California Budget $1.8M Error Will Kill Gold Mining Industry, Says Gold Pan California, Former Attorney General Jerry Brown: Program Pays For Itself, Sacramento Bee/Gold Pan California, posted to KBC 6/12/11

Water Quality and Suction Dredging, Letter by Gerald Hobbs 8/28/10, President of Public Lands for the People.

Suction Dredge Mining, letter to Oregon Senator Atkinson from Tom Kitchar,  posted to KBC 8/23/10. "either have some misunderstandings about the effects of suction dredge mining on the environment and aquatic species, or, someone has fed you a pack of falsehoods...we (a small group representing some of the mining organizations in Oregon with a total membership of around 1,500 individuals) respectfully request an opportunity to meet with you at your earliest convenience."

Oregon issues new permit for suction-dredge gold miners, Oregonian, posted to KBC 8/8/10

Miner refund bill dies in committee, Siskiyou Daily News 6/30/10

Gold Miners Shafted by Democrats in the State Assembly, Aanestad Refund Measure Hijacked With Hostile Amendment 6/15/10

ICMJ Mining Journal, posted 6/4/10

Proposal for suction dredge mining by California Water Boards, 3/18/10

Persistence Prevails as Walt Wegner, Vice President of PLP wins his $47.00 suction dredge permit fee reimbursement in small claims court 2/4/10

Mark Johnson of Grants Pass talks about the insane difficulty of getting through locked BLM gates to legally prospect for gold on public lands. This is an mp3 (audio), it may take a few moments to load: http://www.kmed.com/common/global_audio/51/15015.mp3

PLP Comments and constructive Notice given the the Ca. Fish and Game at the Sacramento meeting on Nov. 17 2009 regarding suction dredge mining ban, posted to KBC 11/23/09

Parts 1 and 2 Mining legislation has opponents, defenders, Lake County News, posted to KBC 11/20/09

Kulongoski wants to head off Calif. gold miners, San Jose Mercury News, posted to KBC 10/16/09. Here for MINERS PAGE.

California Admission to the Union; Mining Claimants legal authority under Federal Law, February 13, 1850

PLP vs State of California Complaint (PLP = Public Lands for the People Inc.) California Suction Dredge Miners are demanding a Jury Trial for the taking of their rights to mine on public land, posted to KBC 9/18/09.

Governor signs bill banning river gold dredges, Mercury News 8/8/09

Suction dredging permits halted by Alameda County court, Siskiyou Daily News 7/29/09.

State lawmakers OK temporary dredging ban targeting salmon habitat, Sac Bee 7/14/09

Senate Deals North State Harsh Economic Hand, Passage of SB 670 Means Bankrupt Businesses & Lost Jobs, Senator Sam Aanestad, CA 7/14/09. "The North State leader says the passage of SB 670 will place an outright ban on the practice of Suction Dredge Mining in all California rivers, streams and other tributaries, even though there is no scientific evidence or proof that the mining practice is harmful to the environment."

Debate over river dredging nears climax in Legislature Dredgers fear for livelihood, defend mining practices, Trinity Journal July 8, 2009

Please Write - Action Alert supporting suction dredge miners, 6/14/09 from Dave Mack, President, New 49'er Prospecting Association. "Senate Bill 670 (anti suction dredging legislation) will come up for a vote on Tuesday, June 16th"

Urgent Help Needed! Update concerning SB 670, anti-suction dredge mining legislation, by Dave Mack 5/31/09. Litigation Summary by James Buchal: "A reform group of Karuk Tribe members has also emerged, filing intervention papers which outline the unsavory history of the Tribe’s current leadership, and the degree to which the Tribe’s entire jihad against suction dredge mining is actually motivated by a desire to protect marijuana growers, rather than protecting the environment."

Suction dredge mining ban passes Senate 31-8, Siskiyou Daily News 5/28/09

Siskiyou County Supervisor Marcia Armstrong -Suction Dredge Mining, State and Local Government Budgets, Pioneer Press May 8, 2008

Calif. bill to ban dredge mining moves forward, kdrv 5/2/09.

