Congressman Raul Grijalva to shut down mining and Treasure Trove in Arizona

[Azquester]

Really!

 

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[djui5]

Wow...I'm speechless.
I hope this isn't going to happen.

 

[buscadero]

Sent a Polite E-Mail to Rep. Grijalva a few minutes ago! If you are not from Az., make sure you mention that you spend your winters in Az.
recreational Prospecting!

Joe

 

[djui5]

http://www.house.gov/grijalva/press/press_releases/pr_020907.html

Posted on another forum.

 

[gollum]

Here is the email I just sent him:

"Dear Mr. Grijalva,

I have just learned that yourself and Ann Day are attempting to ban mining on public lands in Az.

I know that sometimes bad information can be passed around as fact, so I guess my first question would be, "Is this true?"

If so, I would like to ask you your reasoning for this? If there is a good reason, I am an understanding person. I can understand if mining operations are destroying public land, that could be used by others (i.e. gold extraction via cyanide or mercury).

I also understand that you wish to do away with Treasure Trove Applications. THAT I can't understand at all. It would be counterproductive to say the least. There are countless caches of both Spanish and later origin throughout your state. Without a legal route to claim a found treasure trove, this would guarantee illegal digging and removal of valuable historical items. At least with Treasure Trove Laws, we know just what is coming out of the ground.

I come to Arizona EVERY Winter to do some amateur prospecting and treasure hunting. I also know many other people who do the same. So, if you save the lands from people like me, who do you think would come all the way to Arizona to hike around the DESERT Mountains? Not many. Do you really want to drive out the only people who spend money along the Tucson-Nogales Corridor? How many people drive to the Superstition Mountains hoping to find the Lost Dutchman's Mine? If they know that it would be illegal to recover anything found, with no legal recourse, they may just stay at home. Is that what you want? Because that is what you will get.

Many thanks for your attention,

Mike McChesney"

Best,

Mike

 

[Oroblanco]

I wrote my own representative to oppose Grijalva on this, and suggest you folks do the same.

Oroblanco

 

[Oroblanco]

Mike, do I understand your letter to Grijalva, that you are OK with stopping MINING? It sounds as if that is your stand, or I am reading it wrong. What do you mean, "for others to use" the land, others as in what, developers, or hikers, or bikers, or what group WOULD you allow to use the land while STOPPING miners?

I for one support our good old 1872 Mining Law, the only law that gives YOU the American citizen the legal authority to enter upon the Public Lands! (Believe it or don't, it is a fact!) Mining jobs are among the GOOD paying jobs in America, and we cannot afford to export THOSE jobs too!

Treasure trove law is great, but remember HALF of anything you find goes to the government - if you find an old mine, ALL of the gold /silver /copper /diamonds /turquoise /tin etc you name it is yours to keep or sell. In fact I think it is high time that the moratorium against patenting of Federal mining claims is lifted - I realize that the patent system was being abused by developers, but it would be a simple thing to block this and allow the small time prospector to get full title to his discovery.

Of course I still think the USA needs to return to a gold/silver standard for our money, and do away with this Federal Reserve system in which every single dollar that enters the economy is BORROWED from the Reserve banks, which are not really under government control. I LIKE many OLD ideas, like those you find in our Constitution, the 1872 Mining Law, etc.

Oroblanco

PS for you folks who think that finding gold would qualify as "Treasure Trove" and be legal to hunt and recover, think again - raw, un-smelted, un-refined gold ore OR placer gold, native silver, etc are NOT legally classed as "Treasure Trove" - they are MINERALS and the only legal way you can recover them is via the authority of the 1872 Mining Law! If you doubt this, look it up! Raw natural gold, gold ore, silver ore, native silver, native copper, raw gemstones etc are classed as LOCATABLE MINERALS, and NOT a type of "treasure" by legal definition! Support your good old 1872 Mining Law, it is more important than you might think!

 

[gollum]

I added that line to sound like a reasonable person to him. I said that I am understanding person, and "IF" there were a good reason, I could understand it. I personally can't think of a "GOOD" reason to do that.

