EASTERN OREGON
MINING ASSOCIATION
AUGUST 2017
Volume 335
EASTERN OREGON MINING ASSOCIATION MEETING
Meetings are held on the first Friday of the month. The next meeting will be Friday, AUGUST 4TH 2017 at the Baker City Hall. The building is located at 1st and Auburn Streets in Baker City. The Board meeting starts at 6:00 PM. The general meeting starts at 6:30 PM.
Everyone is welcome to attend these meetings. There is time for discussing mining and getting to know other miners. The mining season is underway and some people are mining. There should be a story or two. As usual there will be a drawing for a $50 silver medallion at the meeting!
SMALL MINER WAIVER AND ASSESSMENT AFFIDAVITS DUE END OF AUGUST
If you own ten or fewer claims, you have completed your assessment work (at least $100 per claim), then it's time to send your small miner waiver into BLM, along with your affidavit of annual assessment work. The waiver is due at the Portland BLM office by the end of August, and there is no cost. By submitting the waiver, you are informing BLM that you will be mining your claims next year.
The affidavit of assessment work must be recorded at the county before you send it to BLM, and recordation must take place before September 1. You can wait to send it to BLM until the end of December, however, there really is no reason to wait. BLM would like to receive the waiver form and the affidavit of annual assessment in the same envelope, as it makes things easier for them. BLM must deal with thousands of waivers and affidavits during August, so if we can make things easier for BLM, there is less chance that your documents will be lost, and this will make life easier for you!
There is a copy of the waiver and the affidavit in this newsletter. Send your waiver, your county recorded affidavit of annual assessment and a check for $10/claim to Bureau of Land Management, Oregon State Office, P.O. Box 2965, Portland Oregon, 97208.
PLF FILES APPEAL TO GUARANTEE PUBLIC ACCESS TO PUBLIC FOREST-PLF
Pacific Legal Foundation attorneys filed the Opening Brief in Granat v. United States Department of Agriculture on behalf of individuals, recreational organizations, and local governments to challenge the United States Forest Service’s decision to close thousands of miles of previously available roads and trails to motorized travel in Plumas National Forest.
As we demonstrate in our brief, the Forest Service failed to follow the National Environmental Procedure Act and the Service’s own Travel Management Rule. The Forest Service was required to, but did not, consider true alternatives to its eventual decision; nor did the Service “coordinate” with Plumas and Butte Counties, where over 1,000,000 acres of Plumas National Forest are located. Instead, the Forest Service cherry-picked “alternative” motorized-vehicle routes from only one-third of the Forest’s available roads and trails—all but guaranteeing that the final decision would severely restrict motor-vehicle access. Further, Plumas and Butte Counties raised their unique concerns, including proposed restrictions’ effect on emergency access. Had the Service “coordinated” with the Counties, as it was legally required to do, instead of simply considering their input, the Counties’ public-safety (and other) concerns would have been a serious and consequential part of the Service’s decision-making process. But the Service ignored its legal obligations and has closed off thousands of miles of previously accessible roads and trails to what is, after all, a public forest. We’re hoping the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals recognizes the Service’s unlawful procedure and the resulting substantive harm.
SILENT AUCTION
The silent auction was a huge success, thanks to all of you who donated items, and all of you who entered bids! A special thanks goes to the donor of the mining equipment, Thomas Adams, of La Grande, OR. The auction brought in over Two Thousand Dollars!
MINERS JUBILEE REPORT
It was a good Jubilee. Not as well attended by the general public as in the past, but our miners are always our best customers. Ashgrove had a terrific booth, mining vendors sold gold, jewelry, rocks, gems and other items, kids panned for gold.
Kane Hellberg won first place in the Kid's Gold Panning, Xander Rexroad won second and Evangeline Rexroad won third place. My granddaughter, Emma Kersgaard won the Amateur gold panning! Gary Gear, won second and Caden Schroder won third place.
Dakota Martin won first place in the Professional Gold Panning, Dennis Rexroad won second place and Ken Martin won third place. It was fun and exciting to watch. Ashgrove sponsored the prizes, which amounted to $510! We can't thank Ashgrove enough for all their support of mining.
METAL DETECTOR WON BY BONNIE NORTON
There was a lot of interest in the metal detector, from kids and from adults interested in an easy to use detector. Many thanks to Richard Linrud for his generous donation and for helping EOMA fund this year’s work.
TEE-SHIRTS WENT FAST AT JUBILEE
Thanks go to Russ Fleetwood for getting the tee-shirts and hats for Jubilee. Everyone needs one of each! We will be reordering soon and these will be available at the EOMA meetings.
