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September 2009 Newsletter (PDF - 543 KB) September 2009 Newsletter (WORD - 1.49 MB)
Important Legislative News
01/31/2010
Attention All Small Scale Mineral Prospectors and Miners
On February 2, 2010, The House Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee will hold a public hearing on the below Bills. Each of these bills affects you in some way; how we are allowed to conduct our activity.
(*YES) (**NO)
* HB 2597 - Streamlining state environmental permitting through the [elimination of the hydraulics project approval process.]
Saves the state nearly nine million dollars in general fund money each biennium by removing the hydraulic project approval process responsibilities from the department of fish and wildlife.
Many additional federal, state, and local resource protection regulations exist. So complete is the safety net of regulations affecting Washington waterways that the HPA process has grown redundant and unnecessary.
* HB 2974 - Regarding enforcement actions under chapter 77.55 RCW.
Requires the department of fish and wildlife to provide a person against whom an enforcement action is being taken with a [statement of violation].
Any statement of violation prepared under this section must include, at a minimum, the following contents:
(a) A detailed explanation of how the offending project is causing harm to fish life;
(b) Evidence of individual fish actually being harmed by the project, if any, including any documentation of instances of fish mortality linked to the project; and
(c) A signature by a department biologist confirming that the biologist has personally and physically investigated the impacts of the project and attests to the accuracy of the information contained in the statement of violation.
** HB 3037 - Concerning permitting of hydraulic projects.
Authorizes the department of fish and wildlife to improve the process for permitting of hydraulic projects and establish fees to pay for a portion of the program's costs.
An Important Note: The wording in this bill, as it is being presented, is the same as that of it's companion, SB 6448. SB 6448 was heard by the Senate Natural Resources, Ocean & Recreation committee on January 20th and was objectionable to more than just the prospectors and miners. We found out during that hearing, the bill was being rewritten and an amended version would be presented at a later date. There exists the great possibility that the rewritten bill will be presented as an amendment at this hearing.
These public hearings will start at 1:30, in the John L. O'Brien Building, House Hearing Rm B.
Here is a map of the Capital campus.
It is of our interest to get the small scale mineral prospecting and mining community to attend this hearing. For those individuals that can attend this hearing, I recommend that you review this web page on How to Testify in Committee. There will be a sign in sheet for each bill, be sure to sign on each one and indicate your position on that bill, Pro or Con.
To provide for final strategic planning and to make sure we're all on track, let us plan on meeting at 12:30 at the sundial located between the two legislative buildings. Should we find a better location to assemble and discuss, we can redirect from there.
I encourage you to contact the members of the committee and let them know your stand on these bills. Here is the House Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee Members web page.
The telephone and fax number for the committee itself is at the top. Any calls/faxes to these numbers are handled by the committee aide and forwarded to each committee member.
For those writing via Email;
I recommend 3 different emails, 1 for each bill.
The SUBJECT is "Public Comment on HB 2597" or "Public Comment on HB 2974" or "Public Comment on HB 3037".
Send "TO" the Chair, Rep. Brian Blake, and "CC" the rest of the committee members.
The first line should give your position on the bill, IE: "Thank you for giving me the opportunity express my support of HB 2974" or "I would like to express my opposition to HB 3037"
In the next 1, 2 or 3 paragraphs, express why you are in support or in opposition of the bill, and back that statement up with facts. As an example to HB 3037, "This bill will adversely affect inter-agency budgets and provide no income to the state as the majority of the more complex projects are accomplished by other state and federal agencies"
At the end of your Email, be sure to put your Name, Address and Phone.
On another note, Please write/Email the WDFW Commission or attend the February 6th meeting (Late morning Public Input time) to inform them of your dissatisfaction that they would consider holding discussion with NOAA Fisheries to make changes to the Mineral Prospecting rules and then adopting those changes as "Emergency rules" as suggested by Mr Greg Hueckel. This is being considered based on perception, without scientific data, and without public input. For information regarding this issue, please go to the Resources Coalition Latest News and Information webpage.
01/15/2010
This is a call to action:
Senate Bill 6448 concerning permitting of hydraulic projects was introduced Thursday and on the fast track towards legislation. This bill will direct WDFW to charge a fee to file and obtain a Hydraulic Project approval (HPA); this is the permit for which we use motorized prospecting and mining equipment in Washington State. Proposed is a fee of $100 to work under the new Gold and Fish Pamphlet. For those that submit an individual HPA the fee will be $250, $525 or greater, depending on the complexity of the project or number of sites identified on the application.
A public hearing on this bill will be held before the Senate Natural Resources, Ocean & Recreation Committee on January 20, 2010 at 8:00 a.m. and we need you attend if possible.
If you are unable to attend, please contact the committee by Telephone: 360-786-7419, Mail or Email before Wednesday Morning. The mailing address of the committee, email addresses of the committee members and more information on this bill and others may be found on the Resources Coalition Website at www.resourcescoalition.org
And while you are visiting the website, please take the time to sign up to receive Action Alerts by email. You will be informed as soon as we become informed on this issue and others that affect your rights.
