Gold miners rally at Capitol against suction-dredge restrictions

So from what I've read here today...fish could not survive without you guys dredging and panning? 

Our rivers would be full of garbage and waste if it weren't for you folks cleaning up everyone elses mess?

Take it from a former forest worker/mill worker from the 70s and 80s...All the progressives and liberals care about is making sure that YOU are not using any part of mother nature for personl gain...period.

The public lands are for hiking, biking, and postcards.  Nothing like going for a hike, crapping by the side of a stream, eating your canned tofu, and then leaving it all behind...That's what Portlandia is all about.

Dredging does not harm fish, experts say:  http://www.goldprospectors.org/Communication/ArticlesandInformation/tabid/153/EntryId/537/Dredging-doesn-t-harm-fish-experts-say.aspx

I'd like to give a shout out to all that went to this rally. I couldn't make it up there myself. But I did want to say thanks for going and speaking out on my behalf.

Evidently the people from Cascadia don't get out much. 

I am a fly fisherman. I am also a former member of Trout Unlimited. I began gold prospecting in 2006 and have not seen all the damage spoken falsely about by Cascadia. I have collected over 65 pounds of old fishing lead from the streams where I have dredged. Has Cascadia done anything to clean up the forests or cleaned up the rivers of old metals and trash left over the past 150 years, like we do for free? Most likely NOT. They are very good at press releases sharing false information and getting people emotional...little else.

I was on the workgroup that helped develop the Washington Mining Regulations. We did not spend 2 years unwisely. All of the affected agencies were involved including tribes, archaeology, environment, NOAA, and WDFW and we came up with regulations that were signed by everyone...and we only have to deal with one agency for our mining and not the 5 or 6 like in Oregon...and the fish are protected. ODFW has set times for our access in the rivers to avoid bothering eggs or fry and it works. The Chicken littles and wolf cryers would have the public believe otherwise. It is just so sad that they are not helping us clean up the environment. They are better at filing lawsuits with taxpayer dollars.

Hey Dorothy...we are not in Kansas anymore. Instead of suing every water user, logger, miner, eventually fishermen and women...try helping. Put your money where your mouths are.

This is why I have started a petition to stop our tax dollars going to environmental groups. The environmentalist groups take our tax dollars and sue the very agency that given the funds, groups, or individuals. 

signon dot org /sign/stop-all-tax-payers-federal-1

tisumOn the face of it "SCENIC WATERWAYS" has a warm and fuzzy tone to it. None of these bills will promote that warm and fuzzy action to the existing waterways, just the misuse of further rules to restrict the peoples of this land to use the natural surrondings we should all be able to enjoy that have been fought for by generations. Yes, I am a gold miner. Yes, I have a gold dredge. Yes, you have probably never seen me use it in the creek that I live next to and enjoy. Yes, I am a steelhead fisherman. Yes, I practice catch and release...however one does go on the dinner table on occasion. Why would anyone think that I would do anything to harm or impair this beautiful place I call home.Misguided egot

What are the true agendas behind these bills? Typically a bill will be introduced for the betterment of our society or to restrict unfair/dangerous actions taking place. If, after you read these bills, you find it wise to defend the purpose of these bills then by all means support them. However, under no circumstances, should you just tell yourself that it does not pertain to you and go about your merry way. Until we as citizens of this Sate realize the blatant ego's of some elected officials taking upon themselves to introduce a bill without the support of those who elected them we are all just one vote away from total rule without true represention. Representation. That should be yelled out load and oftenfrom the public.

It was good to see a sleeping giant has arosen from the bottom of the mine, we and I mean all miners need to stand together and take is issue to the next step we see not very many media outlets will do stories on these matters glad we have gotten what we have.  We know the facts and scientific studies that prove our claims now we need to show the public that has no idea of whats going on, the senators that was on the fence now have seen the studies and the facts, this is our land our heritage and our granted rights lets take this all the way. 

I'm ready to jump on that 2nd amendment bandwagon if this goes any further. All this anti-american, do things the hippie way is out of hand. I don't push my personal views on them, so they need to PLEASE STOP doing it to others. Government is not the place for it.

We need less laws. This is simply idiotic. If this crap isn't thrown out there's going to be a different kind of rally at the capitol!

Grew up in Springfield and pand and dredged in many streams and rivers in Oregon. Have lived in Vancouver WA for the second half of my life and been past prez of Northwest Mineral Prospecting Clug (NWMPC) that has hundreds of members mostly in Oregon. I have worked with the GP National Forest and Fish and Wildlife on Clintons roads to trails and forrest plan as well as the states on mining and fish standards. Washington has done studies of all fish in every stream and river in the state. They established what type and when it was critical to protect them then set timeing and equipment type to help fish and the states economy. 

North Fork Burnt River is on of the so-called scenic rivers. It has no late summer flows, nor any salmon or steelhead. You will see historic dredge tailings, but it certainly is no a scenic river.  It does have gold which the scenic waterway designation prohits placer mining 1/4 mile from the non-existant stream.  This bill is not about scenic, its about shutting down all kinds of placer mining, even off-channel mining.

" - rally at Capitol " Ha, yea that works... you can be sure of one thing and one thing only...losing more and more freedom to the police state as they make endless laws and fees,fines etc to take what was once yours.

We really need to have these bills thrown out. Over regulation is crippling the economy and adding this obvious AGENDA 21 socialism will just make it worse. There is zero proof that dredging harms fish and actually is beneficial. Please read these bills and you will see that it is nothing but an attempt to seize power over land that is not state owned. We already have strict land use and zoning laws ..   we don't need more of the same.  . . . ..  The only towns that get alot of dredgers are Gold Hill and Myrtle Creek, Oregon. Let them decide what is good for their towns. Let all this  go to city/county vote. . . or drop the bills completely. The only people that will get jobs from these bills is the lawyers. And remember . .  Keep Portlandia in Portland !

Laughlin's comments are the same arguments that environmentalists have been pushing for years and are incorrect and lies. Dredgers are not in the streams the same time salmon are spawning and dredgers create deeper and cooler pools for the salmon fry to hide in from predators. Dredgers also loosen up the hard pack gravel beds which make it easier for the salmon to create nesting beds for laying eggs. Again, dredgers are not working in the streams when salmon are running and spawning. As for dredgers coming up from California, there have been approximately 40 Oregon dredge permits issued to Californians.