Idaho Dredgers take a stand

[littlenugget1]

OH and by the way there is protesters on the ground in riggins as i type that says there is nobody there to fight against this event! right now

 

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[GrizzlyGremlin]

Ive been saying this and will keep saying this... Get remote, and do what you want. Carry a GUN, and if you are a real american you will let
Noone tell you what to do. You think forest rangers and fish and game have any balls? Nope. They hide behind rules. I hide behind a 45.

 

[Oakview2]

My response
BITE ME EDWARD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mr. Ron Hancock(Current President of the Nampa GPAA):


I am writing to ask that you, as the current President of the Gold Prospectors Association of America, Nampa Chapter, distribute some important information regarding the “Occupy Idaho Waters: Dredge-In Event” planned on the Salmon River near Riggins, Idaho, from June 30-July 6, 2014. While EPA respects every citizen’s right to peaceably protest on federal land, the Salmon River locations of the planned event (Shorts and Island Bars) are areas which are closed to suction dredging under the EPA NPDES General Permit for Small Suction Dredge Mining.

This area is closed under the permit in order to protect habitat for threatened and endangered species. This part of the river is designated as critical habitat for chinook salmon, steelhead, and bull trout under the Endangered Species Act. The operation of a dredge in closed waters would be a serious violation of the law.

I recognize that the EPA NPDES General Permit has introduced restrictions since 2013 that many of your members do not agree with. We also know from our experience in working with dredge miners and your association, that there is a general desire to legally conduct this activity. That opportunity is available, as EPA’s permit framework does allow for small scale suction dredge mining in many waters in Idaho, where the activity doesn’t threaten or damage important habitat or other resources.

I greatly appreciate the efforts of you and your members to learn about and provide feedback on this NPDES General Permit, and encourage you to continue working with our agency. Your involvement is critical to improving our permit framework, so that you and your membership can continue this activity in areas where suction dredge mining is allowed.

Edward J. Kowalski
Director
Office of Compliance and Enforcement (AKA Jack Booted Thugs with machine guns... Yes I added this, it is my belief that the EPA is Violating the Constitutions Ninth Amendment. And Violating the Bill of Rights by using military force on US Citizens to enforce a "regulation" created by the EPA without any say by the American people. )

EPA Region 10

Seattle, WA 98101

 

[Idaho]

If you want to get rid of Ron as president of the Nampa GPAA, it is fairly easy, as long as you have the Membership behind you(and I believe you do).

Next meeting call for a reelection vote... If the numbers are against Ron, he will not be President anymore... It really is that simple.

Just make sure Ron does not bring all his 'relatives' and stack the vote, like last time...

 

[Doitlaynstyle]

So here is the correspondence I got from Ron.

Sorry for it taking so long to get back to you, I have been away for a few days.
You email was forwarded to me from Karin. She is no longer an officer. I had just asked a favor from her to get*the EPA letter*out. Which the EPA asked all Presidents from all Idaho clubs to do.
*
You email:
"As much as I appreciate this email the GPAA has sold out to the EPA. The EPA has no business in any state trying to regulate mining. This is how they start. Pulling heart strings and saying some animal is endangered with absolutely no proof. I'm seriously disappointed with the club for not making a statement that reflects the majority views of club members in this matter. If you want to be able to continue mining we have to resist the EPA as a group. Otherwise we are going to wind up like California and we won't be able to dredge at all. Wake up."

As much as I appreciate you opinion, I think you should have been a little more respectful. I would like for you to come to next weeks meeting and explain your unhappiness with this club and how you feel we have "sold out".*Also what you have done for the cause. You*didn't bother to state what we have done wrong besides not making a statement, which I feel we have done.*We have spent all winter expressing our disagreement with the EPA over stepping its bounds. I have countless emails to government officials to prove it. We have complained for 3 years that the EPA is flying under the radar and tiring to be sneaky to screw us. They send a letter asking it to be distribute it. I felt is was my duty as you president to pass the information along. For once they acted with honor instead of setting up a sting operation to hand out tickets for the event in question. Your opinion is always welcome.
** Thank you
*** Ron Hancock

So just to clarify I did state the GPAA not the Ngpaa. In his opinion here he has complained for three years? Pretty much all he is going to do. Complain, send email after email expecting his corrupt govt to do anything about it. It is time for us to take back our state with action. GO DREDGE! And take backup with you. This is our state and we elect them to do OUR bidding not the other way around. The time for complaining is over, the time for action is now...

 

[Oakview2]

You should be more respectful of his inablity to stand up for miners soverign rights, yeah buddy. Like most GPAA presidents, they need to lead, follow or get out of the way.....

 

[omnicron]

This is the reason I wont join any kind of club/organization to do with mining.

