News
9/24/2009 ACCOMPLISHMENTS BY P.L.P FOR OUR MANY FRIENDS (2009) ON MONDAY SEPTEMBER 14 WE FILED A FEDERAL LAWSUIT AGAINST THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA FOR PROHIBITING SUCTION DREDGE MINING IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA! THE MOST RECENT ACTIVITY HAS BEEN HOBBS NEW PARTY STATUS AND INTERVENTION IN THE KARUK VS. THE CALIF. DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND GAME, IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE NEW 49ERS. HOBBS AND PLP ATTORNEY DAVID YOUNG ARE IN A NEW LAWSUIT, OUTSIDE THE KARUK VS. DFG CASE, AGAINST THE CALIFORNIA DEPT. OF FISH & GAME FOR CEQA AND APA VIOLATIONS IN THE PROMULGATING OF NEW SUCTION DREDGE REGULATIONS FOR LATE 2005 & 2009. PLP & HOBBS HAVE INERVENED IN THE HILLMAN KARUK TAXPAYER LAWSUIT AND THE INJUNCTION ON THE SAME CASE. PLP AND HOBBS HAVE NOW FILED AN APPEAL IN THE HILLMAN KARUK INJUNCTION AND PLP, HOBBS AND SEVERAL PLP MEMBERS ARE FILING A FEDERAL LAWSUIT AND INJUNCTION AGAINST THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA’S SB 670 NO SUCTION DREDGING LAW. PLP, HOBBS AND OTHER PLAINTIFFS HAVE FILED A LAWSUIT AGAINST THE EL DORADO NATIONAL FOREST ON THEIR TRAVEL MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR ROAD CLOSURES. THE FIRST HEARING IS SCHEDULED FOR SEPTEMBER 21, 2009. WE WILL KEEP YOU UPDATED. PLP ATTORNEY DAVID YOUNG & JERRY HOBBS HAS ANNOUNCED A SIGNED SETTLEMENT IN THE DEE STAPP VS. BLM DEPT. OF INTERIOR ON THE BLM 43 CFR 3809 MINING REGULATIONS. WE PREVAILED. PLP IS WAITING IN THE WINGS TO SEE WHAT THE USFS IS PLANNING TO DO WITH THE FINAL RULE THAT THEY ARE CURRENTLY USING TO REGULATE MINING AT THIS TIME! THE SISKIYOU EDUCATION PROJECT (SREP) WAS INTERVENED IN BY JERRY HOBBS AND PLP ATTORNEY DAVID YOUNG AND A CONSOLIDATED CASE BY ROBERT AND LISA BARTON, WALDO MINING DISTRICT AND HAS RECEIVED A RECOMMENDED RULING FROM THE MAGISTRATE COURT TO THE DISTRICT COURT IN FAVOR OF THE MINERS. THE DISTRICT COURT HAS UPHELD THE MAGISTRATES RECOMMENDATION! THE CASE HAS BEEN DISMISSED IN OUR FAVOR! SREP APPEALED ALL THE WAY TO THE 9TH CIRCUIT COURT AND THE MINERS PREVAILED AT THA LEVEL. PLP HAS ASSISTED IN CASES THAT HAVE HELPED THE SMALL MINING COMMUNITY: THE USFS VS. LEX WAGGENER, US vs. ENO, USFS VS. MCCLURE AND CONTINUING TO ASSIST THE OREGON MINERS WITH THEIR DEQ CHALLENGES AND THE WASHINGTON MINERS IN THEIR ISSUES WITH THE GOLD AND FISH BOOK. PLP WORKRD WITH GALE NORTON & THE INTERIOR DEPARTMENT TO GET SMALL SCALE MINING RECOGNITION AT THE HIGHER LEVEL OF THE DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR AND THE BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT. THIS DIDN’T WORK OUT! PLP AND/OR HOBBS AND STAPP HAVE INTERVENED IN THE FOLLOWING CASES AND WE ARE STILL ACTIVE IN SOME OF THEM: THE SISKIYOU REGIONAL EDUCATION PROJECT VS. USFS; CENTER FOR BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY VS. USFS; CENTER FOR BIODIVERSITY VS. THE BLM; STAPP VS. BLM ON THE BLM 43 CFR 3809 MINING REGULATIONS. A SETTLEMENT IN THE STAPP VS. BLM HAS BEEN REACHED. PLP AND ITS MEMBERS HAVE COMMENTED ON THE FOLLOWING GOVERNMENT PROPOSALS: THE EASTERN MOJAVE PLAN; THE WEST MOJAVE PLAN; THE SIERRA NEVADA FRAMEWORK; THE ESA PLANS ON LISTING THE CALIFORNIA