We are the Western Mining Alliance
April 29th– The new APRIL NEWSLETTER IS OUT!! (download it below on this page)
The Western Mining Alliance is the organization of independent miners across the West. Since our inception in the small, historic mining town of Laporte where we had three people, we have now grown into a movement of thousands of miners. Based in Reno, Nevada, The Western Mining Alliance is defending the rights of over 55,000 claim holders across the West. Our objective is simple, to restore our Constitutional rights to mine and to present science based evidence on the truth about mining.
You can read the Dredging Fact Sheet Dec 2012 here.
You can download our WMA April 2013 Newsletter
You can download our Petition to CDFW 27 March 2013 FINAL
The attacks on mining and suction dredging across the West are not based on science. Rather they are the emotional arguments of extremist environmental groups who, with their shrill cries that the sky is falling manipulate the legislative and legal proces resulting in a continuous stream of taxpayer funded lawsuits.
Suction dredging is the single most environmentally responsible method of gold mining yet invented. In the forty years it has been ongoing suction dredgers have removed from the watersheds over 2.5 metric tons of mercury. This estimate is based on a California Department of Fish and Game survey (the only survey) of suction dredgers. In addition to mercury the suction dredge miners have removed uncounted tons of lead and iron from the waterways. A suction dredge is so efficient at removing heavy metals even the environmental groups are petitioning to use one to remove mercury from Lake Combie.
An actual suction dredge at work.
There is one important distinction between the environmental group’s efforts and suction gold miners. The environmental groups want to use your money to suction dredge for mercury, while gold miners have been doing it for free.
The controversy over suction dredging is a tempest in a teapot. The same groups that have been responsible for the illegal moratorium on suction dredging have also initiated studies on the effects of “wading” in the streams and rivers; they have closed countless roads to horses, ATVs and vehicles; they are working to restrict fishing and hunting, there is no end to their quest to keep you, the taxpayer, out of your own forests.
We suction dredgers, and independent miners, are not only environmentally responsible, we are good stewards of the environment and each year we remove tons of garbage from irresponsible hikers, campers and rafters. Unlike the extremists, we don’t challenge any other user group’s rights to use public lands even though miners are the only user group with a legal right to use public lands and a legal right to access their claims.
We, the mining community, are now engaged in nine lawsuits in four States. Each of these lawsuits was initiated by extremist environmental groups with a utopian vision of limiting human interaction with the environment. We will continue to meet each environmental lawsuit with our own, State governments can count on that. We will defend our rights. These environmental group lawsuits have cost the taxpayers millions while resulting in no benefit to the environment. The truth is the only ones benefiting from the lawsuits are the lawyers. Based on an economic analysis by the California Department of Fish and Game it is likely the State of California is currently losing $30 million each year the moratorium is in place in both direct legal costs, loss of tax revenue and loss of wealth.
Small miners are the backbone of this country. We built it and we defend it. Support the independent miners by joining the WMA and by making a donation to our legal fund at www.plp1.org. Your support is needed to stop the extremists.
If you want to be added to our mailing list please contact Miner Rick at MinerRick at theminingalliance.com. If you are a company that would like to contribute to the WMA, or our legal fund you can write to Miner Rick or you can use our Paypal button. Our legal effort is supported by the 501(c)3 group – Public Lands for the People. You can donate to PLP at www.plp1.org.
Molon Labe
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