EASTERN OREGON MINING ASSOCIATION APRIL 2012 Newsletter Volume 271
President...........................................Maureen Anderson.............................541-786-3983 Executive Director...............Chuck Chase.......541-523-3285..............Fax 541-523-3285 Director of Governmental Affairs...............Terry Drever Gee .................. 541-523-6228 Editors.......Chuck Chase ……541-523-3285 ...and… Jan Alexander........541-446-3413 Mineral Policy Director...................................................Jan Alexander......541-446-3413 EOMA INTERNET ADDRESS: http://www.h2oaccess.com/
EASTERN OREGON MINING ASSOCIATION MEETING TIME AND PLACE The meetings are held on the first Friday of the month. The next meeting is Friday, April 6, at the Baker City Hall. The building is located at 1st and Auburn Streets in Baker City. The Board meeting starts at 6:00PM, and the general meeting starts at 6:30pm.
FROM THE DESK OF THE PRESIDENT - Maureen S. Anderson
Whew...what a long weekend! The GPAA Gold and Treasure Show was fantastic and exhausting!! The attendance was 1,969 on Saturday and 1,244 on Sunday...according to GPAA officials...that was a RECORD for the Salem, OR show!! The attendants were very responsive and appreciative of all of EOMAs efforts to protect mining in Oregon. You could have heard a pin drop as we drew ticket after ticket for the final prizes INCLUDING the 1/2 Pound of Gold!! The GRAND PRIZE winner was Earl Niznik from Ohio. Unfortunately...he didnt answer his phone when Tom tried to call him...would have been fun to hear the screams from Ohio!! Overall, it was a very worthwhile event and I will be bringing a couple of additional fundraising ideas to our next EOMA meeting, courtesy of Dave Rutan! A big THANK YOU to all who not only purchased tickets, but helped get the word out and keep the ball rolling!!
THE RAFFLE FOR THE ½ POUND OF GOLD IS NOW OVER! The final drawing was held March 25th at the GPAA gold show in Salem. Eastern Oregon Mining Association and the Waldo Mining District gives everyone a big THANK YOU for their generous support in our case to get a reasonable suction dredge permit! Unfortunately, the legal fees keep on growing and we still need your support. We will be discussing at our meeting April 6th how we are going to continue funding this case. List of Prize WinnersGRAND PRIZE: 1/2 Pound of Gold – Earl Niznik from Orwell, OH 1ST PLACE: 2009 Lambretta Motor Scooter-James McCary, Dayton, WA 2ND PLACE: 3 Day Trip for Two to “Wine’s Camp”-Herb Gunn, Stevenson, WA 3RD PLACE: 2 Dwt. Placer Gold-Bud Rosenblatt, Cave Junction, OR 4TH PLACE: 1 Dwt. Placer Gold-Don Grimes, Roseburg, OR 5TH PLACE: 1Oz. EOMA Silver Medallion-George Haymans, Natchez, MS 6TH PLACE: Book Researching & Locating Mining Claims- Johnathan Ray Colorado Springs, CO MSHA NEW MINER TRAINING-APRIL 19-20, 2012 -Jan Alexander Due to the demand, Ed Sinner has agreed to give one more New Mining Training session on Thursday, April 19 and Friday April 20. The two day training will be held at the Baker City Library, 2400 Resort Street (next to the park) starting at 8:00AM each day. The cost is $10/person for each day of training.
The Boise office of MSHA is requiring that Ed keep his class size at 30 or fewer students. To comply with this requirement, Ed has asked me to keep a sign-up sheet. Please call Jan at 541-446-3413 to pre-register for the class.
MSHA ANNUAL REFRESHER-APRIL 21, 2012 -Jan Alexander There will be an annual refresher for miners who have taken the new miner training in past years. Ed Sinner will be our instructor. This class will also be held at the Baker City Library, 2400 Resort Street. The training will begin at 8:00AM. The cost is $10/person. Please call Jan at 541-446-3413 to pre-register for the class.
