ELECTIONS 2011
Friday is elections for Officers and Board members in the EOMA. If you haven't voted and sent in your Write In Ballot yet you might consider coming down to the meeting and vote. There will be extra ballots at the meeting to pick up if you haven't voted. When you pick up a ballot your name will be checked off to make sure your dues are current and your eligible to vote. When you vote at the meeting you won't need to sign your ballot. All write in ballots have to have a signature on the ballot so we can check it off for eligibility at the meeting. After the write in ballot is checked off, the names will be removed from the ballot before it is dropped into the ballot box to respect the secrecy of your vote.
THE MOTHER OF ALL DRAWINGS
ONE HALF POUND OF GOLD, WOULDN'T THAT LOOK NICE IN YOUR PAN
The Oregon, Washington and California miners have banded together to put on probably the largest of all drawings ever. The prize list goes on and on, so read more about it in the flyers enclosed in the newsletter. There will be a drawing held this spring for a large list of prizes including an ounce of jewelers gold as top prize. At Miners Jubilee there will also be a drawing, the prize list is being compiled at this time. The real neat part about these drawings is that all the tickets sold will also be eligible for all the drawings, plus the ½ pound of gold, with a huge list if prizes. In other words if you enter in any of these draws, your tickets will be added to the next draw, and for the grand prize drawing for the ½ pound of gold, Now how's that for a deal. Each month we will add prizes, to be given away at each of these drawings. Some of the latest prize donations are a new 2009 Lambretta Motor Scooter, and a three day Mining Trip, both of these were donated by Dave Rutan, of Oregon Gold Trips, as well as a Keen Gold Concentrator and the list is getting even larger as I write this.
MEMBERSHIP DUES AND FOREST SERVICE BOND PAYMENTS ARE PAST DUE
If you have not renewed your EOMA membership and paid for your Forest Service bond under the MOU, you are late. Sit down right now and write that check, or better yet, come to the EOMA meeting March 4th at the City Hall building in Baker at 6:30PM. and pay your dues and bond fee then.
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.
EOMA 2011 MEDALLIONS
We have the 2011 medallions in and they are prettier that the 2010's. These have multiple gold pieces in the miners gold pan making them probably the most exquisite medallions we have minted so far. These medallions are currently selling for $45 dollars apiece plus $3.00 shipping and handling. Insurance costs are also extra. We have set the price at $45 dollars and will hold the price for as long as possible. But due to the volatility of the silver market at this time, these prices may be subject to change. Send in $45 plus $3.00 shipping and handling to EOMA, Medallions, PO Box 932, Baker City, OR 97814.
THE 2011 CALENDARS ARE IN AND THEY ARE GOING FAST
Just fill out the form on the back to get your new, hot off the presses 2011 calendar. It has all the dates for meetings and important information you need to keep from losing your claims. .Still have some 2010 and prior issue calendars left if you need one. Fill out the flyer in the newsletter to order your 2011 calendars today.
We also have prior years available for you collectors. There is a form at the back of the newsletter, just send it in with your remittance of 5 bucks plus $1 shipping for prior issues or $8.50 plus $1shipping for the 2011 issue. Or we will make you a special deal of three 2011 calendars for $22, how can you beat a
deal like that. We will send it right out to you.......
SB 765 TARGETS MINERS IN OREGON WITH FEES By Chuck Chase
Our esteemed Oregon Senators are conspiring to take out the small miner in Oregon. The have crafted a bill SB: 765 to charge you $50.00 to run a dredge in Oregon and have the County Recorder collect the fee. If you think that is bad they want to charge out of state miners $2,500 dollars a year to dredge or mine in Oregon.
PLEASE WRITE LETTERS SEND THEM IN TO THE EOMA
We are asking you to use the talking points below and write a letter to your state legislators. Start your letters with: Dear Representative, and a duplicate letter starting Dear Senator, that way we can send it to all the key Senators and Representatives. Use the talking points listed and sign both of your letters and send it to: EOMA, PO Box 932, Baker City, OR 97814. We will duplicate your letter and send it to key Senators and Representatives in our state legislature. For each letter you write it could generate around 30 copies going to Salem and on the desks of your legislators.
WHEN YOU WRITE YOUR LETTER, PLEASE REQUEST YOUR LETTER BE PUT IN THEIR OFFICE FILE FOLDER FOR A PUBLIC RECORD AGAINST SB 765. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT AND IS USED WHEN A BILL COMES BEFORE A COMMITTEE HEARING. THIS BILL HAS TO BE STOPPED.
TALKING POINTS TO WRITE YOUR LETTER FROM
1- Makes Counties tax collectors for the State.
2- Imposes unreasonable fees for miner who live out of State.
3- Shutting down Recreational Dredge Mining, shutting down revenue that would be generated for the State.
4- State licence is not good in any other county, only in the county it is purchased in.
5- Turns the County Clerks office into a licence bureau for the State.
6- Puts a burden on county Clerks to make a distinction between Recreation and Wild and Scenic permits.
8- Singled out miners, exempting everybody else from the unreasonable fees, fines and prison terms.
