As seen in the Emily Camp series.....the USFS can be very creative. But give thought to this. The USFS comes up with lots of reasons for their actions. The ESA is just one of many. BUT they tend to justify by doing an in house EA cost effective (Environmental Assessment). Without challenge (and the "greenies" always challenge in court) the USFS can get away with an EA. But in most cases in order to close an existing GRANDFATHERED public way the USFS would be ordered to do a full scale (extremely costly...time consuming) EIS.....Environmental Impact Statement. The EIS requires/demands that ALL have a say about the closure. (thanks Clay/Barry/? for the earlier discussion/lesson). Tell the USFS sorry for the OUCH!......but it requires a challenge that always ends up costing the USFS even the court costs and attorney fees.....OUCH again!
Pay attention to the Behind the Woodshed presentation regarding Baker County Oregon!
Bejay
So what has become of Emily Camp? I watched the entire 12 part series and did a little research of Rutan. From what I just read Emily Camp is up for sale again or has been sold. Rutan is more into land investment than involve in gold mining. He was offering shares of Emily Camp.
Dave Rutan:
Hey All (prospectors, miners, land rights advocates),
This message may be used entirely or any of its parts to distribute electronically or publish to your distribution lists or newsletters. This fundraiser will raise $150,000 for mining Clubs/Associations or Property Rights groups through its donations. Any Club or Association could also use a 'Share' in the property as a fundraising Prize in any raffle. $500 of each purchase is a donation or you could keep any amount raised over $1500...
Here are the details.. "Emily Camp" in SW Oregon is now structured as an Oregon Limited Liability Company and there are 300 EXCLUSIVE shares being offered and sold for $2000 each. The LLC is buying 50 percent interest for the 300 shares and has First Right of Refusal to buy the remaining 50 percent. The Shares have full voting rights and include interest in the mining property, the cabins, and all equipment to mine its gold and recreate on the property as joint owners. $500 of each sale is a donation, and if it’s made to a 501 (c3) Club/Association (for example Public Lands for the People, or Eastern Oregon Mining Association) it would also be a tax write-off for very good causes...
What is Emily Camp?
It’s that severely remote PATENTED gold mine in SW Oregon that has got lots of attention in the last 5 years. It’s the only remaining Private in-holding in the Kalmiopsis Wilderness that was developed, to the surprise of opponents, using a helicopter shortly after the Biscuit Fire burned all its timber. It was thought to be inaccessible and the owners gave up. The US Forest Service has asked me 4 times if I would sell it. Many environmental groups have also asked me. It is no doubt a "Crown Jewel" and I enjoy poking at them with my rights to use, develop and mine it! Now the game shall get even more interesting.
The news is about Emily Camp, LLC, a business structure I have worked on with attorneys for over a year to promote an individual ownership in this very unique property and to enjoy it for its gold and other benefits. You may get a real laugh as well from this story since the US Forest Service can do nothing to stop it. It’s a chance for 300 people to own something the Forest Service or other opponents can no longer control or have a voice in.
Prior to the Biscuit Fire of 2002, Carl Alleman owned the claims prior and thru the 1980's. He patented the 60 acres in 1988 just in time before the Department of Interior placed a moratorium on mineral patents. Great job Carl! The land stretches approx. 3/4 mile down the Little Chetco River in the Heart of the Kalmiopsis Wilderness and consists of approx. 140,000 bank cubic yards of alluvial gold placer gravels proven to be economical to mine by the US Forest Service during its own mineral exam. The access, at the time, was difficult. The old road constructed in the 1940's travels nearly 10 miles through the wild mountains and is nothing but dirt and rock. In the 1990's, Carl lost his access to the US Forest Service new blockage of the road and sued them over the access, however liberal judges worked against him and he gave up. The USFS then played appraisal games with Carl by attempting several times to devalue his property with their own internal appraisers. They did so by valuing the minerals as merely "recreational mining" in nature despite their own mineral exams proved otherwise. (See YouTube.com (
http://youtube.com/)video series "Emily Camp Odyssey" for the complete story). I then bought the property after the fire with the intention of never using the road, thus avoiding the US Forest Service jurisdiction altogether.
Development after the Fire. After 2 weeks and 26 airlifts, four cabins were built onsite. The USFS was surprised since they thought Carl had been defeated and the property would remain vacant and inaccessible. Fortunately, the fire had killed the trees to the point that cutting some down was allowed be needed 'safety' to build the helicopter pad. This was the only benefit of the fire but a good one. This would have been challenging prior to the fire without a permit and of course every greenie in the State would fight issuance of a permit to fall live timber there and likely tie it up in court for years with bogus "pink salamander" stories. Now that access is no problem, there is nothing the USFS could control.
Fast forward to today after several years of enjoyment...
Raising Capital for Mining while buying your own Share. In the summer of 2011 we filmed the documentary mentioned previously and I have steadily worked on a business structure to offer ownership in the unique camp. This is now done. At the time of this writing and just 3 weeks of promotion, there are 26 shares sold and many others coming in. I have passed several large checks to Public Lands for the People (PLP), Waldo Mining Association and others for the donation). My goal is to sell out the 300 shares and Emily Camp be visited EXCLUSIVELY by anxious and proud owners of the company that owns it for their private enjoyment. The shares are transferable and may be willed through inheritance. The visitation and management is all internal to the company and by a voted manager to handle repairs, replacements, taxes, and visitation schedule rotations. The helicopter travel and management will over time become routine through the use of a company website (accessible only by the share holders) that provides an updated list of the owners to coordinate and communicate. If we all wish to change something or make an improvement onsite, we all vote since we own it.
If interested in knowing more about how Emily Camp is and can further raise money for your organization, please contact me at 360-513-5465.
Also, see me at:
GPAA Show in Salem, Puyallup, Red Bluff, and Las Vegas!
Photos and other information can be found at
www.oregongoldtrips.com and searching there for Emily Camp or the Kalmiopsis Wilderness Mining Camp.
Thank you,
Dave Rutan, managing member
Emily Camp, LLC
PS. Attached is the flyer.... and a group photo at Emily Camp. Lots more photos are located on my website at
www.oregongoldtrips.com (
http://www.oregongoldtrips.com/)and look for Emily Camp or the Kalmiopsis Wilderness mining camp.
As for some Q&A.
The LLC memberships are a single tier and all have the same voting rights. They are transferable between family members, otherwise the LLC has first rights to buy back, then the members themselves. Each share is for an individual and may not be owned by a couple, or a group. The dues are $25/year. I have set up a company website for communications and posting of the members contact information, and the Operating Agreement, as well as other stuff to grow over time. There of course are no disbursements and a member keeps all the gold they find. I limited the number of people onsite to 16 staying in the cabins. The LLC is buying 50 percent interest in the property and has First Right of Refusal to buy the remainder. There is a Buy/Sell Clause. Property taxes are about $410/year. The budget allows for a reserve and we can all make improvements or additions by vote. It’s a cool place and if you or anyone wants to fly in for an hour of show and tell, I have others waiting to share in the cost to do the same. It’s about $250 or so each. (This will drop in half when there is no dead air time wasted when flying people out at the same time)
Thanks again and hope to sell all 300. It will raise $150,00 for fighting for our mining rights. It sure won't make the environmentalists happy but not a damn thing they can do about it.
Dave
. This whole thang was a setup to begin with and cost us our rights as under Lex/Waggoner decision we were golden on the occupancy rights. Cancer on the klamath as usual. Plop a newb right by a ranger station to pzzzzm off was the game and a win by L/W turned into the worst loss ever. No yaaa FM-John
yea right. I am sure I will get a visit from them when I am over there later.