ELECTION RESULTS The results of the March election for Officers and Directors are as follows: EXECUTIVE BOARD President: Maureen Anderson - 36 votes, Ken Alexander -1 vote Executive Director: Chuck Chase - 32 votes Vice President: Ken Alexander - 33 votes, Scott Guthrie - 1 vote Corresponding Secretary: Bob Heitmanek - 32 votes Recording Secretary: Carmelita Holland - 32 votes Director of Govt. Affairs: Terry Drever Gee - 33 votes Mineral Policy Director: Jan Alexander - 33 votes Sergeant-At-Arms Jerry Florence - 33 votes
BOARD OF DIRECTORS Scott Guthrie - 29 votes Les Sissel - 29 votes Ron Anderson - 29 votes Bobbie Danser - 29 votes Becky Guthrie - 29 votes Craig Monpas - 29 votes Leon Dale - 29 votes Keith Magnuson - 29 votes There were a total of 37 votes cast
OREGON MINERS LEGAL FUND-Chuck Chase Big thanks to the Mining Organizations that continue to support the current ongoing litigation. Special thanks to those that bought tickets to support the Dredge Suit. A real big thanks to Dave Rutan, Oregon Gold Trips,llc, Chetco River Gold & Exploration,llc, and Tom Kitchar for their generous contributions of prizes for the raffle. If I missed anybody who personally donated to our ongoing litigation, please accept my apologies. Send me an email or a note and we will acknowledge you in the next newsletter. UPDATE F.S. RECLAMATION BONDS -Jan Alexander The Forest Service still does not want to calculate bonds based on local rates, but miners must request that this be the way their bonds are calculated. Local rates for a D6 cat are $95/hour. The Forest Service is using production figures of 300 cubic yards pushed 50 feet in one hour, and a rate of .45 acres scarified in one hour. You can use these figures to compute your own bond so you are ready if the Forest Service is incorrect in their calculation. Using local rates, if you keep your reclamation ongoing with the mining, most bonds should come in under $1500, which is the amount of bond each operator is guaranteed under the EOMA general MOU with the Forest Service. The problem now is that bonds all have additional costs not covered under the EOMA bond. All bonds have two days of weed treatment at $478, even if there are no weeds present on your claims. If there are weeds, most of these small sites could be treated in a couple of hours at most. If you remove any trees at all, they add $302 to buy 500 seedlings, and they add $239 for a full day to plant them. Most of our mining sites are so small that they will reseed naturally, so this is worst case scenario bonding, which is not legal under the regulations. Also, they add $287 for contract administration. This must be to pay for overtime, since minerals staff are already paid to do administration. These costs should be calculated at a much lower site specific rate. EOMA will help you work through any bonding issues. But bottom line is, you need to know how you plan to mine your claim, and how you plan to reclaim. The smaller you keep the “footprint” of your operation, the lower your bond should be. If you want assistance in calculating your bond amount call Jan Alexander at 541-446-3413.
“CRITICAL AND STRATEGIC MINERALS”- Maureen Anderson(NWMA Convention) In 1947, we had the House Mining & Minerals Committee. In 1994, we had the National Defense Reserve & US Bureau of Mines. In 2011, we have neither… As of this moment, there is NO list of critical and strategic minerals and NO clear definition of key elements. For instance, consider the facts about just one Rare Earth Element- Cobalt. The US consumes 60% of all of the high-purity cobalt mined in the world. This cobalt is CRITICAL to a multitude of industries, including: wind turbines, tires, magnets, batteries, jet engines, etc. With 94-97% of ALL global rare earth production coming from China, the need for US exploration and mineral development is NOT just about jobs; it’s about our ability to maintain our current technology, not to mention technological advancement. As of 2015, China’s plan is to NO LONGER export these rare earths. Only 6 Universities in the US offer focused education on rare earths. Only 1 Mine in the Western Hemisphere is providing rare earths and there are no separation plants. There are currently 9 bills in Congress calling for MORE studies on critical minerals, but no bills currently being debated that would accelerate exploration and/or production. A total of 293 (Non-Chinese) companies MAY have found deposits, but are not currently able to fully explore their findings. Needless to say, there is a HIGH NEED for an accelerated and streamlined permitting process in order to explore and develop rare earth mineral mining in the United States! EOMA COMMENTS BLM-RMP - Jan Alexander EOMA submitted comments on the Draft BLM Resource Management Plan. If we had not submitted comments, we would not have a say in the final decision and would not have the right to appeal if our concerns were not satisfied. EOMA’s comments included our concerns about the road closure proposal on public lands with no legal public access, since this is a completely negative, unworkable, and largely unenforceable idea. Other concerns were that the RMP proposes