Western Mining Alliance

Voice of the Independent Miner

Welcome to the web home of the Western Mining Alliance. It’s likely we’re out chasing gold. If you are interested in the hunt for American gold, then you’ve found the right place. We are the largest organization of independent miners in the country. We’re committed to preserving the uniquely American tradition of exploration, prospecting and development of mines. We support reasonable environmental protection and we encourage responsible mining at : https://www.prix-du-cuivre.fr/prix-de-l-or.

About

The Western Mining Alliance was formed in the spring of 2011 as a result of proposed changes to the California dredging laws, mandated by court order. During the public hearings of the Draft Subsequent Environmental Impact Report public sessions organized by the California Department of Fish & Game, a small committed group of miners decided to take up the fight in an effort to save the Western Heritage of the independent miner.

In the subsequent months, we decided to form an organization dedicated to protecting our mining rights for ALL independent miners who are being threatened by over-zealous regulation and misinformed environmentalists. We are not anti-environmental. In most cases, we live in the back country and rivers all summer, and the suction dredge gold miners responsibly recover and remove garbage and heavy metals such as mercury, lead and iron . California is recognized as the most over-regulated state in the union; this has had drastic and severe economic consequences to the small businessman farmer, logger, fisherman and miner. This over-regulation is partially responsible for a high unemployment rate of small business owners in California. In the small counties and rural areas, local businesses are being destroyed at an alarming rate. WMA is dedicated to finding ways to allow those hard working people to get back to work in their small businesses WITHOUT excessive regulation. What is the wisdom of having an economy so over-regulated that the core of a productive society- the small businessman- is being run out of business and thrown on the streets? Where does this insanity end?

Independent miners today utilize environmentally sound methods of extracting gold from both the rivers and from the surrounding mountainsides. Today’s river miners use highly efficient suction dredges that leave no impact on the environment. Numerous studies show that a river completely recovers from dredging at the next seasonal rain. As miners, property owners and mining claim holders we ALL have a responsibility to be stewards of our lands.

Western Mining Alliance is dedicated to offering education and constructive dialogue to present differing viewpoints, using logic, reason and scientific evidence to constructively discuss these important issues with the appropriate people who can institute change so we can get back to work!

Why Western Mining Alliance?

We are the Western Mining Alliance. We’re about mining, plain and simple. We are an organization comprised of property owners, miners, claim holders, businesses and supporters of the freedom to mine.

We’re not going to apologize for being miners and we’re not asking for our rights – we’re going to restore them. We will do this by engagement in the political process, the support of legal challenges and through the coordination of many efforts, on many fronts. We are not Republican or Democrat, our cause is a simple cause of freedom and the reality is both parties tend to overstep the constitutional guarantees of freedom to pursue life, liberty and happiness. We will support candidates and representatives who support freedom, and that freedom means personal freedom, economic freedom and freedom from burdensome over-regulation via false accusations by environmental organizations .

We are not anti-environmental. Many of us LIVE in the wilds for months at a time; many of our members belong to and donate to environmental causes, however we believe environmentalism can be carried to extremes. Man has always modified his environment, there never was a utopian period when man didn’t modify his environment to benefit his survival.

We, as miners, spend more time outdoors than the vast majority of anti-mining environmentalists who accuse us of not understanding the environment. We know our forests & rivers and we know and support the health of those wild areas. Suction dredgers spend more time under water than any other back country user spends in the back country. If fish and frogs are dying, we would know it because we swim with the fish every day; we know where the frogs are, and we know what is killing the frogs – and it’s not dredgers. Both the fish issues and the frog issues are just red herrings, as are hundreds of frivolous lawsuits filed by extreme anti-mining environmental groups -which costs the taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars a year for our government to fight.

It seems that anti-mining environmental groups have morphed into profitable enterprises through the use of the taxpayer funded Equal Access to Justice Act. The truth is these so called anti-mining environmental groups could really care a less about the environment, when an organization has over 80% lawyers in their “environmental” group, it certainly makes you pause. To them, it’s nothing personal, its just “good business” to create and destroy alleged “boogeymen” and that keeps the donations streaming in.

