from David Straight
August 27 at 2:17pm
Miners report from WA state TU meeting Leavenworth, WA 26th August, 2015
This is an attempt to give you a detailed account of my trip to Leavenworth, WA and to the Trout unlimited meeting held at the Best Western "Icycle Village Resort and Spa". (Special thanks to Chris Giorgi, and others at miners assembled, High Desert treasure club, and PLP for making it happen)
So I begin, After working a 14 hour day and leaving home at 9:30 pm, I arrived at the resort at 3 am. By 3:15am I had found a location at a gravel pit (with great mineralization) directly across the street, I grabbed my pillow and leaned the seat back in my PU and was quickly asleep. My internal alarm woke me at six as it always does. Another hour would have been great. I went to the park cleaned up, changed my clothes and as I went back to my truck, there was a city park maintenance truck and guys looking over my mining equipment. I told them where I was from and why I was there (TU meeting) and they walked me to the river in the park and showed me a beautiful pond tied to the river (Wenatchee) that TU made for the children to have a safe place to fish. Then I went back to the resort and had a great breakfast at the resort and waited for the meeting to start at 10am.
The meeting room was small and packed we had a total of six miners, myself, Stan Laughlin, Rod Grant writer for GPAA, one miner (can't remember name) who drove from Kent, WA, and a couple husband and wife from Liberty, Wa.
A great and open minded and intelligent gentleman named Derek Young, From TU, opened the meeting. He, made introductions, from that I learned there were three TU chapters represented as well as Kim McDonald, head of Fish not Gold and Shelterwood Consulting. I also learned later at the creek tour that Kim is a large money green foundation CEO who up till now has been working against us. Amanda Barg, WDFW Wenatchee River drainage Biologist, she told me she is a fish habitat restoration (supposed) expert (young, blonde, full of spunk, and miss information, and opinionated, non expert, and our biggest enemy in the room). He (Derek) then introduced Gregg Bafundo, TU, WA state leader, who took over the meeting and immediately said he was going to be hard on us, and not as nice as Derek, and he would not let us talk out of turn, or be confrontational, that it was their meeting to give information to their group, and there would be a question and answer session after. So, Gregg fired up his power point and we sat and bit our tongues and shaking our head as he gave out miss information and I made quick mental notes for later rebuttal. When he was finished he turned it over to miss Amanda Barg, who scared the living day lights out of us with her highly opinionated lack of correct knowledge.
A quote from a great local miner (name withheld) I have talked to in depth about his opinion of her, but he was not at the meeting do to fire evac, he said "She been nothing but a pain in my ass. That's a fact! Of all my hpa's that are active she's still got my chiwawa river hpa on hold. And my north fork shaser creek provisions are out of her own book of biology. I'll try and send you a copy of my hpa provisions she requires. They are crazy! Like me having to call her 3 days before I go dredging everytime I go. I knew she would be there. Just proves my theory even more. She has got to go asap. Shes messing up the whole fishery. There's been no fish in the
Chiwawa River for the last 5-8 years".!
When this part of the nightmare ended, Gegg B. Stood up and announce Q&A, Six miners hands shot up like ballistic surface to air missiles. He rolled his eyes and braced hisself and
pointed at Rod Grant, GPAA writer. And said I'll take you first then pointing around the table in a clock wise direction and ending at myself he said he would take one question from each person but to keep it civil. Everyone was very nice. Asked one question. Properly got his opinion.
There was a few things we learned from this (and it could not have worked out more perfect) was that TU with major funding across the country from fisherman and greenies is also getting major funding from every Indian Tribe in the country and that they have raised from (one tribe alone) in WA, 8 million dollars and that nation wide they (TU) have a 100 million dollars in their war chests. We also learned something (I already knew) that they TU was the major sponsor of SB838 in Oregon and another bill in Maine, that will put a five year moratorium on dredging starting January 2016.
Now, when it got around to me my question was... Would you be open to give one of us five minutes to speak to the group, and if so that I would like to, with the other miners in the rooms permission, be the one to speak? And, to my surprise he said yes and called me up.
I, started by asking permission if it would be alright to give my history and background so everyone would know where my passion and knowledge comes from. I told them I grew up in a small River town, a logging, a fishing, and, a mining town in Oregon, very much like here. That, my great Grandfather died in a mining accident and that my Grandfather was a geologist for the State of CA. That my Dad was a Farmer, a housing contractor, who taught me to love nature and our natural surroundings, and to have respect for it and that he also taught me to fish,
I told them, From the age of nine my Grand father took me mining and that I have raised 10 children, while earning three college degrees. That I, am a farmer/rancher, a fisherman, and yes a miner, and that mining is not only fun for me but it is my only source for retirement income and that I like many others depend upon it.
