Bronze
Full Member
- Jun 21, 2013
- 217
- 557
- Detector(s) used
- Garrett AT pro, Keene "3 dredge, Jobe yellow jacket, "36 Prospector Bazooka, a shovel, a pan and a worn out back.
- Primary Interest:
- All Treasure Hunting
Yup, what it says up there. This is a "Good news, Bad news" scenario.
Bad news first.....Yes, you need a HPA (I'll get to why later), Good news......It's FREE. Just takes some time to fill out. Since I have already submitted mine and then had the sate call me back to correct my mistakes, Its fixed now and as of today's date, is now sitting on the biologists desk. The state is required to give you a response by the 45 day mark after submission.
After something another member mentioned in a post I made in the Gold Prospecting forum concerning my Bazooka, I decided to call Fish and Wildlife and speak to someone to get some guidance. I was put through to "Pat" in regulatory. Super nice dude and I explained I was looking at this piece of equipment and it wasn't covered in the regs. After directing him to the web site of the Bazooka and about a 1/2 hour discussion about how cool it was this is what he said. "Even though it has no riffles I am going to stick to the "36 inch area and normally for an individual, I normally only give a 1 year permit but for this, since it is the size of a regular sluice and you are using nothing but buckets and a shovel, I will grant you a 5 year permit as long as you use it within the terms of the Gold and Fish pamphlet. And as an individual, there is no cost associated with it". He also stated that "Having the HPA would keep you covered in the event an over zealous officer decided to visit you at your site and tried to turn you into a test case".
What he said in a nutshell is that he (being the one who decides what is right or wrong) is that the "36 prospector is good to go. Anything bigger, he, in regulatory might not agree with.
So for those of you that have never done an HPA.....no sweat.....I am going to walk you through it step by step. At first it seems daunting and you will be swimming in state legaleze saying "oh sweet 6lb 8oz baby jesus in the manger, how do I fill this out". Sit tight and follow along.
First, Go here Hydraulic Project Approval (HPA) | Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife and then click the "APPS Online HPA Application" on the right. Then find the "Create New Account" on the right side of the page. Once you have done that and confirmed everything you will be able to log into your account. Then you will go to the left side of the page and under "Start New Application", click on "Standard Hydraulic Permit".
Now onto filling out the permit:
1)click "I am applying for a General HPA without specific project locations." This will change how the page looks.
2)Under "Site Description", in the box, TYPE: STATE WIDE
3)In the spot for "agricultural or stock irrigation", dont click either. If it forces you, click "NO".
4)For application type, click STANDARD
5)For Project name call it "Ricky Bobbies (or what ever your first name is) state wide Bazooka permit"
6)Under Project Type, click "MINERAL PROSPECTING"
7)Do you want to apply using simplified application form?, click YES
8)In the "Applicant" section, put in all your info
9)In "Applicant Account Type", click on "SINGLE OR MULTIPLE PRIVATE INDIVIDUALS"
10)In "Authorized Agent or Contact", click "NO AGENT WILL BE ACTING ON BEHALF OF APPLICANT", then put your info in leaving the business name empty.
11)Property Owners section. (Do not use the quotation marks I am here around the NA) First name: TYPE "NA" Middle Name: leave blank Last Name: TYPE "NA" .
Address 1: TYPE "NA" Address 2: LEAVE BLANK City: TYPE "NA" State/Province:INSERT "WA" Zip Code:TYPE "99999"
Country: INSERT "UNITED STATES" Primary Number:9999999999 Mobile/Fax/Email: LEAVE BLANK
Then click "SAVE" then it will come up saying you missed stuff but go back to the bottom and hit "NEXT" to go to page 2
PAGE 2
Click the "PROJECT LOCATION" button. After you do, a pop up window will come up showing every county and in the lower right click on "STATE WIDE" and then click "ADD/UPDATE"
1)Will you be operating equipment in water? CLICK "YES"
2)Type of equipment used. TYPE "BAZOOKA GOLD TRAP"
3)Summarize the overall project. This is what I typed in. Feel free to copy and paste it to yours ONLY IF YOU ARE USING THE "36 prospector. If you are going to the "48 you risk being denied. But if someone wants to test case it, feel free and let us know the results.