to close roads to mineral access if the miner has failed to identify the road during the RMP process, and the fact that the RMP does not recognize that miners have a statutory right to access to prospect and mine. Designating ACECs and RNAs (sensitive areas) where access is closed or restricted will negatively affect future mining in the RMP area. Prospecting off road using ATVs is a common mining practice. Buckets, shovels, picks, metal detectors must all be hauled to the target site. It would not be reasonable to restrict miners to prospecting along open roads. The RMP also does not recognize the granted rights from the Law of 1866 concerning RS2477 rights of way, which are valid county roads. The RMP proposes withdrawal from mineral entry portions of ACECs that have mineral potential, and for Oregon Trail sites at Flagstaff Hill, Straw Ranch, and Echo Meadows. Withdrawing mineralized areas from mineral entry will negatively affect miners, and the BLM proposal to withdraw these areas from mineral entry does not comply with the National Minerals Policy Act which requires BLM to facilitate the orderly development of the minerals resources, not lock them up. EOMA also expressed their concern about the use of “recreation” in the draft RMP when referring to the mining industry. Mining is an industry, is in no way recreational, and is conducted as a statutory right.
THE MORE YOU DIG From NWMA News Bulletin The More You Dig is a non-profit campaign created by the Northwest Mining Association aimed at educating you about the importance of mining in your daily life and the US economy. This site can be a valuable tool for teachers and students to learn more about our need for mining and minerals. The site also has a variety of interesting information about minerals and mining for anyone. Check out the newly redesigned www.themoreyoudig.com website.
PLEASE RENEW YOUR EOMA MEMBERSHIP AND FOREST SERVICE BOND PAYMENTS NOW
If you have not renewed your EOMA membership, and paid for your Forest Service bond under the MOU for 2012, you are late! Sit down right now and write that check, or better yet, come to the EOMA meeting April 6, 2012 at Baker City Hall building at 6:30PM and pay your dues and bond fee then.
F.S. RELEASES THEIR ROAD CLOSURE PLAN- Jan Alexander The Forest Service may have thought we had all forgotten about the illegal road closure plan, but they were completely wrong. Citizens of NE Oregon are furious about this onerous plan. They are not giving up their right to drive in their National Forests without a fight. EOMA provided comments on the Travel Management Plan (TMP) when it came out in draft form. Our comments concerned the fact that the TMP is not legal under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), since it does not tier to the access friendly 1990 Wallowa-Whitman National Forest Resource Plan (Forest Plan). The Forest Service simply cannot write a legal TMP until it has revised the Forest Plan. They sort of put the cart before the horse. The Forest Service has put too much money into this flawed plan to admit that it is not legal, but the simple fact is, their TMP is an illegal document. EOMA also commented that the Forest Service must recognize RS2477 rights of way. They refused to do this. Thus, our plan is to appeal these two areas of the TMP. One bright spot was that our comments concerning the TMP’s requirement that miners would have to have an approved Plan of Operation before they could use an ATV off-road for prospecting were listened to. The TMP was actually changed. Page 1-46 states “The statement “exploration and prospecting operations would not require motor vehicle access unless approved in a Plan of Operation” (DEIS p. 292) is in error and will be removed from the FEIS.
ROADLESS RULE From NWMA News Bulletin As we previously reported, a three judge panel on the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals overturned a Wyoming federal courts decision from 2008 that blocked the 2001 Clinton Roadless Rule. Wyoming Governor Matt Mead subsequently directed the State of Wyoming to petition for an en banc review of the decision. The full 10th circuit last month denied an en banc rehearing of the case. In response to that decision, Governor Mead said the state will appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. The path chosen by Wyoming to get to the Supreme Court - a writ of certiorari - may be a long-shot. Four justices must agree to hear a case even before the Court takes it up. The Court usually accepts only about one percent of such writs. As weve said before, locatable minerals activities under the 1872 Mining Law should not be impacted by the rule. In fact, the 10th circuit opinion states that the Roadless Rule would not prohibit reasonable access to explore and develop locatable minerals, as such rights are guaranteed by the Mining Law. However, based on how the U.S. Forest Service has handled road construction for locatable minerals since the Roadless Rule was promulgated, road construction will undergo more scrutiny and there likely will be efforts to minimize road construction or require helicopter or other non-road access for exploration.