EOMA WEB SITE
If you haven't logged into the EOMA Web Site you really need to. Everything has been updated and the missing newsletters are now in the archives. We have a long way to go on advertising membership log ins. Also we need to have pictures and tickets for our drawing for the ½ pound of gold. The Wed Site is coming along thanks to Ken Alexander who has been doing the updating, Thanks Brian and Ken for all you do for the EOMA.
OREGON MINERS LEGAL FUND
A big thanks to the Mining Organizations that support the current on going litigation. Waldo Miners, High Desert Treasure Club, Bed Rock Prospectors, Willamette Valley Miners, N.W. Prospetors Club, PCPA, and Millennium Diggers.
Your continued unwavering support in these ongoing litigations and legal expenses are most appreciated. Also to you Bob Baldwin and Theo Stanley of the North Bend Prospectors for your donation of a 10 ounce silver bar for our drawings.
Single donors are: Valley Metal and Heating, Larry Chase, Ed Hardt, Delbert Mc Glothen, Beverly Chadwick, Robert Wiley, Omer Vandehey, Thom and Jette Seal, and Carol Prescott. If I missed anybody please accept my apology's. The donations have been coming in and if you fell thru the cracks I am sorry.
UPDATE ON EOMA'S LITIGATION OF THE 700 PM DREDGE Permit By Guy Michael
This month is just as eventful as last month. Before the judge moved the enviros case to Marion County, it also ruled that EOMA could intervene in the NEDC case against Oregon Dept. of Environmental Quality's 700 PM permits. However, EOMA has opposed any intervention in its case against DEQ on the same permit. The primary reason is that we believe that the enviros do not have standing to even file against the permit, because they do not own any property interests as the placer miner does. They are merely third party interests trying to claim standing to sue based on possible governments standing to issue the permit in the first place.
This is the same reason the recent case in the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals, where 'The Wilderness Society' lost its case against Kane County, Utah on RS 2477 right of ways in the proposed wilderness study area and in the wilderness area itself in Utah, just decided January 11, 2011. Needless to say, this is one area of concern, which EOMA has, in our case against DEQ and one battle we need to make before getting to the real issues in our case over the placer mining permit for the suction dredge.
This month our lawyer sent out questionnaires to the several enviros groups that have recently jumped on board, by these state court subpoenas we are asking for documentation from them that will prove how the issuing of this permit will damage any property interest they may have, or any financial interests invested. We want documentation to prove whether they have more than an abstract conservation interest. We also sent state court subpoenas to DEQ, the U.S Army Corps, and U.S. EPA Region 10.
While the Corps has returned some documents and trying to show themselves helpful, but uncommitted to be involved, EPA and in part Oregon DEQ are objecting all together. EPA has flatly refused to comply with our state court subpoena, but is willing to submit some documents under the Freedom of Information Act. It is the same U.S Assistant Attorney General for Oregon, prosecutor on the four Forest Service Cases currently in the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals that is advising it will motion to quash our subpoena if we refuse to withdraw it.
So here is another battle that we cannot let go by us, before we can get to the real issues of the permit. We are trying to establish a factual record that our case can rely on. Besides, Congress amended the statute, long ago, to state: 'This section does not authorize withholding information from the public or limiting the availability of records to the public.' (5 USC 301) We feel that it is intolerable that citizens cannot obtain documents based on federal agency officials' declarations that producing documents is not in the interests of the agency.
We want the analysis for the reasons why EPA chose to address suction dredging under Section 402 of the Clean Water Act and not follow the 404 process. This is within the category of, not only EPA's interest, but also under the category of accountability to the public and to Congress to explain the analysis for its decisions and policies.
DEQ, for the most part is following EPA recommendations and policies as stated in Oregon Law. It is required to implement 'regulations' of the federal agencies concerning the CWA, (ORS 468B.030). How EPA reached the interpretations it has for in-stream placer mining activity under the Act cannot deprive litigants against agents of the State, which absolutely rely on EPA determinations.
Just a couple of days ago, we sent a letter to Representative Greg Walden, we're asking for help to require EPA to comply with our lawful subpoena. Greg will probably talk about it and other issues with the federal agencies BLM and the Forest Service at his Town Hall meeting here in Baker City on Monday, Feb. 21 2011.
JIMMY DORSEY OF THE GOLD RUSH ALASKA TV SERIES- By Jan Alexander
For those of you who missed the last meeting, Jimmy's presentation, delivered to a standing room only crowd, was quite enjoyable. He told stories about the show and how he finally split with his partners. Jimmy told the miners that he wants to depict mining as a legitimate industry, and wants to show how difficult it is to actually get to mine.
After a short presentation, Jimmy opened the meeting up to questions. When asked about permits, he said the group in Gold Rush Alaska had all permits, processed on private land and mined on State land. The agencies all knew what they were doing, but of course, because they must please their viewers, the show depicted the miners as renegades, just doing their thing without permitting.