ZINKE DIRECTS BLM TO STREAMLINE THE NEPA PROCESS-American Stewards
March 27, 2017, Secretary of the Interior, Ryan Zinke, issued a Memorandum to the Acting Director of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) directing him to streamline the land use planning and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) processes. “I hereby direct BLM, in accordance with its multiple-use mission, to immediately begin a focused effort to identify and implement results-oriented improvements to its land use planning and NEPA processes.”
The current BLM land use planning and implementation procedures take an excessive amount of time and money to carry out. The decision-making process is not responsive to the needs on the ground, and local field offices are stymied as they wait for direction from Washington D.C. on common management issues. The request for better ideas is a welcomed reprieve. However, the message Secretary Zinke needs to hear is that he does not need to re-invent the wheel. Rather, he simply needs to enforce a provision of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA) enacted in 1976 that has yet to be carried out; Coordination with States and local governments.
SOLAR ECLIPSE PARTY-Thom and Jette Seal
Jette and I are going to have an adults only eclipse party. Our cabin up Standard Creek is dead center for viewing. We have 9 acres of meadow and great water.
BBQ & Beer (meat, corn, beans) provided on Sat+Sun afternoon 8/19 and 8/20/2017. Open Grill on Friday night.
Bring camping equipment, flashlights, breakfast, snacks, deserts, salads, instruments, etc.
There will be smoking, shooting and alcohol rules.
So we have enough supplies, RSVP: jetteseal@gmail.com
Jette will respond with an invitation and map.
Thom, 510-418-5779 cell-text
EOMA SILVER MEDALLIONS
These are currently selling for $50.00 apiece plus $5.00 shipping, handling, and insurance. (Prices are subject to change). You can order yours from the EOMA website, and pay by pay-pal. Or, you can send $50 plus $5.00 shipping and handling to EOMA, Medallions, PO Box 932, Baker City, OR 97814, or call 541-523-3285. We sold a lot of coins at Miners Jubilee, and will have them for you to buy at our EOMA meetings.
VISIT EOMA'S AND OMA FACEBOOK PAGES
Eastern Oregon Mining Association now has a Facebook page. For those of you who use Facebook, check it out. There is a step by step photo display of a couple of miners who are building trommels. Sign in, and come learn, add your suggestions, and get to know other miners.
https://www.facebook.com/easternoregonminingassociation/
FACEBOOK
There is also a Facebook page for Oregon Mining Association. Lots of useful information can be found on these sites. It is not hard to become a user of Facebook once you get used to the idea that Facebook “friends” can have a little different meaning than what you may have thought of as “friends” as you were growing up. Facebook certainly gives you the opportunity to share info not found in the mainstream media. https://www.facebook.com/OregonMiningAssociation/
EOMA ADVERTISING AND SALE LISTINGS
UNION MINING SUPPLY-BUY LOCAL AND SAVE
Contact Dave or Earl Graham for all your mining supplies. If there is something you need and they don't carry it, they will find it for you. Call Dave at 541-786-0921 or Earl at 541-805-8206.
OREGON MINING ASSOCIATION
The Oregon Mining Association is a non-profit corporation dedicated to promoting mining and the mineral industry in Oregon. Supported by donations. Please send what you can to save mining in Oregon to Oregon Mining Association, P.O. Box 23213, Tigard, OR 97281-They have both a website and facebook page. http://oregonmining.org/
FOR SALE (5)
2009 10 foot Cargo Trailer with drop tail gate. Been pulled only 5 miles, $3,000. A 2004 350 Bruin Yamaha quad with about 200 miles on it, $3,500 or both for $6,000. Call 541-215-2774 or 541-377-9209.
CRAWLER FOR SALE (4)
Rebuilt John Deere 420 crawler $6,500. Contact Bill Johnson at 541-932-4582
RARE EARTH ELEMENTAL ANALYSIS
Email Katerina Paley at katerinapaley@alsglobal.com We will work with miners, and get you an analytical elemental determination of your concentrates.
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CARETAKER POSITION AVAILABLE
Wanted: Full time caretaker for remote property about 20 miles from John Day, Oregon. Primitive, well insulated house, wood heat only, good water from spring. Off the grid, power from gas generator if needed. ¼ mile level driveway off county maintained road. Must have own chain saw, 4 x 4 vehicle with chains, cut own firewood, and help with chores. Inquire by e-mail (tseal@unr.edu) or by mail to Caretaker, PO Box 8353, Spring Creek, NV 89815.
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