Dredging Idahos Clearwater River - AMRA Style

[IdahoGoldGettR]

Dredging Idaho's Clearwater River - AMRA Style

I stopped by this last Friday to see how the gang was doing. Met a few new dredgers and saw no EPA reps. A good turn out with many dredgers and so I took a ton of photos (perhaps posted a bit too many, oh well). 1st pic L to R: Gay Richardson, Shannon Poe, and John Ratley. Last photo: Brandon Rinehart. All is warm and golden up here in Idaho.

 

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[QNCrazy]

AMRA Rocks!!! These pictures are great and I heard some people out there got some really nice gold. Any pictures of the pretty yellow stuff?

 

[IdahoGoldGettR]

That's the first thing I am gonna take photos of when I get back there. I drove by there today, spoke to several and yes,,, they were getting some nice gold. It was mid day when I stopped by and so many of the dredgers were still at work. I have surmised that it is best to catch them in the early morning or late evening hours for the pics on the gold. I look forward to seeing the gold myself! Hoping to post some for you all.

 

[rodoconnor]

Thanks for the update ! I hope the guys on the Payette are doing well also

 

[bill-costa rica]

good pictures ! it was nice to see a picture of Gay. have not seen him in 20 years.

bill/cr

 

[Goldwasher]

Hey BNUGGET smile your In Idaho....don't look so serious

 

[okbasspro]

Everyone check out AMRA s page they stuck it to the man and pulled off a huge win for the miners in Idaho. Congrats guys.

 

[fowledup]

"No combustion engines allowed, due to fire danger!" says the Leo standing next to a running combustion powered vehicle off the side of the road and near a camp generator (which is Ok!) to the dredger standing 50' from either bank in the middle of a river- FREAKN PRICELESS!

 

[okbasspro]

"No combustion engines allowed, due to fire danger!" says the Leo standing next to a running combustion powered vehicle off the side of the road and near a camp generator (which is Ok!) to the dredger standing 50' from either bank in the middle of a river- FREAKN PRICELESS!

End result Fowled is they made USFS eat crow that's what happens when you ban together and have your ducks in a row.

 

[fowledup]

End result Fowled is they made USFS eat crow that's what happens when you ban together and have your ducks in a row.

Couldn't agree more! Kinda surprised the Jack Wagon didn't point an AR at you hardened criminals

 

[Bnugget]

Here's some pics of the yellow we got

 

[BagLady]

Sweet! How far down is that hole?

 

[QNCrazy]

AMRA posted a great story about what happened with USFS on FB. Look it up it's enjoyable reading. It was a big win for the miners.

 

[Bnugget]

Sweet! How far down is that hole?

Bedrock was about 4-5 feet in this area, some of the cracks just keep going though, you have to clean them down just enough without going too deep where it's just clay in the crack. We got onto some Virginia ground here that was not ripped up by the bucket line dredge.

 

[mytimetoshine]

Here's some pics of the yellow we got View attachment 1191073 View attachment 1191074

living the dream my man!

 

[IdahoJake]

Nice Gold!

Here's some pics of the yellow we got View attachment 1191073 View attachment 1191074

I saw Shannon twice at the cafe in Elk City. He mentioned that they were finding alot of gold. On Wednesday night he told my wife that it was the best gold ever. As we drove home we counted 7 dredges in the South Fork and it looked like there were others ready to deploy!

I don't dredge, but I did find some nice gold while prospecting in the area with my BGT.

 

[IdahoGoldGettR]

I am a bit behind the eight ball in bringing you folks more info. on the AMRA dredging the Clearwater. Did another visit to their claims and took some more photos of dredgers / highbankers. Have a look at their progress.




I also requested to see some of their gold take. One miner revealed some of a day's take (minus the pickers) and showcased a chunk of pyrite / quartz that was embedded in the bedrock he was dredging. When asked how's the gold in that area, he said he could see pickers lying about the bedrock cracks. Nice little take and a great piece for show & tell.



While I didn't get a gold pic of John and his crew (heard they got 5 ounces), I did stop by for a quick photo or two and a looksie at some of Shannon's gold. Last I heard he was over 6 ounces. Nice going guys!!

 

[IdahoGoldGettR]

Many actions from the Forest Service, fronted by geologist Clint Hughes, have surfaced since I was down on the AMRA claims. While I did hear of some threats to stop all dredging, those miners on the Clearwater (including the AMRA) stood their ground and did not back down. In fact after talking with Shannon Poe and a few others, it seems Clint Hughes has stepped outside his authority and could face some legal action. More details can be found on Shannon Poe's AMRA facebook page. I did witness this past Wednesday's event in which Sherriff Giddings and Davis (an inspector for Idaho Water Resources) from Coeur d'Alene made their presence and seeing that all miners where in compliance, backed the miners on the Clearwater by stipulating: As it stands right now for the rest of this dredging season, the Forest Service has no say in the Southfork / Clearwater dredge season and therefore, you all may continue to dredge until Aug. 15th.