“The timber, water, pasture, mineral, and other resources of the forest reserves are for the use of the people.” quote from Forest Service’s 1905 Use of the National Forest Reserves HIGH-TECH DEMAND SPARKS RETURN OF COBALT MINES Summary posted by Meridian on 9/1/2011 Source: MIT Technology Review Author(s): Alison Snyder The United States is the world’s largest consumer of cobalt, but mines none of it. The metal’s crucial role in energy and communications technologies is, however, about to change that. The first U.S. mine dedicated to producing cobalt is set to open in Idaho next year. Currently, the U.S. relies on imports of refined cobalt from China, Norway, Russia and Canada; and indirectly from mines in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia. The rechargeable batteries for wireless devices and hybrid cars require cobalt, as do catalysts for refining gasoline, and “super-alloy” metals for use in aircraft engine compressors, combustion chambers, and turbines. Other cobalt mining operations are expected to open in other parts of the U.S., as well as in Canada and Australia. Applications to mine the ocean floor, where another billion tons of cobalt may exist, are also in the works. Supply is not currently a concern, and prices are expected to remain relatively low, but as the demand for cobalt increases, especially in lithium-ion batteries, which require 10 times more cobalt than lithium, the projections could change. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, \In the next few years, global increases in supply from existing producers and new projects are forecast to outpace increases in consumption.\ Still, the high-purity cobalt needed in super-alloys and prosthetics is harder to obtain, and China’s refined cobalt often does not meet the standards needed for these applications – one reason why domestic mines have a financial incentive to produce high-purity cobalt. The original article may still be available at http://www.technologyreview.com/computing/38458/
(this link leads to a critical article which assists to outline the argument that even cobalt that is scheduled to be mined in this country is not being mined by US companies, but rather by foreign companies, who then create products to import to the US! Why are we NOT mining our OWN minerals for our own usage and creating AMERICAN jobs?)
WOMEN’S MINING COALITION D.C. FLY-IN From NWMA News Bulletin The Womens Mining Coalitions (WMC) 20th Annual Fly-In to Washington, D.C. will take place May 6-11, 2012. This is a great opportunity for the members of WMC to introduce themselves, our industry, and their organization to the new and returning members of Congress. All women working in the mining industry are encouraged to participate in this years Fly-In. WMC is soliciting sponsorship for costs related to participants and Congressional receptions, printing-related expenses, and staff expenses. If you or your company is interested in becoming a sponsor or if you would like more information, including a tentative itinerary, email Lynne Volpi, WMC Coordinator, at lvolpi@frontiernet.net.
GRATER SAGE-GROUSE UPDATE From NWMA News Bulletin As previously reported, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) announced their intent to prepare EISs and supplemental EISs to evaluate greater sage-grouse conservation measures in land use plans in 10 western states. The notice initiated a public scoping process to determine relevant issues relating to the conservation of the greater sage-grouse and its habitat that will influence the scope of the environmental analysis and guide the process for developing the EISs and supplemental EISs. The sage-grouse is the \spotted owl\ on steroids for the mining industry, with severe adverse impacts on all phases of the industry. As an example of the far-reaching impacts sage-grouse conservation efforts can have, take a look at the BLM/U.S. Forest Service sage-grouse habitat map for the State of Nevada, as well as the Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) habitat categorization map. Unfortunately, there is very little on-the-ground information contributing to the maps. In fact, NDOW has acknowledged there is only a 40% confidence level in the accuracy of the map in western Nevada, yet management decisions affecting multiple-use projects will be based on these maps. We already are starting to see impacts to development projects from the BLMs Instruction Memoranda intended to provide direction for the management of greater sage-grouse habitat while the agency works on updating multiple land use plans. Projects such as a wind energy project on the Idaho/Nevada border and oil and gas leases in Nevada are being deferred until Resource Management Plan updates are completed. NWMA supports taking measures to avoid an Endangered Species Act (ESA) listing for the sage-grouse, but the conservation measures proposed by the Sage-grouse National Technical Team are draconian, focusing on