MILK VETCH; THE LISTING OF THE ARROYO TOAD AND THE SANTA ANA SUCKER. WASHINGTON MINERS AND THE WASHINGTON FISH AND WILDLIFE, U.S. FOREST SERVICE 36 CFR 261’S, U.S. FOREST SERVICE 228 MINING REGULATION AND ARE NOW WORKING ON COMMENTS FOR THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF FISH & GAME SUCTION DREDGING REGULATIONS FOR 2009. PLP HAS ACTIVELY PARTICIPATED IN A CHALLENGE WITH: THE AZUSA CANYON OFF ROAD ASSOCIATION IN THEIR FIGHT TO KEEP THE OFF ROAD AREA OPEN IN SANTA ANA SUCKER HABITAT; PLP HAS ACTIVELY PARTICIPATED IN ASSISTING THE SUMMER HOME PERMITTEE PROBLEMS WITH THE USFS IN KEEPING THEIR CABINS AND REBUILDING THEM IN, THE LOS PADRES, ANGELES AND CLEVELAND NATIONAL FORESTS. PLP IS INVESTIGATING SPECIAL USE PERMITS FOR SUMMER HOME OWNERS AND CALIFORNIA SUCTION DREDGING; THE RECENT CLOSING OF SIX MILES OF THE PACIFIC CREST TRAIL (ANGELES NATIONAL FOREST); WE ARE STILL FIGHTING TO RE-OPEN PIRU CREEK IN THE LOS PADRES NATIONAL FOREST; LITTLEROCK RESERVOIR CLOSURE TO ALL OFF ROAD VEHICLES USERS AND VARIOUS OTHER CLOSURES ACROSS THE COUNTRY. PLP IS IN CONSTANT COMMUNICATION BY PHONE & LETTERS WITH THE PEOPLE FROM ACROSS THE UNITED STATES THAT HAVE PROBLEMS WITH GOVERNMENT AGENCIES, HELPING THEM TO RESOLVE ISSUES IN THEIR PART OF THE COUNTRY. THIS COMMUNICATION HELPS TO EDUCATE PEOPLE ON THEIR RIGHTS AND THE LAWS THAT THEY MAY OR MAY NOT BE GOVERNED UNDER. THIS IS ONE OF THE METHODS THAT WE USE TO EDUCATE AND UNITE IN A COMMON CAUSE
Bohemia Mining Days 2009
This year BMD was 4 days long and a great success for us once again. We had a lot of the best helpers and I would like to Thank each and every one of you personally, Thanks you have done it again. Without the wonderful volunteers this Association would be dead. We had a lot of fun and meet up with old friends and have made new friends. To all you new members Welcome, and to the renewing members we are glad your still with us.
We had panning on the Mountain at the Breakfast for the first time in a few years and we had a lot of fun and great food, and thanks to all the volunteers there too!
And one last group did panning on a claim and they had at least 100 people on the creek bank between Saturday and Sunday. I know they all had a good time for those two days.
Thanks to each and every one of you.
Tony Bratton, Carol VanPoll, Nancy Pepiot Kevin Perkins, Mike Gent, Mel Hockley, Jesse Gray, Bob Boyd,Tom Pepiot, Ken Stutzman, Dennis Prather, Terry Pepiot, Anthony and Teresa Wiles,
Samantha Modrell, Robert Runion, Brandy Rhodes and the others that helped out that I just can not think of right now.
A big THANK YOU to Kevin Perkins and Mike Gent for getting the panning booth together enough to get to BMD
On the Christo Countessa mining claim Ralph Pepiot offered the general public to try out their pans in the creek, a 26 mile trek up the river. and a chance to see placer mining at it's best with a dredge and a highbanker in action. All persons young or old found gold and was able to keep all they found at times we had 30 people on the creek with 4-5 BMOA members helping people. We never saw a frown, just the smiles and the glitter of gold in the eyes of everyone who got the chance to experience the enjoyment that the BMOA has to offer.