This “good business” for well-funded and over-zealous anti-mining environmental groups ends up bankrupting our country, destroying the social fabric of our small communities, destroying the businesses of tens of thousands small mom and pop mining operations, and creating many more regulations which are not only shutting down the small miners, but you can also add: small logging companies, ranchers, farmers, fishermen- you gotta wonder how far the anti-mining environmentalists will go to destroy the lives of all hard working rural families in order to “save the environment”?

They are certainly good at destroying jobs, but apparently not so good at creating them. WMA was created to organize those displaced small businesses to fight to retain our right to make a day’s living through honest work. It’s a unique and misunderstood concept for those who participate in the anti-mining environmental movement - it is apparent that perhaps they are just desk jockeys who have never really actually ever WORKED and sweated in 100F heat, to make a living or ever got a little dirt under their fingernails.

WMA Represents the Independent Miner

The lifestyle of the independent miner is under constant attack from well-meaning, but misinformed environmental groups and and their members.There has been a huge increase in recent years of over-regulation in order to ameliorate fabricated environmental threats. Well-meaning legislators in State Government want to do the right thing to keep the environment clean, and vote for bills forwarded by these environmental groups which appear to want to “save the environment”.

These environmental groups promote the perception of environmental problems in order to maintain the steady stream of donations from their members. Just take a look at all the environmental bills passed in the State of California in over the last 30 years- these bills have effectively eviscerated many small scale, environmentally sound industries. All of those small industries were destroyed by well-funded groups on the accusation of potential environmental damages. Is California better off? Is the nation better off? We believe it’s nothing personal, it is just good business (and good for the steady stream of donations) to ensure all those good salaries for the CEO’s and staff.

WMA is an advocate for the independent miner. We present sound research to oppose the biased studies and reports created by governmental agencies with misguided agendas driven by extreme environmentalists. We are the only (unpaid) members of society who actually clean the rivers of the garbage left by the other, less environmentally minded users.

If you are a miner who wants to be a part of the solution to the problem of our diminishing access to the rivers, you need to become a member of WMA. We are hands on, motivated, actively involved group of doers (not talkers) and if you want to be a part of a positive change, we want you and please join us! We are here to support those who actively want to change the regulations which are preventing our access to the rivers.

There’s still a lot of gold in them hills. Geologists estimate there is twice as much gold remaining as was taken out during the gold rush. Most operational gold mines shut down during World War II and the expense of reopening them exceeded the return with gold at $32 an ounce. Today, with gold exceeding $1,300 an ounce there is a renewed interest in gold mining.

We support and defend a type of gold mining called suction gold dredging. The suction gold dredge is the most efficient mining equipment invented. It is portable, causes no environmental damage and is 98% efficient in recovering gold on the bottoms of the rivers. This type of mining has been ongoing since the invention of the air regulator, over 50 years. As opposed to environmentalist claims, there is no environmental harm. These small machines move a few cubic yards of gravel per day from the river bottom, and then redeposit the same gravel back to the same spot. The spring floods erase all traces of the previous year’s activity.

We disagree with the State of California’s Environmental Impact Report. The media typically reports simply “significant environmental effects” were found. Did you ever stop to wonder what those effects were?

What’s the Controversy About

(1) We create noise. A suction dredge typically uses the same engine your lawnmower does, and it operates on a federal mining claim deep in the canyons of the mountains. The average runs about 64db which is 4 db above conversation levels. A chainsaw runs about 110 db.

(2) We stir up silt. This is true, we do stir up silt, but there is not a single documented case, ever, of a single fish being harmed by this silt. All research papers which have studied dredges in operation have found the silt dissipates rapidly, in fact it’s completely gone within 100 meters of the operation.

(3) We stir up mercury. Not true. The EIR speculated a suction dredge would disturb the mercury and release mere molecules of mercury. However, the theory wasn’t proven. In fact during the test using an instrumented suction dredge the researchers found mercury levels below the dredge were lower than mercury levels above the dredge. The environmental report ignored this result and instead used a hand dug pit in the most mercury contaminated location in the state to achieve their results. It would have been impossible for a real suction dredge to have operated where they dug their pit. The truth is flexible.