I told them as a farmer that I sat on the board of directors for a irrigation district and that as the oldest irrigation district in Oregon we had worked with Deschutes River Conservancy Group to meter and to conserve water and to put our excess back in stream to help the fish, and that, that led to me personally to working with them to do fish restoration projects on the Deshutes River and a large famous project called Whychus Creek and that we Brought Salmon and Steelhead back to a creek that had not had any in over 40 years and that we used the local dredgers to help to rebuild 17 miles of this creek and how it made national headlines and in their expressions nearly everyone of them in the group new about it.
I, explained who miners are, that they are the handicap veterans, finding peace and solitude and supplementing their income, that a miner is a elderly neighbor on social security who needs another $150. A month to get by. That a miner is someone who loves the outdoors and who also is also a fisherman, that a miner is a family, a husband, his wife, and children sharing camping and an experience that teaches children self reliance, and respect for nature. That a miner is sometimes a youth 20ish that can't find a job. I told of experiences mining and dredging that I likened (compared) to swimming with the Dolphins in Florida, or the whales in Puget Sound, that being six feet down in a river in scuba gear and watching the fish swim around you, and having a Sturgeon snuggle next to you, and watching them play. I, let them know how much I wished they could experience it. I, talked about how passionate I am about fishing and mining and about education. That, I know that they would want to know when (I as both a fisherman and a miner) saw that they are putting out miss information and again that they would want to know about it.
And, then I went back over my mental notes of the power point and mentioned the miss information. (and, I later at the creek talked to Gregg about each one).
Then I, talked about (little missy) Amanda's miss info, Very professionally as she interrupted over and over again I felt I handled the miss concern. Except for we will never agree on some things.
Then I was cut off do to time for the creek tour, so we hurried out to the trucks and up to the creek about 10 miles away. We walked the length of two claims, the water was very low and teaming with 2" fry. They showed many dredge holes, and I asked what their concerns were one by one and pointed out the benefits to each hole, until we got to one that was really bad.
I pointed out how much this one hole pissed me off and how irresponsible that person was and how I'd like to tie him naked to a tree next to a red ant hill and cover his privates in honey after I beat him senseless. And, when he began screaming for mercy, I'd wait a few minutes then cut him down and throw him in his hole and toss in a shovel and make him fill his way out. And then I spoke on, that there is always one in every group and that it was just, as irresponsible as, the fisherman who put ten fish in their cooler when the limit is seven and who throw, their beer cans around and that it is up to all of us to educate each other and police and penalize our own.
(I, wanted to let them know we get upset to and we can be harsh in policing our own)
Then I said that there is four ways to handle any problem. You can see it, and do nothing, which no one should do, but that a few will.
Or, you can see it and be aggressive and confrontational and everyone gets pissed and nothing is accomplished, and someone may get hurt.
Or, that you can see it and dial 911 and when the police do nothing (and at this point I looked right into Greggs, Derek's, Kim's, and Amanda's eyes and said you can get upset work off emotion, gather up your money, lobby politicians, and get them shut down, harming thousand of people in the process, for the errors of a few, like you've done in Oregon and Maine.
Or you can use that money for good and fight it through education and go to the clubs and claim owners, and each other's groups such as your own groups and educate them with real true information and common sense, and ethical practices and procedures. Such as I have done in driving 5 1/2 hours to get here. I told them that I would work on getting that hole corrected by the end of the week (which I have done). And it should be completed today. (Special thanks to Justin Carr).
Then some people left and I had very good conversations with individuals like Derek, Kim, and Others, they truly thanked me from there hearts and said they would work on cooperation and education. I said to remember the four ways of handling a problem and I repeated it to them again (as written above). And I thanked them again for allowing me the opportunity.
And when I left about a mile up 97, I found an ancient tertiary river channel that is more than likely the source of the Scotty Creek gold and silver, I chipped away at it into my pan walked to the creek and panned out over a 1/2 gram in one pan of material as well as a (half a rock split) of a palm sized rock loaded with silver. It would assay well over $100. Ton.
Then, I got back on the road, and said to myself, I'll be back!