limiting or restricting the use of federal public lands, including mandatory withdrawal from mineral entry for core habitat areas and validity exams for pre-existing claims in those areas. For the purposes of this planning effort, the BLM has divided the greater sage-grouses range into a Rocky Mountain and Great Basin Region. The Rocky Mountain Region includes Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, northeastern Utah, and Wyoming. The Great Basin Region includes northeastern California, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, and most of Utah, with a small portion of southwestern Montana. WORLD EXPLORATION TRENDS REPORT From NWMA News Bulletin The Metals Economics Group issued their World Explorations Trends 2012 report which finds nonferrous metals exploration spending more than doubling from 2009 to an all-time high of $18.2 billion in 2011. Latin America, with 25% of worldwide exploration spending in 2011, remained the most popular exploration destination, while Canada at 18% is still number two on the list. Despite its large mineral endowment, the United States continues to attract only 8% of worldwide exploration spending. UPDATE-EOMA’S CASE AGAINST DEQ SUCTION DREDGE PERMIT- Guy Michael
One would think we could just go to court and show that National Pollution Control (NPDES) permits, that invite third party lawsuits, and come with huge fines for every aspect of dredging, are the wrong permit for our benign, in-stream mining activity. But this is not how the legal system works. Tom Kitchar, President of Waldo Mining District has been designated as the person to collect all of the scientific studies available on suction dredging, and I am helping him in this work. We have been reading and evaluating each of these studies, to determine which ones are relevant to our lawsuit. Pertinent studies will be provided to DEQ, since the agency does not appear to be aware of the effects of suction dredge mining. The studies we are finding back up our assertion in our complaint that suction dredging does not damage the stream habitat and “may even help it”. We have found studies supporting our case that were conducted by EPA, the Corps of Engineers, and the Siskiyou National Forest Service. Oregon was one of several states that paid for some of these studies, yet since the studies support our case, the State appears to have forgotten about them. We recently received four disks from the National Environmental Defense Counsel (NEDC) which they say support their request for standing (that is, they assert that they have substantial interest to file a case). This is interesting, since to our knowledge, none of them have had a permit, nor have any of them had property damaged by suction dredge mining from the issuing of the permit. I just finished reviewing the first disk, which had about 350 to 400 documents, I actually lost count. Most of it was old copies of the BLM LR2000 information of just about every mining claim in Oregon and who owns that claim. There is no doubt that NEDC is studying who has claims and where these claims are located. There were also documents pertaining to each miner who has received an individual suction dredge permit.
The work is tedious, but it is necessary to complete all these reviews and submittals before our cases can be tried in a court of law. We are actually preparing for two trials. First, we won the right to intervene in the NEDC case; here we allege that the NEDC has no standing. The second case is against DEQ’s decision to issue an illegal permit based wrongly, because the facts in the studies show that the activity does not damage the stream’s habitat.
DUES, BONDS, MEDALLIONS, CALENDARS, and CHECKS
Please make separate checks for dues and bonds, they go into different accounts. It gets difficult to make change back and forth between the bonding fund and the general fund. It really gets fun when you guys order calendars, medallions and pay your dues and bonds all with one check. So please take pity on the guys trying to keep the accounts straight and make out separate checks..... Thanks….the Treasurer...
EOMA CALENDARS FOR 2012 The Calendar is better than last years and at the same price. So order your calendar now for the price of $7.50 each, or three for $21 bucks, plus a buck each for shipping. There is an order form in the back of the newsletter. If you’re using an old newsletter order form just mark out the 2011 and put in 2012 calendar.....
PLANS of OPERATION SUBMITTED AFTER the NF EIS -Jan Alexander If you submitted a POO and it was too late to include in the NFBR analysis, be sure to let Ranger Tomac know. Your Plan may have been filed away and they may have forgotten that you submitted it. The EIS covers the whole watershed. If a miner has submitted a POO describing an operation that is similar to those approved under the EIS, the new operation can tier to the EIS. Theoretically, it should be a swift process to approve these additional Plans.