Miners expressed concern that the show makes the miners out to be idiots. Jimmy told us 'the script was changed three times'. Finally he couldn't take it and decided to branch off with two of his partners. Their intent is to do a series about lode mining, and he hopes to find the right property in NE Oregon. Jimmy stated that in order to gain an audience, the series must show the dangers and difficulties but also show that mining is a serious business. The theme of the show will be scripted around lode mining supporting three families.
Jimmy said that he had around 150 people who had contacted him wanting to partner with him, and a lot of properties had been offered for the show.
FOREST SERVICE BOND REDUCED By Jan Alexander
Ken and I met with Meg Doolittle and Mike Hall to go over the bond for our small scale mining operation. Ken explained how we mine, how material is stockpiled, where it is stockpiled and how he puts it back. We discussed everything from equipment rates of production to seeding costs. I brought some pictures to illustrate mining and reclamation methods.
The bottom line is, that our bond was reduced to well within the EOMA $3,000 bond, and in the end may fall in the $1,500 bond category. Don't just accept the bond amount that the Forest Service sends you. No one wants to see excessive bonds putting miners out of work. The Forest Service does not know how you mine unless you take the time to tell them.
SAD HAPPENINGS ON THE BURNT RIVER By Jan Alexander
The old Don J claim on the Burnt River will never be the same. The neat as a pin sight at the end of the cable bridge, with its cabin and outbuildings will soon be gone. Idaho Power cut the power to the site last week, the buildings are empty and all that remains to be done is to remove them.
The Bureau of Land Management regulations are not cabin friendly. Under an exploration Notice, miners are prohibited from using structures, not even for storage. The miners at the Don J were authorized by BLM to bring in travel trailers during the mining season, and had hopes of using the cabin when their Plan of Operation was approved. But that is not happening. Their Plan was submitted to BLM in 2007, but with four other Plans submitted before the Don J Plan, and all those plans still awaiting approval, the Don J miners had lost hope that their Plan would ever be approved.
When BLM sent the miners a Decision letter which included a huge increase in their bond and bonding for the cabin they could not use, they just gave up. I did sit down with BLM, and we were able to reduce the bond considerably, but it was just too little too late.
The claim is still a good claim, the gold is still there in the highbars, and someone else will mine this site in the future. But the history is gone. The casual viewer driving down the Burnt River Canyon road will not even realize that families lived and mined at the Don J since the 1920s. But those who look more closely, may still notice the quartz rock fences, the apple orchard and the lilacs growing wild now where once they nestled against the cabin walls.
EOMA FILES TWO CONGRESSIONAL INQUIRIES By Jan Alexander
EOMA sent Representative Greg Walden two letters requesting help for Northeast Oregon miners. The first letter concerned BLM's lack of progress in approving Plans of Operation. The Don J mining operation is a casualty of this inaction on BLM's part.
The second letter to Representative Walden concerned the Forest Service and that agency's lack of action approving Plans of Operation. The letter also requested help in convincing the Forest Service to stop the practice of lumping all mining operations in a watershed into one huge EIS. Northeast Oregon is desperate for jobs, and every plan that is approved means jobs for our local miners.
MSHA NEW MINER TRAINING AND 8 HOUR REFRESHER By Jan Alexander
Mark your calendars for Friday and Saturday, March 4-5, 2011, for the Mine Safety and Health (MSHA) new miner training. The 8 hour annual refresher will be on the second day, March 5, 2011. The classes will be held at the 5 J District Office building in Baker City located at 4th and Broadway. The class begins at 8:00AM each day and runs until about 4:00PM. Ed Sinner is the instructor. This is a worthwhile course for anyone involved with mining, whether it's placer or lode. It is required training if you plan to work at a mine. There is a $10.00 charge for the class.
If you can't make this one, there will be another annual refresher next month. Call Jan Alexander for information at 541-446-3413.
BUY AMERICAN By Thom Seal
The whole world is afraid of China-made 'black hearted goods'. Can you differentiate which one is made in Taiwan or China ? If the first 3 digits of the barcode are 690, 691 or 692, the product is MADE IN CHINA. 471 is Made in Taiwan .
This is our right to know, but the government and related departments never educate the public, therefore we have to RESCUE ourselves. Nowadays, Chinese businessmen know that consumers do not prefer products 'MADE IN CHINA ', so they don't show from which country it is made. However, you may now refer to the barcode - remember if the first 3 digits are:
690-692 ... then it is MADE IN CHINA
00 - 09 ... USA & CANADA
30 - 37 ... FRANCE
40 - 44 ... GERMANY
471 ... Taiwan
49 ... JAPAN
50 ... UK
BUY USA & CANADIAN MADE by watching for '0' at the beginning of the number.
We need every boost we can get!
FUN SIDE OF MINING WITH EOMP
Lets support our sister organization, they have supported us with their membership and contributions to our legal fund. You can scope out EOMP at www.eomp.org check em out. They have a lot of fun scraping and digging for that elusive yellow metal.... 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 need to do is join our organization and start enjoying all the fun of digging for that yellow metal.You mine all you want, any time you want, and keep all the gold that you find.
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