"I will be using this piece of equipment state wide in a general prospecting role. Similar to a small sluice box but does not have any riffles. Acts more like a concentrator than traditional sluice. I will be using the "prospector" model that is "36 in length, "6 tall, "13.75 at flare, "9.5 at trap. More info can be found at the manufacturer website:
36" Prospector Bazooka Gold Trap Sluice Box - Bazooka Gold Company"
4)In the next box it asks about constructing each project element. In that box TYPE: "THIS IS NOT A PROJECT, JUST GENERAL PROSPECTING".
5)Project start date. Use the date you are submitting the HPA and then completion date put 5 years from submission date.
6)Will your project be conducted in multiple phases? CLICK "NO"
Click SAVE and then click NEXT.
PAGE 3
SEPA Compliance
1)Click "This project is exempt. I will upload, mail, or deliver a draft of the SEPA Letter of Exemption as part of this application".
2)Under "Choose type of exemption" CLICK: "CATEGORICAL EXEMPTION"
3)Under what section of the SEPA administrative code (WAC) is it exempt? TYPE "WAC 197-11-835(2)"
Then do the "SAVE" and "NEXT" again.
PAGE 4
Attachments
Above the attachments section, click on "If you are not the property owner of HPA project location(s) listed in this application, you are required to submit an attachment to document consent of property owner" to download the form and fill it out.
On the "Consent of Property Owner" form, CLICK the box next to "My project occurs on public lands (Complete only items #1 and #2 below)". This will auto fill an "X" in the box.
Under APP ID #: TYPE IN THE 4 DIGIT ID # OF THE APPLICATION YOU ARE FILLING OUT
Under "2. Business or Government Agency Name ", TYPE: WASHINGTON STATE
Nothing else is needed on this form.
Once you fill it out, save it to your computer.
Then in the attachments section under "Consent from Property Owner", CLICK: ONLINE
You will then have to attach your "Consent from Property Owner"
Under "Supporting Documents", CLICK: "NA"
PAGE 5
This is the submission page, you should have a green check mark next to "online standard HPA form" and "attachment". Now CLICK "NEXT" and your form will be submitted for review.
PAGE 6
This will ask you to certify everything to the best of your knowledge, etc, etc. Just click on it.
Then it will ask for your favorite TV show or something to that liking. Fill in the box.
AND THEN HIT SUBMIT
You are done. If the state needs anything else from you, they will call you and walk you through it. To the best of my knowledge, they shouldnt be calling you. I believe I covered all the bases here.
Bad news first.....Yes, you need a HPA (I'll get to why later), Good news......It's FREE. Just takes some time to fill out. Since I have already submitted mine and then had the sate call me back to correct my mistakes, Its fixed now and as of today's date, is now sitting on the biologists desk. The state is required to give you a response by the 45 day mark after submission.
After something another member mentioned in a post I made in the Gold Prospecting forum concerning my Bazooka, I decided to call Fish and Wildlife and speak to someone to get some guidance. I was put through to "Pat" in regulatory. Super nice dude and I explained I was looking at this piece of equipment and it wasn't covered in the regs. After directing him to the web site of the Bazooka and about a 1/2 hour discussion about how cool it was this is what he said. "Even though it has no riffles I am going to stick to the "36 inch area and normally for an individual, I normally only give a 1 year permit but for this, since it is the size of a regular sluice and you are using nothing but buckets and a shovel, I will grant you a 5 year permit as long as you use it within the terms of the Gold and Fish pamphlet. And as an individual, there is no cost associated with it". He also stated that "Having the HPA would keep you covered in the event an over zealous officer decided to visit you at your site and tried to turn you into a test case".
What he said in a nutshell is that he (being the one who decides what is right or wrong) is that the "36 prospector is good to go. Anything bigger, he, in regulatory might not agree with.
So for those of you that have never done an HPA.....no sweat.....I am going to walk you through it step by step. At first it seems daunting and you will be swimming in state legaleze saying "oh sweet 6lb 8oz baby jesus in the manger, how do I fill this out". Sit tight and follow along.
First, Go here Hydraulic Project Approval (HPA) | Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife and then click the "APPS Online HPA Application" on the right. Then find the "Create New Account" on the right side of the page. Once you have done that and confirmed everything you will be able to log into your account. Then you will go to the left side of the page and under "Start New Application", click on "Standard Hydraulic Permit".
Now onto filling out the permit:
1)click "I am applying for a General HPA without specific project locations." This will change how the page looks.