(4) We release mercury forever trapped in sediment layers. Mercury, and in fact nothing, is forever trapped. A recent study by Dr. Michael Singer of the University of California, Santa Barbara, confirms even the deepest levels of sediment bound mercury are released with the ten year flood. Do you want to recover this mercury before it moves, or let it move to the valleys? The EIR found suction dredgers have likely removed from the California waterways more than 2.5 tons of mercury, but this was ignored in favor of stopping a few molecules of mercury from being released.

(5) We endanger wildlife. Absolutely untrue and completely unsupported by the record. There is not a single documented case of a suction dredger harming even one fish during fifty years of operation. Not one single case.

Propaganda is Not the same as Research

Our Cause is Freedom


Economic freedom and the support of rural America. We, and other groups, including our friends at Thick Ass Glass, are doing something about it. It’s simple, we’re shining the light of day of the interconnected web of environmental groups, universities, OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAcorporations and the government. At the end of the day it’s all about money, and there’s a lot of money involved in saving the environment. Being a non-profit doesn’t make you an angel, it’s just as likely to make you a demon.

Support WMA’s Efforts

WMA is focusing on maintaining a strategy which involves: media, political outreach, and funding our ongoing envrionmental (CEQA) litigation along with financially supporting the Rinehart Federal Pre-emption case, Keith Walker’s travel expenses for his litigation case and financing our travel expenses to the southern CA settlement hearings. All WMA Directors are unpaid volunteers. Every dime of membership fees is directed to restoring mining access. Reoccurring payments help us plan our budget. THIS PAYMENT IS NOT TAX DEDUCTIBLE- but is VERY MUCH appreciated.

Gold & Silver Prices

Critical Habitat Info

A_Wider_View_of_the_Impacts_of_Critical_Habitat_Designation

Williamson Rock Closure Order- Area off-limits because of critical habitat designation

FWS-R8-ES-2012-0074-0710 – Federal Register describing endangered species status for frogs

130506 Critical Habitat Talking Points

USFWS Definition Critical_habitat- “…critical habitat may include an area that is not currently occupied by the species…”

SUE AND SETTLE REPORT- US Chamber of Commerce report on regulating behind closed doors

USFWS Draft-Economic-Analysis “…DEA concludes incremental impacts resulting from critical habitat designations are limited to administrative costs …”

Battered Communities – How wealthy private foundations, grant-driven environmental groups, and activist federal employees combine to systematically destroy rural economies

Economic_Analysis_of_Critical_Habitat_Comments_Ltr_to_02202014

Amador County’s Critical Habitat economic letter

Some of our favorite stories from previous newsletters

Dredging Fact Sheet Dec 2012
Big Dredge Big Gold Dec 2013
Happy Camp Dec 2013
Responsible Mining Dec 2013
My First Quest for Gold Dec 2013
Sierra Blaster Review Dec 2013
The Great Mercury Scam Nov 2013
The New Gold Rush Is Mercury Nov 2013
The Endangered Species Industry Nov 2013
Endangered Species Letter Nov 13
Seven Switchbacks Nov 2013
Ghost Mine Sept 2013
This Land Was Your Land Aug 2013
The Green Cash Machine Aug 2013
How They Banned Dredging Aug 2013
For a Few Flakes of Gold Aug 2013

Economic Analysis of Critical Habitat Designation for Three Sierra NevadaCalifornia Amphibians

