause or my case please send your help to EOMA and state whether it is for Guy Michael’s legal fund or the 700PM legal fund.
Finer points concerning my case will be forth coming as we prepare to file.
OREGON MINERS LEGAL FUND
Ongoing fund raisers by organizations in Oregon, principally Bob Baldwin of North Bend Prospectors, Willamette Valley Miners has been the major portion of the funds coming into the Oregon Legal Fund. Bob has organized fund raisers using EOMA silver medallions as prizes. Bob has talked other organizations into using the medallions for drawings and prizes to help raise money for the legal fund. Thanks Bob and all the rest of you that help raise money for upcoming legal problems with DEQ. If you wish to donate to the Oregon Miners Legal Fund, send your contributions to: EOMA, Oregon Miners Legal Fund, PO Box 932, Baker City, OR 97814.
We are currently running three legal funds. The Guy Michael’s Legal Fund, Our Oregon Miners Legal fund, which covers the expense of our on going litigation with DEQ and NEDC over dredging in Oregon. Our EOMA Legal fund which is a discretionary legal fund to fight or fund the unexpected. It is kind of a piggy bank in case we can’t meet our obligations in the Oregon Miners Legal Fund. These were monies that was donated to Jan Alexander by miners that were to help her with her legal expenses. They was a most generous out pouring of contributions from miners to help Jan. She had charges filed on her by DOGAMI Governing Board instigated by BLM to take Jan out, they claimed that Jan was working as a Geologist. . Jan prevailed in the case and she paid her own legal expenses and the monies in the account are essentially Jan’s. If and when we need to tap these monies Jan will have an awful lot to say about where, why and when.
When you contribute, please designate which legal fund to put it in. If you don’t designate which fund, we will put it where the fire is the hottest.
A big thanks to Bob Baldwin of North Bend Prospectors, Waldo Miners, Washington Prospectors, Joe Mann of Show Me Gold Prospectors, Kansas City, for you most generous donation....... Your continued unwavering support in these on going litigations and legal expenses are most appreciated.
OREGON MINERS MEET WITH DEQ FOR CONSULTATION Excerpts were taken from email reports by Guy Michael
The consultation meeting with the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) was held May 11, in Salem. Ed Hardt and Guy Michael attended for the EOMA. DEQ has taken a stance of having the high ground and has done this consistently throughout this whole dredge debate.
“There were several points that were brought home, several times, which reveals this new 700-PM suction dredge permit has lots of room for improvement”. The meeting which ran for a good four hours was filled with miners from all over Oregon and Washington. “Our strategy for the meeting is that while our case is pending with the Oregon Supreme Court on the 402 v. 404 permitting, we should go to this meeting to the best Illegal permit that we can get. Since this new 700 -PM permit looked like it is heading for a court challenge too. We need to give DEQ as many good reasons as possible to show that we need a permit that miners can actually meet the requirements of, otherwise we consider the over regulation as a taking”.
“Tom Kitcher, President of Waldo Mining District, as spokesman for our group, explained that we have requests for information from their office and still have no reply from DEQ with the information”.
“Our Lawyer, James Buchal pointed out that DEQ has the power to distinguish what is different between 402 and the 404 permitting even though the 402 v. the 404 is pending”. DEQ kept stating that they were only following Oregon Statutes which require regulating turbidity.
“DEQ stated that turbidity in the water column is the “pollutant” they are regulating. The miners explained that turbidity is not classified by EPA as a pollutant. It is a movement of settleable solids from the dredge material in the water that cause turbidity”.
In a power point from Jeff Boatright, Jeff explained “a report from a monitoring station in a mall California stream, which is typical to small streams in Oregon. The station collects samples when it detects change. The samples of sediment load are dried and weighed, which showed that nearly 20 thousand yards of material for the year flowed by naturally. The 4 inch suction dredge might move 2 yards per day and it would not have 10% of that dredge materia staying suspended beyond the dredge”.
The point is, “that if the stream naturally moves a load of sediment per year equivalent to 20 thousand yards and the sediment didn’t kill the fish, eggs and habitat they would already be dead. Common sense shows that sediment movement is not a detriment to the fish. The 4 inch suction dredge really could not move .0008% of the total sediment per year. The bulk of the 20,000 yards of material moved in a very short time period, and that is the spring run off”.
SB 889 TO GET CALIFORNIA MINERS DREDGE PERMIT REFUNDS Dave McCracken
The Senate Committee on Appropriations threw its full support behind refund legislation authored by Senator Sam Aanestad. The measure SB889 will allow Suction Dredge Miners to request a refund of suction dredge permits that were purchased from California Fish and Game in 2009. Senate Bill 889 now moves to the Senate Floor.
Thousands of miners followed the letter of the law by purchasing permits in 2009 that would allow them to practice suction dredge mining. A practice that was later banned during the same year by the State Legislature. Nearly 4,000 suction dredge mining permits were purchased last year according to the Department of Fish and Game and more than 3,000 permits were purchased by California residents alone. The cost of a permit for California residents is $47.00 and for out of state miners the permit fee is $185.25. In 2009, the Department collected about $250,000 from miners who were subsequently denied the right to mine.
When the State Legislature banned this activity, the miners vanished, said Senator Aanestad. They didn’t buy fuel in Northern California. They didn’t buy food. They didn’t stay in local hotels. They didn’t rent equipment. The ban resulted in lost opportunity for miners and lost jobs for Northern California.