Just a few days ago, Idaho's Lewiston Tribune printed the following editorial: A bit lengthy but worth the read.

[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Miner skirmish unfolds on the Clearwater[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Feds issue notices of noncompliance but say they won't eject dredge miners from South Fork[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Several suction dredge miners on the South Fork of the Clearwater River seem to be winning a regulatory standoff with a pair of federal agencies that insist mining is not allowed there but have declined to take enforcement action.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Both the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Forest Service are taking a passive stance against several miners who have been working claims on the river since early July. Clint Hughes, a geologist forthe Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest, did give several miners official notices of noncompliance, but the agency said it will take no further action and instead will move forward with a process that could open the river to limited mining next year. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]"The Forest Service is not going to take any physical action like pulling their dredges out of the water," said Forest Service Supervisor Cheryl Probert. "Our emphasis is really on working through the environmental analysis process to be able to authorize, with mitigation and a plan of operation, suction dredge mining on the South Fork."[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Three years ago, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said the Forest Service was required to consult with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service or National Marine Fisheries Service before allowing suction dredge miners to operate in streams where threatened or endangered fish are present. The South Fork is home to threatened bull trout and steelhead.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]In 2013, the Environmental Protection Agency established a general National Pollution Discharge Elimination Permit for suction dredge miners in Idaho. But the permit, required by the Clean Water Act,can't be issued in streams where protected fish are present unless the federal fisheries agencies have determined dredging won't harm the fish.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Probert said the notices of noncompliance are not enforcement documents orcitations. Several miners refused to accept the notices.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]The miners, who have permits from the Idaho Water Resources Board, insist the river is open under the Mining Act of 1872 and court precedent and that their work is legal.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]"If they had the authority, they would have come back the next day with law enforcement officers, cited and arrested us - they didn't,"said Shannon Poe, president of the American Mining Rights Associationat Coulterville, Calif.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]He said the Forest Service regulations don't apply because suction dredge miners don't cause significant surface disturbance and the EPA permit isn't needed because they don't add pollutants to the water or harm fish.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Poe also mined on the South Fork last summer. He received what he calls a threatening letter from the EPA but said he responded with a letter of his own threatening legal action against the agency and individual employees. Following the exchange, Poe said he has not heard from EPA officials.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]"When you push back and have the law on your side, they have no defense.The fear and intimidation tactics they use work on most people. They kept most suction dredge miners out of the water last year and this year."[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Poe said he plans to file a lawsuit against Hughes and the Forest Service.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Idaho County Sheriff Doug Giddings said he believes the miners are in the right and are acting lawfully. He said an inspector from the Idaho Water Resources Board visited the mining area Wednesday and determined all of the miners had proper state permits.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]"They are all legal and they are all dredging. That is the bottom line,"he said. "I was there when (the inspector) got there. They volunteered their permits, he cleared them and everybody left happy."[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]The Tribune was not able to verify the results of the inspection from the Idaho Water Resources Board. In 2013, Tim Luke, water quality compliance chief at the Idaho Water Resources Board at Boise, told the Tribune Idaho's permit does not excuse miners from federal regulations.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]"I would tell people if you get our permit and go out and work in one of those waters that may be closed under their permit, you are at risk,"he said. "You can't use our permit to argue you are some how legal or valid under their permitting process."[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Under the state permit the mining season on the South Fork ends Aug. 15.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Giddings said he attempted to speak with Hughes about the issue but said he was told Hughes was directed not to speak about it.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]"I don't know what they are fighting about. Everything is legal as far as I know and as far as the state (says) and since (Forest Service officials) won't talk to me, I'm probably not going to find out."[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Mark MacIntyre, an EPA spokesman, said he couldn't talk about the issue because it is under investigation but he did release a statement from the agency saying it is aware of the activity on the South Fork and "is looking into the matter."[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]The statement went on to explain that since the EPA instituted its National Pollution Discharge Elimination System general permit for suction dredge mining in Idaho two years ago, four previously closed streams have been opened to mining following consultation with federal fisheries agencies.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]"The (South Fork) Clearwater, which has critical habitat for threatened salmon, steelhead, and bull trout, is closed to all dredging underthe EPA General Permit, since ESA consultation has not been completedfor this river."[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]The Idaho Conservation League at Boise is encouraging the federal agencies to take action. But league senior conservation associate Jonathan Oppenheimer said while he finds the lack of enforcement frustrating, he understands the agencies want to avoid a confrontation. He alleges the miners are intimidating federal regulators.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]"A handful of both within and largely out-of-state mining activists are coming to Idaho messing up our streams and basically stirring up the waters both literally and figuratively, basically trying to prove some kind of point about their rights to dredge mine," he said."Unfortunately, it's the resources, the South Fork of the Clearwater and the endangered fish that are bearing the brunt of it."[/FONT]

 

[rodoconnor]

Thank you Sheriff Giddings

 

[IdahoJake]

Clint Hughes!

IMHO, Clint represents everything that is wrong with today's Forest Service. Plus, I think he's a Boise State grad...so, that explains a lot of his apparent and perpetual state of ignorance.