August 27 at 2:17pm
Miners report from WA state TU meeting Leavenworth, WA 26th August, 2015
This is an attempt to give you a detailed account of my trip to Leavenworth, WA and to the Trout unlimited meeting held at the Best Western "Icycle Village Resort and Spa". (Special thanks to Chris Giorgi, and others at miners assembled, High Desert treasure club, and PLP for making it happen)
So I begin, After working a 14 hour day and leaving home at 9:30 pm, I arrived at the resort at 3 am. By 3:15am I had found a location at a gravel pit (with great mineralization) directly across the street, I grabbed my pillow and leaned the seat back in my PU and was quickly asleep. My internal alarm woke me at six as it always does. Another hour would have been great. I went to the park cleaned up, changed my clothes and as I went back to my truck, there was a city park maintenance truck and guys looking over my mining equipment. I told them where I was from and why I was there (TU meeting) and they walked me to the river in the park and showed me a beautiful pond tied to the river (Wenatchee) that TU made for the children to have a safe place to fish. Then I went back to the resort and had a great breakfast at the resort and waited for the meeting to start at 10am.
The meeting room was small and packed we had a total of six miners, myself, Stan Laughlin, Rod Grant writer for GPAA, one miner (can't remember name) who drove from Kent, WA, and a couple husband and wife from Liberty, Wa.
A great and open minded and intelligent gentleman named Derek Young, From TU, opened the meeting. He, made introductions, from that I learned there were three TU chapters represented as well as Kim McDonald, head of Fish not Gold and Shelterwood Consulting. I also learned later at the creek tour that Kim is a large money green foundation CEO who up till now has been working against us. Amanda Barg, WDFW Wenatchee River drainage Biologist, she told me she is a fish habitat restoration (supposed) expert (young, blonde, full of spunk, and miss information, and opinionated, non expert, and our biggest enemy in the room). He (Derek) then introduced Gregg Bafundo, TU, WA state leader, who took over the meeting and immediately said he was going to be hard on us, and not as nice as Derek, and he would not let us talk out of turn, or be confrontational, that it was their meeting to give information to their group, and there would be a question and answer session after. So, Gregg fired up his power point and we sat and bit our tongues and shaking our head as he gave out miss information and I made quick mental notes for later rebuttal. When he was finished he turned it over to miss Amanda Barg, who scared the living day lights out of us with her highly opinionated lack of correct knowledge.
A quote from a great local miner (name withheld) I have talked to in depth about his opinion of her, but he was not at the meeting do to fire evac, he said "She been nothing but a pain in my ass. That's a fact! Of all my hpa's that are active she's still got my chiwawa river hpa on hold. And my north fork shaser creek provisions are out of her own book of biology. I'll try and send you a copy of my hpa provisions she requires. They are crazy! Like me having to call her 3 days before I go dredging everytime I go. I knew she would be there. Just proves my theory even more. She has got to go asap. Shes messing up the whole fishery. There's been no fish in the
Chiwawa River for the last 5-8 years".!
When this part of the nightmare ended, Gegg B. Stood up and announce Q&A, Six miners hands shot up like ballistic surface to air missiles. He rolled his eyes and braced hisself and
pointed at Rod Grant, GPAA writer. And said I'll take you first then pointing around the table in a clock wise direction and ending at myself he said he would take one question from each person but to keep it civil. Everyone was very nice. Asked one question. Properly got his opinion.
There was a few things we learned from this (and it could not have worked out more perfect) was that TU with major funding across the country from fisherman and greenies is also getting major funding from every Indian Tribe in the country and that they have raised from (one tribe alone) in WA, 8 million dollars and that nation wide they (TU) have a 100 million dollars in their war chests. We also learned something (I already knew) that they TU was the major sponsor of SB838 in Oregon and another bill in Maine, that will put a five year moratorium on dredging starting January 2016.
Now, when it got around to me my question was... Would you be open to give one of us five minutes to speak to the group, and if so that I would like to, with the other miners in the rooms permission, be the one to speak? And, to my surprise he said yes and called me up.
I, started by asking permission if it would be alright to give my history and background so everyone would know where my passion and knowledge comes from. I told them I grew up in a small River town, a logging, a fishing, and, a mining town in Oregon, very much like here. That, my great Grandfather died in a mining accident and that my Grandfather was a geologist for the State of CA. That my Dad was a Farmer, a housing contractor, who taught me to love nature and our natural surroundings, and to have respect for it and that he also taught me to fish,
I told them, From the age of nine my Grand father took me mining and that I have raised 10 children, while earning three college degrees. That I, am a farmer/rancher, a fisherman, and yes a miner, and that mining is not only fun for me but it is my only source for retirement income and that I like many others depend upon it.