Siskiyou County Supervisors send letter opposing SB670, Siskiyou Daily News, posted to KBC 4/26/09

Fish and game commission denies petition to halt Karuk fishing at Ishi Pishi Falls, Siskiyou Daily News, posted to KBC 4/19/09

Proposed Calif. bill would ban suction dredge mining, KDRV 4/17/09

Rebuttal to Leaf Hillman (Karuk Indian) by Dave McCracken, gold miner, Pioneer Press, posted to KBC 4/3/09. "Hillman claims our gold mining threatens the salmon in the Klamath River. He has picked a particularly poor time to make that accusation. A few days ago, the Times-Herald of Eureka reported that while the number of Sacramento River salmon is near record lows, the Klamath salmon run is "booming" this year. Even more important, there is not a scrap of scientific evidence that suction dredge mining has ever hurt a single salmon. The same cannot be said of Hillman's own Karuk Tribe..."

Karuk Tribal Vice President and spiritual leader Leaf Hillman: Taxpayers help miners hurt fish habitat followed by 31 Comments, Sacramento Bee , posted to KBC 3/8/09. "Hillman, who lives in Orleans, is charged with one count corporal injury on a spouse or cohabitant, and with two special allegations: inflicting great bodily injury and using a deadly weapon. Hillman's bail has been set at $50,000....the victim had been "hit on the head with a beer bottle"

Petitioners explain claims against tribal fishery at Ishi Pishi Falls, Siskiyou Daily News, posted to KBC 3/7/09

Group files petition to stop Karuk Tribe from fishing Klamath River, KDRV Channel 12, 3/5/09, plus comments 'Karuk killing of salmon'

Petition seeks to eliminate tribal fishing near Somes Bar, Siskiyou Daily News 3/5/09

3/2/09 - PRESS RELEASE: Petition calls for end to ‘widespread and wanton’ killing of salmon  "The New 49’ers and a coalition of North State and other organizations is demanding that the State of California end the “widespread and wanton” destruction of the threatened Coho salmon and other fish in the Klamath River by the very people who claim to be guardians of the environment."

3/2/09 - Petition filed today with the State of California to stop the unlawful killing of salmon by the Karuk Tribe along the Klamath River in northern California. "The Tribe, Commission and Department are actively involved in efforts to restrict other economic activities in the Klamath Basin, including but not limited to local agriculture, logging, mining and hydroelectric generation. Indeed, the Tribe has commenced one federal and two state lawsuits..."

Oct 25, 2007 - Karuk Tribe minutes discussing the Hoopa Tribe efforts to get fishing rights for the Karuks, and Karuk plant to purchase a power plant.

Karuk Tribe and Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen sued Calif Dept of Fiah and Game to shut down suction dredge mining on the Klamath River, 2/5/09.

HERE is the Director of DFG's denial of the Karuk Petition for Emergency Regulations. "...the Department must deny the petition because there is no substantial evidence to support a finding of emergency under the APA, including the need to immediately adopt the petition's proposed restrictions on suction dredge mining." HERE is comment by Dave McCracken, General Manager New 49'ers, posted to KBC 1/27/09

Response to Guest Opinion on suction dredge mining, Tom Quintal letter to Pioneer Press, posted to KBC 1/27/09

Good News: "DFG is denying the petition (by the Karuk Tribe and environmental groups) to shut down gold mining in the Klamath).  The news comes from Senator Sam Aanestad who met with DFG.  Thanks to everyone for your help."

Supervisors vote to support dredge mining, Siskiyou Daily News 1/26/09

SacBee Editorial: Time for new rules on suction mining, Response Dave McCracken, President of The New 49'ers Prospecting Association, posted to KBC 1/22/09. "The (Karuk) Tribe could not and cannot prove that so much as a single fish has ever been killed by suction gold mining under the present regulations, and presumably did not want to highlight its own continued killing of salmon at Ishi-Pishi Falls, notwithstanding its claims of a fisheries emergency."