EOMA SILVER MEDALLIONS We received seven 2011 medallions returned by Tom Kitchar. So you have one last chance to buy a 2011 before the regular supply is gone. We still have a good stock of 2012 medallions with real gold nuggets in the pan. These medallions are currently selling for $50 apiece plus $5 shipping, handling, and insurance. Due to the volatility of the silver market, these prices are subject to change. You can order one from the EOMA website, or send in $50 plus $5.00, to EOMA, Medallions, PO Box 932, Baker City, OR 97814, or call Ken Alexander, 541-446-3413.
REWARD POSTERS ARE AVAILABLE The Eastern Oregon Mining Association $1000 reward posters are printed on laminated poster board. Putting these up on your mining site may give the thieves second thoughts about stealing your equipment. The posters will sell for $2.50 each and will be available at the next meeting..... Chuck
EOMA ADVERTISING AND SALE LISTING The advertising listings are only $1 per month to get your ad listed below. Send your ad to: EOMA, Box 932, Baker City, OR 97814 along with your remittance for each month you want us to run your ad and we will take care of the rest. The number next to your ad is how many months your ad will run. .
FOR SALE (2) A 4 or 6 Inch dredge system mounted on a 20 X 8 pontoon boat. Located near Glenn’s Ferry, Idaho. $5,000 or $3,500 for pontoon boat/motor/ trailer (without dredge system). Dredge system is designed for recovery of very fine gold. Also a DYNA-MILL Impact Mill Located near Sumpter, Oregon. $2,000. Call Johnny West at: (208) 385-0950, Boise, Idaho
FOR SALE (1) Hard rock and placer mine, good gold, located off the Auburn Road. Year around water, ponds, roads, log cabin, mill building, crusher, ball mill. Old shafts and tunnels abound the property. For more information call: 541-523-9107.
FOR SALE (2) For More Information Call Miles Mitchell At (541) 672-1592 * Diamond Drill complete with 500 feet of drill rod, Perkins Diesel power. * Three cylinder diesel engine, Ford 1900. * A ship fire, high pressure pump, powered by a 6 cylinder diesel engine, ideal for placer mining.* Stearns cross belt gold magnetic separator, recovers fine gold from concentrates. * Five cubic yard International dump truck. * Four cylinder industrial diesel engine. * One cubic yard cement mixer, on wheels, has gas engine. * Jagear twin diaphragm air mine pump 2 inch. * Ingersol Rand air tugger, 4 cylinder, with steel cable. * Four cylinder Lee Roy gas industrial engine. * Joy diamond drill mounted on skid frame, needs engine. * Steel housed gear reducer with inlet and outlet shafts. * Six cylinder Dodge engine with cable drum mounted on skid frame, ideal for shaft sinking. * 60 cfm gas air compressor on wheels, with tow Bar.
FOR SALE(1) Four placer claims, each 160 acres in size, along almost five miles of the North Fork Burnt River. Claims are accessed via a gravel surface County road. These claims are great for suction dredging and/or high banking. The Forest Service Plan of Operation for use of a backhoe should be approved this season. The price is $6,000 per claim, or buy all four for $22,000. If you are interested, call Jan Alexander at 541-446-3413.
FOR SALE (1) Four pieces of used Rubber Steel Braided 4\ suction hose totals 59 $275.00 or OBO good condition. Two pieces used Black 3\ suction hose totaling 31 good condition $60.00 or OBO For all the hose together $300.00 or OBO. For Sale: New 5 1/2 horse Honda 3\ pump 3\ inlet, 3\ outlet, never used $425.00 or OBO. Call 541-519-1622
WANTED, N.E. OREGON CARETAKER (10) Located near John Day, primitive, insulated house, wood heat, good water, road & hunting. Off grid – generator. Contact: PO box 8353 spring Creek, NV 89815 for more information. Or you may email: jetteseal@gmail.com
LIQUIDATING EQUIPMENT FROM 40+ YEARS OF PLACER MINING (6) Equipment includes a 20yd hopper feeder, 80kw Onan generator, 40 and 30 conveyors, 5\ and 3\ slurry pumps, Reichert Spiral concentrator, 5th wheel dollies, lots of sluices, 5yd dump box, electric motors switch boxes and panel boards. Much more! Contact Jack at 208-284-5882.
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