Alpine Amador Butte Calaveras Colusa Del NorteEl Dorado Glenn Humboldt Imperial Inyo LakeLassen Madera Mariposa MendocinoMerced Modoc Mono Napa Nevada PlacerPlumas San Benito Shasta Sierra Siskiyou SutterTehama Trinity Tulare Tuolumne Yolo YubaRURAL COUNTY REPRESENTATIVES OF CALIFORNIA1215 K STREET, SUITE 1650 SACRAMENTO, CA 95814 PHONE: 916-447-4806 FAX: 916-448-3154 WEB: RCRCNET.ORGFebruary 20, 2014Public Comments ProcessingAttn: FWS –R8-ES-2012-0100 or FWS-R8-ES-2012-0074Division of Policy and Directives ManagementU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service4401 N. Fairfax Drive, MS 2042-PDMArlington, VA 22203RE: Economic Analysis of Critical Habitat Designation for Three Sierra NevadaCalifornia AmphibiansOn behalf of the Rural County Representatives of California (RCRC), I appreciatethe opportunity to comment on the Economic Analysis of Critical Habitat Designation forThree Sierra Nevada California Amphibians (Economic Analysis).RCRC is an association of thirty-four rural California counties and the RCRCBoard of Directors is comprised of elected supervisors from those member counties.RCRC has been representing the interests of California rural counties for close to fortyyears. RCRC member counties cover nearly half of California’s land mass. WhileCalifornia as a whole is approximately 50% publicly owned land, many of our membercounties have a substantially higher percentage of publicly owned land, with one countyhaving less than 2% privately owned land within its boundaries.BackgroundThe U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) proposes to designate as criticalhabitat approximately 1,105,400 acres for the Sierra Nevada yellow-legged frog inButte, Plumas, Lassen, Sierra, Nevada, Placer, El Dorado, Amador, Calaveras, Alpine,Mariposa, Mono, Madera, Tuolumne, Fresno and Inyo Counties. For the northerndistinct population segment (DPS) of the mountain yellow-legged frog approximately221,498 acres in Fresno and Tulare Counties is proposed as critical habitat.Additionally, 750,926 acres of critical habitat in Alpine, Tuolumne, Mono, Mariposa,Madera, Fresno, and Inyo Counties is proposed for the Yosemite toad. Sixteen of the17 counties listed for critical habitat designation under this proposed listing are RCRCmember counties.On June 24, 2013, RCRC submitted joint comments to the USFWS opposing theproposed listing of the three amphibian species, as well as the designation of proposed

Public Comments ProcessingFebruary 20, 2014Page 2critical habitat, citing the insufficient science that was used to support the listing. Alongwith the California Farm Bureau Federation and the California Cattlemen’s Association,among others, RCRC urged the USFWS to further review and expand its literaturereview to the studies specifically cited in the joint comments in order to modernize therecord with comprehensive, relevant information.The joint comments expressed serious concern relating to the negative impactthe proposed listing and habitat designation would have on the economy of the 17affected rural counties all of which, for example, rely heavily on agriculture and/ortourism. Some of the statistics included in the June 24, 2013 comment letter havebecome outdated. Following please find updated economic statistics for the 17impacted counties:State Employment Development Department for December 2013 (not seasonallyadjusted) reveals that unemployment statewide is 7.9%, but that many of the ruralcounties with proposed critical habitat suffer from higher unemployment. The currentrate of unemployment for the 17 counties is: Alpine – 8.4%; Amador – 9.0%; Butte –9.1%; Calaveras – 9.4%; El Dorado – 7.2%; Fresno – 12.5 %; Inyo – 7.1%; Lassen –10.1%; Madera – 10.7%; Mariposa – 8.9%; Mono – 7.2%; Nevada – 6.7%; Placer –6.5%; Plumas – 11.8%; Sierra – 10.8%; Tulare – 13.4% and Tuolumne – 8.5%.Methodology of Economic Analysis of Critical Habitat DesignationRCRC submitted comments to the USFWS and National Marine FisheriesService (NMFS) on the joint draft proposed rule to revise the regulations for impactanalyses of critical habitat under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) of 1973, asamended, on November 21, 2012. RCRC urged the USFWS and the NMFS toreconsider the use of the incremental impacts analysis method and to instead adopt thecoextensive or full impact approach as it would fairly characterize the real economicimpacts resulting from critical habitat designations.RCRC was therefore very disappointed when on August 28, 2013, the final jointrule was issued adopting an “incremental” approach to preparing an economic impactanalysis required for a critical habitat designation under the ESA. In other words, thefocus of economic analyses would be solely on the impacts over and above the existingregulatory and socio-economic burden (i.e. baseline) imposed on landowners,managers, or other resource users potentially affected by the designation of criticalhabitat.While the courts have differed on how to assess economic impacts, RCRCstrongly believes that the incremental approach adopted in the final regulations iscontrary to the intent of Congress which excluded economic consideration from thelisting process but did require economic considerations during designation of criticalhabitat. The incremental approach, for example, withholds from the Secretaryinformation about the true economic impacts of designating certain areas as criticalhabitat that may be caused by the cumulative and synergistic effects of multiple laws