They're liars, Pioneer Press 1/22/08. "...my neighbor last week was invited down to Hoopa to catch Salmon and bring them back to Scott Valley to sell. So much for them (Karuks) not having a enough fish to feed their families and for ceremonies."

They (Karuks) can't have it both ways, Pioneer Press January 22, 2009, Letter To the Editor by John Robinson, Seiad Valley. " 'The reality is that there have not been many extensive studies on the effects of mining,' admitted Karuk spokesperson Craig Tucker. 'What is available concludes that dredging is harmful to fish and that is certainly the conclusion of our biologists.' These statements are out-and-out lies. There have been numerous studies on dredging that have all come to the same conclusion: Dredging does not harm the environment."

Suction dredge mining - Siskiyou County Board of Supervisors Meeting, by Klamath River miner Jim Foley, posted 1-21-2009. "Karuk Tribe allied with other special interest groups constantly attacking suction dredge mining for the last four years....it was hypocritical for special interests to say that fish need protection from 3,000 suction dredge miners who they allege are killing fish, while at the same time they admit that there are 2.4 million fishermen whose sole reason for fishing is to kill fish....All of this without a single shred of proof that a suction dredge has ever killed a fish."

On Suction Dredge Mining, by James Foley, Klamath River, Pioneer Press, posted 1/15/09

Tribe seeks to halt suction dredging on parts of the Klamath River, Redding Searchlight , posted 1/15/09

Groups (Karuks and Environmentalists) File Petition to Limit Gold Mining to Save Struggling Fisheries, and Response by Jim Foley 1/13/09. "Suction dredge mining is nothing more than recreational genocide. The first gold rush killed more than half our people in 10 years. This modern gold rush continues to kill our fish and our culture," says Leaf Hillman of the Karuk Tribe." (HERE for background on spiritual leader Leaf Hillman trying to kill his wife.)

California Tribal Business Alliance Releases '07-08 Legislative Vote Record, WSJ Market Watch, posted to KBC 10/22/08. "Implements the Administration's agreement with the Karuk Tribe to settle the tribe's lawsuit against the Department of Fish and Game over damage to the endangered Coho salmon population in the tribe's ancestral rivers -- the Klamath, the Scott, and the Salmon -- from instream suction gold dredge mining. (Vetoed)"

IDAHO - Conservationists, Forest Service buy up mines, Capital Press 10/19/08. "The 36-year-old San Francisco-based group buys land with money from supporters and holds it until agencies such as the Forest Service can secure funding elsewhere, including offshore oil and natural gas royalties from the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund. So far...2.5 million acres in 47 states... there are still millions of dollars worth left in the ground..."

Karuk response in litigation against suction dredge mining on Klamath River and tributaries, posted 10/16/08

Anti-Suction Dredging Legislation is Dead in California! New 49ers Newsletter 10/12/08. "...nearly every Republican stood with us, and nearly every Democrat within the California legislature would have voted to put small-scale miners out of business...our adversaries (Karuk Tribe and their far-left friends) have notified the Court that they intend to ... ask the Court to impose an injunction upon further issuance of suction dredge permits in California..."

Suction Dredge Mining Victory, 9/24/08, by Dave Mack, The New 49'ers.

Donations needed for unbiased mining studies! Sept 08.

NEED ACTION: Rider language creates a moratorium on further issuance of suction dredge permits, The New 49ers, posted 7/24/08.

Karuk Tribe: Gold mining doesn't help fisheries, Times Standard, posted to KBC 7/8/08.
***Response to Times Standard Suction Dredge Article by Karuk Tribe, by James Foley, posted 7/8/08. "The Karuk press release is intended to misinform the public to the reality of what suction dredge mining is and convince people who know nothing about suction dredge mining that it is harming fish. As such, it is full of misinformation and outright lies. The lies have been proven false in numerous peer reviewed scientific studies and in numerous court actions, as well as a 1994 EIR promulgated by the California dept. of Fish and Game."

***PLEASE HELP CA SUCTION DREDGE MINERS! 7/3/08 URGEMT!!