 

[2cmorau]

Omni join PLP they are the ones that have been doing something,i know there not a mining club, but they are trying to keep are public lands open. i dropped out of GPAA i think it was in 88, not for the reasons today, which will keep me away permanently, but back then most of the claims in the guide book were either vary Northern Cal or Southern Cal nothing in the middle like Yuba rivers, i have watched Gpaa go down hill fast over the years right after buzzered passed, sad

 

[Hoser John]

Yes please support those who lost all our dredge rights deliberately in the first place NOT John

 

[littlenugget1]

Small protest held over dredge mining regulations
Credit: file photo
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by Associated Press
KTVB.COM
Posted on July 1, 2014 at 11:04 AM
RIGGINS, Idaho -- A small group of miners used their suction dredges on the Salmon River to protest new regulations by the Environmental Protection Agency.
About 40 people assembled Monday afternoon at Island Bar and about six operated their dredge mines. The protest is expected to continue throughout the week, culminating with a Friday afternoon rally at Riggins City Park.
The EPA last year ruled that suction dredgers need National Pollution Discharge Elimination System permits to operate in the state.
Permit regulations forbid suction dredges in streams with threatened or endangered species such as salmon, steelhead and bull trout.
Indian reservations and rivers that are part of the National Wild and Scenic River system are also off limits.
John Crossman, an organizer of the "Occupy the Salmon River" protest, told the Lewiston Tribune that people are traveling from Idaho and across the West to attend.
There was no reaction from federal officials.

 

[2cmorau]

not sure what you mean by this, are ya talking about the New 49rs, my underrstanding is smack started this problem greed for more land to dredge

PLP, don't know anything that has been done by this org. that put us out of the water
elaborate

Yes please support those who lost all our dredge rights deliberately in the first place NOT John

 

[Doitlaynstyle]

So my plan was to attend with BLACK BETTY but I hadn't even realized that I had already committed her for a club event (IGPA not NGPAA) this weekend. We are doing a fundraiser that involves a whole lot of classified material that will be ready to run. Those that donate get to split whatever gold we find evenly. We will have three Trommels, BLACK BETTY, and four or five high-bankers running for the entire weekend. Should be a great time but I wish I was headed up to riggins.

 

[Hoser John]

Fillibustered the 1994 CDFG regs committee meetings killing our permenent dredge group to keep dredging open. Obstructionism at it's worst same a Rethugliescum mandate of all or nuttn(their mantra for over 25 years) Senate hearing on dredging ban total cluster f with insane back room deal with Steinburg to limit our rights futures to their 20 minute insipid presentation that killed dredging forever. We got stuck with Corbins bill and many others that they couldn't pay, on/on/on-Riverside mess over engine hp in desert when already bigger than they caused hastles over,infintile lawsuits bs on and on and on-only worse mess from the cancer on the klamath-between the 2 ya got no rights for over 5 years of income gone. Deliberate proliferation of animosity and setting up scenarios to infuriate the feds at every move....hahahaha. Never a cent to either neither never-John

 

[Hoser John]

DON'T BACK DOWN IDAHO AS YOU'LL NEVER REGAIN YOUR RIGHTS ONCE GONE-STICK IT TO THE LOUSY EPA PERMIT SCAM- respect-John

 

[Fullpan]

Wow - I just read the 1st published article about the protest. It wasn't the article itself, but the 570 comments below that blew me away !

Miners dredge protected Idaho river in protest of federal oversight

90 % - anti-mining - maybe 3 commenters had any grasp of the issue - oh well...

 

[Oakview2]

Looks like the majority of the posts came from the same talking points, and most likely from the same enviormental group. Don't be cowards and hide on the internet, come to the river and get some...

 

[Hoser John]

Just like california, maine and oregon as absolutely no science all misguided perceptions based on lies,inuendo,bs,you might,you can insanity. Support the PACIFIC LEGAL FOUNDATION and THE BLUE RIBBON COALITION and attend this protest as it is WAR and nothing less. John

 

[Hoser John]

SILENCE IS NOT GOLDEN....NUTTN' ON THE NEWS...hope folks showed and not kalif wimp style talkn' bs-John

 

[bill-costa rica]

what happened in riggins ? no news , no photos .... did anyone show up. lots of questions , but no answers


bill/cr

 

[Oakview2]

This is the only blurb I have been able to find and I believe it was posted on Wednesday


We spoke with John last night where he was standing on the banks of the Salmon River in Idaho for the Occupy the waters event in protest of the EPA requiring a (absurd) "pollution discharge permit", but refusing to issue any if someone applies for one. There were about 10 dredges in the water yesterday, but the event isn't until the 4th, so that is quite encouraging. There was no sign of the EPA thanks to the people rising... up against the tyranny we are witnessing and the Sheriff, Doug Giddings who told them all to stay out of his county. This peaceful protest is precisely what America needs right now, like the folks who blocked the buses of illegal aliens being transported into California yesterday. We have learned that several environmental groups are planning on disrupting the event Friday and have assurances from Sheriff Giddings that misbehavior will not be tolerated and people will spend their holiday weekend in jail. These people have said they plan to destroy people's dredges with drills, rocks and whatever it takes to make them inoperable. John and Mike are prepared for this as we have $20,000 in dredges up there.