Beth,

I think you misread the post. They are trying to do away with BOTH mining and Treasure Trove Laws.

Best,

Mike

 

[Oroblanco]

Thanks for clarifying for us Mike - if you really are okay with stopping mining, you are welcome to your opinion - but I sure hope they DON'T do away with EITHER law - they are good for America and VERY good for Arizona, California, Alaska, Oregon, Washington - all the western states.

Oroblanco

 

[gollum]

I agree, but you are missing my point.

I ONLY put that in so my chances of getting a real reply rather than a form letter are greater. If they think they have a chance of swaying my opinion, I'm more likely to get a correspondence. If I just email them saying that I'm pissed, and if they do such a thing, I will never stop my car in AZ again, they will know I am not open to hearing anything they might have to say,and they will send me a form letter.

I've been selling expensive cars for a looooong time. I know what to say, to get a response I want! I'm also interested in hearing why they think that what they are doing is a good idea.

Best,

Mike

 

[AuTSaurus]

To all concerned with this proposed action, please go to the following site;

http://www.plp2.org/1.html

Please let them know about ANY info that you may have concerning this!

PLP is an outstanding organization that fights for OUR rights to use the public (people's) land.

If you also decide to join, GREAT!!

Greg

 

[russau]

well its time for everyone to respond to this! emails followed up by a phone cal or a letter. we need to stop this early!

 

[djui5]

Wow, what a joke. This is never gonna fly...

 

[Real de Tayopa Tropical Tramp]

author=djui5 link=topic=71342.msg521356#msg521356 date=1172191070]
Wow, what a joke. This is never gonna fly...
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don't put any bets on this djui. Remember most voters haven' t the faintest idea since they seldom use any of the public lands.

Tropical Tramp

 

[djui5]

don't put any bets on this djui. Remember most voters haven' t the faintest idea since they seldom use any of the public lands.

Tropical Tramp

You're right, I've seen worse things happen, like when they did away with Hockey! It was an entire sport!. Would be a shame if they shut down mining though.

 

[Oroblanco]

A major problem is in how the public receives the information. Take for example the "problem" of wild horses and burros in the western states. Why, they are overpopulating, we are told, and must be reduced in numbers; we need to kill off a huge number and make them into pet food; there are over 30,000 head of wild horses and burros and this is far too many for the range land! However those pushing to get rid of the wild horses and burros don't mention the fact that over 3.5 million head of cattle are sharing that exact same range land! Yep boy those wild horses must GO - but what about the cattle? Shh! Don't get me wrong, some of my very best friends are ranchers - but the way information gets SKEWED when it is presented to the public, which then results in major changes in laws, is amazing and alarming.

Oroblanco

 

[Springfield]

"...when money is involved, the one's who don't have it are now SOL."

The way of the world, B. As more wealth is siphoned from the populace for the benefit of the elite (capitalism taken to it's feeding-frenzy extreme), our country is marching towards 3rd-world status. In another 20 or 40 years, the USA and Mexico will probably closely resemble eachother - an entrenched elite class and an enormous bunch of us picking $hit with the chickens. Thank the organized crime ring in Washington for this well-planned fleecing.

 

[djui5]

sorta **OT**

Phelps Dodge is being bought by another company. I was speaking with one of their lawyers a month or so ago, and he's not sure how much longer he'll have a job.

 

[Real de Tayopa Tropical Tramp]

=Bob Collins .

But, Democratic Congressman and woman Raul Grijalva and Gabrielle Gifford's BC
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K all Arizonans, remember these names next election time, I certainly will, being a registered Pima cunty voter. Dump them and the message will / might go to the others with the same ideas.

Tropical Tamp / Real de Tayopa







[/quote]

 

[Zephyr]

Don't be surprised if they put on their campaign literature that they "fought for the environment" (but without listing exactly what that means.)

I'm of the firm opinion that candidates for gov't office should be drawn from the voting pool, and the people be allowed to vote for who they want for the job. Yes, it would kind of like jury duty, but we couldn't do any worse than the people running things "for" us now....