Here is the website address of the Senate Natural Resources, Ocean & Recreation Committee: LINK
You can't email the committee as a whole, so you have to do it individually.
The subject is "public comment to SB 6448"
So you don't have to search for all their email's here they are:
Senator Ken Jacobsen (Chair)
Senator Kevin Ranker(Vice Chair)
Senator Bob Morton
Senator Karen Fraser
Senator James Hargrove
Senator Brian Hatfield
Senator Val Stevens
Senator Dan Swecker
I would suggest:
Send 1 Email with the TO: Senator Jacobsen and everybody else cc'd.
First sentence is you are opposed to SB 6448 "Concerning permitting of hydraulic projects".
The rest of the letter identify those points why you oppose this bill and a statement of fact to back your idea.
Example:
"There will be no revenue from the Small Scale Mineral prospector or Miners because nobody will file an individual HPA that costs $250 or more when they don't find $250 in precious minerals"
"This bill will adversely affect inter-agency budgets and provide no income to the state as the majority of the more complex projects are accomplished by other state and federal agencies"
Keep your comments short and to the point so that they are not overwhelmed and they READ it.
To submit you Public comments by regular mail or phone:
Send 1 letter to the committee, Staff will redistribute them to the members.
Senate Natural Resources, Ocean & Recreation Committee
411 J.A. Cherberg Bldg.
P.O. Box 40466
Olympia, WA 98504-0466
Telephone: 360-786-7419 / Legislative Hotline: 1-800-562-6000
Do not forget to contact your Town, City and County elected officials and let them know of this legislation. Should they need to get an HPA, (flood prevention measures come to mind) they too will pay. The application fees for a general permit is $250 and a $5,250 processing fee. What will that do to their budget??
Should the committee decide to pass....You will need to contact you local senator and let him/her know to vote against.
LINK: HB 2597 - "Streamlining state environmental permitting through the elimination of the hydraulics project approval process"
This is an important bill written by Representative Pearson for the 2010 Regular Session of the State of Washington 61st Legislature.
The purpose of this bill is to end an antiquated and redundant HPA permitting system administered by the WDFW that costs the state taxpayers $4,500,000 each year.
Note: This bill if adopted would repeal RCW 77.55.091 (Small scale prospecting and mining--Rules)
Please contact your legislative representative for your district and ask that they support this cost saving bill.
Click here to find your representative : Find Your Legislator
Also of note at this time, the WA State Department of Ecology is currently conducting a study:
Potential Impacts from Mercury Used in Historic Gold Mining on Six Rivers and Streams
Please take the time to visit the link above to learn more about this.
The Small Scale Mining Community has worked with Washington Department of Ecology for some time to turn in collected mercury and lead.
The Washington Department of Ecology website has the following pages that highlight those efforts:
Mercury Partnerships - Small-scale Miners
Quicksilver Champions
The Bedrock Prospectors Club was organized by men and women interested in small scale mining and prospecting for
gold and other precious minerals and gems.
The Bedrock Prospectors Club has also been the predominent Northwest club involved with organizing some of the most important mining rallies in recent years.
The Bedrock Prospectors Club is involved in many ways, including lobbying, to preserve our rights to mining, as granted by the "Mining Act of 1872".
Bedrock Prospectors Club is a recognized 501(c) organization.
Meetings
Meetings are held the third Monday of each month from 7:30 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
We meet at the Puyallup Masonic Hall at 1005 West Pioneer, in Puyallup, WA.
We have a guest speaker or program each month,
with classes on panning, dredging, how to do it, and where to go.
There is a Monthly Name Drawing, but sorry, you must be present to win.
It will grow by $10 a month until it is Won.
There is a Prize Raffle at every monthly meeting. A Gold Nugget is raffled off
along with two other great prizes. Tickets are 1 for $1 or 6 for $5.
Prize donations gladly accepted. Good Luck.
Don't forget to give to the Family Christmas Fund at the
door throughout the year.
The Membership Chairman is available at every meeting to help with questions
and promote Your Club. Members are always sharing tips and techniques; their
favored equipment practices plus shows and, need I say, tells?
Open Board Meetings are held on the First Tuesday of Every Month.
Outings Outings Photo Album
Several outings are planned throughout the year.
Members can enjoy Metal Detecting and Rockhounding activities.
Demonstrations include panning and sluicing, participation in construction projects,
famous "Pot Lucks", and Tailgate Parties!
And always, all gold you find as a member on club claims, you keep!
Let's have some fun.
More about us
Bedrock Propectors are families having fun with a common interest.
We prospect for minerals, as well as the following:
- Enjoy Pot Luck Dinners at our Outings
- Camping trips at our claims, and elsewhere
- Hiking and Exploring
- Community Service
- Tell Stories and laugh, while learning from the experiences of others
- Host a great Christmas Party
To sum it all up
This is a group where all ages can come together and play. We bring our families, along with our
friends and pets. We watch nature in all its glory and enjoy laughing when nature rains on us.
When the flowers are in bloom and the deer bed down near camp, we sit by the fire telling stories of
past fun, and past storms. Oh, that's us, Pacific Northwest prospectors!
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