This article is interesting, and may provide a motive for environment groups to file law suits ($$$).

By Jake Putnam

Cheyenne--During harsh economic times, rancher Karen Budd-Falen reached the breaking point on a day last fall. Falen had read about a huge court settlement the Federal Government paid out to a non-profit environmental and after talking to the ranchers in the Western Legacy Alliance, it set her off.

It is absolutely established that a valid unpatented placer mining claim is in fact a Statutory Federal Grant of “private property” derived from 30 U.S.C. § 21-54. All unpatented placer mining claims situated in California are on federally owned lands, under jurisdiction of the USFS, or BLM. Otherwise none would exist, as federal land is the only place an unpatented mining claim can be initiated, and held.

My position on California Senate Bill 670 (Which proposes to close Suction Dredging in all CA waterways), is that the propsed bill assumes there is impact based on opinion. Even with the existing scientific evidence, the EIR from the early 1990's and many other scientific papers. We can only hope that our law makers become educated with the facts, and uphold the existing regulations.

The U.S. Forest Service is in the process of closing many roads on public lands in (2009). That means if you can't access your claim on public lands you can't mine for gold, or fish or hunt, unless you walk there.

People for Public Lands needs your help NOW, Feb 2009!

Read more, I clipped a post from the PLP website, please read this article by clicking on the title.

I have personally donated $100 today, I know it's not much, but it's all I can afford right now, and plan to donate more in the coming months.

Found this website surfing the Internet and thought other gold miners would enjoy reading True Stories and Diaries from the gold rush era. The diaries from 1849 and 1850 were of paticular interest to me, because it referenced real life experiences of the miners.

http://nevada-outback-gems.com/gold_rush_tales/california_gold_rush1.htm

The Odyssey is probably the most equipt ship in the world for Marine Exploration. Using the most modern technology and some very talented and knowledgable crew to locate and retrieve treasures from the ocean.

Now this is what I call mining. Video of an excavator and a trommel. I hope to have an operation like this some day. Yea some day. Click the link to watch the video.

HI VOLUME PRESSURE OUTLET kit from Keene to blast out those cracks and break up that hardpack clay with the greatest of ease. I purchaed one last year, and have been using it ever since, great investment for improving productivity.

WARNING - Watch this video with caution, it will give you gold fever.  Video is Working NOW.

El Dorado is a gold mining town in South America's Venezuela area. Trace Crutchfield visits the area and captures a glimps of the goldfields and lifestyles of the miners.

Watch the 5 part vidoes series of the El Dorado mining district in South America.