2)Under "Site Description", in the box, TYPE: STATE WIDE
3)In the spot for "agricultural or stock irrigation", dont click either. If it forces you, click "NO".
4)For application type, click STANDARD
5)For Project name call it "Ricky Bobbies (or what ever your first name is) state wide Bazooka permit"
6)Under Project Type, click "MINERAL PROSPECTING"
7)Do you want to apply using simplified application form?, click YES
8)In the "Applicant" section, put in all your info
9)In "Applicant Account Type", click on "SINGLE OR MULTIPLE PRIVATE INDIVIDUALS"
10)In "Authorized Agent or Contact", click "NO AGENT WILL BE ACTING ON BEHALF OF APPLICANT", then put your info in leaving the business name empty.
11)Property Owners section. (Do not use the quotation marks I am here around the NA) First name: TYPE "NA" Middle Name: leave blank Last Name: TYPE "NA" .
Address 1: TYPE "NA" Address 2: LEAVE BLANK City: TYPE "NA" State/Province:INSERT "WA" Zip Code:TYPE "99999"
Country: INSERT "UNITED STATES" Primary Number:9999999999 Mobile/Fax/Email: LEAVE BLANK
Then click "SAVE" then it will come up saying you missed stuff but go back to the bottom and hit "NEXT" to go to page 2
PAGE 2
Click the "PROJECT LOCATION" button. After you do, a pop up window will come up showing every county and in the lower right click on "STATE WIDE" and then click "ADD/UPDATE"
1)Will you be operating equipment in water? CLICK "YES"
2)Type of equipment used. TYPE "BAZOOKA GOLD TRAP"
3)Summarize the overall project. This is what I typed in. Feel free to copy and paste it to yours ONLY IF YOU ARE USING THE "36 prospector. If you are going to the "48 you risk being denied. But if someone wants to test case it, feel free and let us know the results.
"I will be using this piece of equipment state wide in a general prospecting role. Similar to a small sluice box but does not have any riffles. Acts more like a concentrator than traditional sluice. I will be using the "prospector" model that is "36 in length, "6 tall, "13.75 at flare, "9.5 at trap. More info can be found at the manufacturer website:
36" Prospector Bazooka Gold Trap Sluice Box - Bazooka Gold Company"
4)In the next box it asks about constructing each project element. In that box TYPE: "THIS IS NOT A PROJECT, JUST GENERAL PROSPECTING".
5)Project start date. Use the date you are submitting the HPA and then completion date put 5 years from submission date.
6)Will your project be conducted in multiple phases? CLICK "NO"
Click SAVE and then click NEXT.
PAGE 3
SEPA Compliance
1)Click "This project is exempt. I will upload, mail, or deliver a draft of the SEPA Letter of Exemption as part of this application".
2)Under "Choose type of exemption" CLICK: "CATEGORICAL EXEMPTION"
3)Under what section of the SEPA administrative code (WAC) is it exempt? TYPE "WAC 197-11-835(2)"
Then do the "SAVE" and "NEXT" again.
PAGE 4
Attachments
Above the attachments section, click on "If you are not the property owner of HPA project location(s) listed in this application, you are required to submit an attachment to document consent of property owner" to download the form and fill it out.
On the "Consent of Property Owner" form, CLICK the box next to "My project occurs on public lands (Complete only items #1 and #2 below)". This will auto fill an "X" in the box.
Under APP ID #: TYPE IN THE 4 DIGIT ID # OF THE APPLICATION YOU ARE FILLING OUT
Under "2. Business or Government Agency Name ", TYPE: WASHINGTON STATE
Nothing else is needed on this form.
Once you fill it out, save it to your computer.
Then in the attachments section under "Consent from Property Owner", CLICK: ONLINE
You will then have to attach your "Consent from Property Owner"
Under "Supporting Documents", CLICK: "NA"
PAGE 5
This is the submission page, you should have a green check mark next to "online standard HPA form" and "attachment". Now CLICK "NEXT" and your form will be submitted for review.
PAGE 6
This will ask you to certify everything to the best of your knowledge, etc, etc. Just click on it.
Then it will ask for your favorite TV show or something to that liking. Fill in the box.
AND THEN HIT SUBMIT
You are done. If the state needs anything else from you, they will call you and walk you through it. To the best of my knowledge, they shouldnt be calling you. I believe I covered all the bases here.
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