I told them as a farmer that I sat on the board of directors for a irrigation district and that as the oldest irrigation district in Oregon we had worked with Deschutes River Conservancy Group to meter and to conserve water and to put our excess back in stream to help the fish, and that, that led to me personally to working with them to do fish restoration projects on the Deshutes River and a large famous project called Whychus Creek and that we Brought Salmon and Steelhead back to a creek that had not had any in over 40 years and that we used the local dredgers to help to rebuild 17 miles of this creek and how it made national headlines and in their expressions nearly everyone of them in the group new about it.
I, explained who miners are, that they are the handicap veterans, finding peace and solitude and supplementing their income, that a miner is a elderly neighbor on social security who needs another $150. A month to get by. That a miner is someone who loves the outdoors and who also is also a fisherman, that a miner is a family, a husband, his wife, and children sharing camping and an experience that teaches children self reliance, and respect for nature. That a miner is sometimes a youth 20ish that can't find a job. I told of experiences mining and dredging that I likened (compared) to swimming with the Dolphins in Florida, or the whales in Puget Sound, that being six feet down in a river in scuba gear and watching the fish swim around you, and having a Sturgeon snuggle next to you, and watching them play. I, let them know how much I wished they could experience it. I, talked about how passionate I am about fishing and mining and about education. That, I know that they would want to know when (I as both a fisherman and a miner) saw that they are putting out miss information and again that they would want to know about it.
And, then I went back over my mental notes of the power point and mentioned the miss information. (and, I later at the creek talked to Gregg about each one).
Then I, talked about (little missy) Amanda's miss info, Very professionally as she interrupted over and over again I felt I handled the miss concern. Except for we will never agree on some things.
Then I was cut off do to time for the creek tour, so we hurried out to the trucks and up to the creek about 10 miles away. We walked the length of two claims, the water was very low and teaming with 2" fry. They showed many dredge holes, and I asked what their concerns were one by one and pointed out the benefits to each hole, until we got to one that was really bad.
I pointed out how much this one hole pissed me off and how irresponsible that person was and how I'd like to tie him naked to a tree next to a red ant hill and cover his privates in honey after I beat him senseless. And, when he began screaming for mercy, I'd wait a few minutes then cut him down and throw him in his hole and toss in a shovel and make him fill his way out. And then I spoke on, that there is always one in every group and that it was just, as irresponsible as, the fisherman who put ten fish in their cooler when the limit is seven and who throw, their beer cans around and that it is up to all of us to educate each other and police and penalize our own.
(I, wanted to let them know we get upset to and we can be harsh in policing our own)
Then I said that there is four ways to handle any problem. You can see it, and do nothing, which no one should do, but that a few will.
Or, you can see it and be aggressive and confrontational and everyone gets pissed and nothing is accomplished, and someone may get hurt.
Or, that you can see it and dial 911 and when the police do nothing (and at this point I looked right into Greggs, Derek's, Kim's, and Amanda's eyes and said you can get upset work off emotion, gather up your money, lobby politicians, and get them shut down, harming thousand of people in the process, for the errors of a few, like you've done in Oregon and Maine.
Or you can use that money for good and fight it through education and go to the clubs and claim owners, and each other's groups such as your own groups and educate them with real true information and common sense, and ethical practices and procedures. Such as I have done in driving 5 1/2 hours to get here. I told them that I would work on getting that hole corrected by the end of the week (which I have done). And it should be completed today. (Special thanks to Justin Carr).
Then some people left and I had very good conversations with individuals like Derek, Kim, and Others, they truly thanked me from there hearts and said they would work on cooperation and education. I said to remember the four ways of handling a problem and I repeated it to them again (as written above). And I thanked them again for allowing me the opportunity.
And when I left about a mile up 97, I found an ancient tertiary river channel that is more than likely the source of the Scotty Creek gold and silver, I chipped away at it into my pan walked to the creek and panned out over a 1/2 gram in one pan of material as well as a (half a rock split) of a palm sized rock loaded with silver. It would assay well over $100. Ton.
Then, I got back on the road, and said to myself, I'll be back!
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