Public Comments ProcessingFebruary 20, 2014Page 3restricting the use of land and water resources within the proposed critical habitat area.Consideration of these potential aggregative economic impacts as part of the criticalhabitat analysis is essential because the area proposed to be designated as criticalhabitat for the three Sierra Nevada California amphibian species encompasses multiplefederal, state, and local jurisdictional boundaries, includes private as well as public land,and covers both land and water uses.Draft Economic Analysis of Critical Habitat Designation for Three Sierra NevadaCalifornia AmphibiansThe Economic Analysis, released in January 2014, primarily consists ofanalyzing the cost of the time other federal agencies must take to consult with thewildlife agencies before authorizing activities within critical habitat. The EconomicAnalysis, following the guidance of the previously referenced regulations, ignores theunderlying costs of listing a species under the ESA.As noted in the Economic Analysis, the majority of the proposed critical habitat islocated on publicly managed land within National Forests and National Parks.Economic activities identified as potential threats to the amphibians and their habitatare: Fish Persistence and Stocking; Dams and Water Diversions (includinghydroelectric projects), Grazing, Fuels Reduction/Timber Harvest; and, Recreation.Each of the activities identified as potential threats to the amphibians and theirhabitat have the potential to negatively impact the economy of the 17 rural counties.For example, approximately 60% of the areas proposed as critical habitat are located inthe National Forests located in these counties. The campgrounds, recreational trails,and recreational areas in the National Forests and National Parks in these 17 countiesattract tourists from throughout the world. The importance of recreation/tourism to theeconomy in these rural areas cannot be overstated. Likewise, agriculture is afundamental part of the culture and economy of rural California.RCRC would also like to specifically comment on Fuels Reduction and TimberHarvest, two other activities identified as potential threats to the three species. RCRC isconcerned that the actual on-the-ground effect of critical habitat designation will be toimpose limitations on fuel reduction programs. More, not less, implementation of fuelreduction programs are needed to better protect our rural communities and theenvironment from the catastrophic effects of wildfire. For example, this past summerCalifornia suffered its 3rdlargest fire in its history – the Rim Fire in Tuolumne County.The Rim Fire burned over 257,000 acres primarily in the Stanislaus National Forest andcost over $127 million to get under control. The impacts of this and other wildfiresinclude impacts on air and water quality, loss of habitat and wildlife, forced evacuationsand other devastating environmental and societal losses.While the majority (95 percent) of the proposed critical habitat is located onfederal lands, the proposed critical habitat also includes parcels under county, State andprivate ownership as follows: State – 267 acres; Local – 325 acres; and, Private –

Public Comments ProcessingFebruary 20, 2014Page 484,480 acres. Designation of private lands as critical habitat could limit the activitiesthat may take place on those lands and as a result reduce the market value of the land.At a minimum, RCRC urges the exclusion of all private lands from the critical habitatdesignation as timber harvest on private lands are regulated by the State in accordancewith the CA Forest Practice Rules and other applicable laws and regulations.So-called “baseline” conservation efforts identified in the Economic Analysis asmost likely to be taken under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) include: non-nativefish eradication, installation of fish barriers, modifications of fish stocking activities,reductions in the intensity of grazing activities; minimizing disturbance of streamsideand riparian vegetation; minimizing soil erosion and compaction; and, minimizingimpacts on local hydrology.Other protections afforded the three species include the Sierra Nevada ForestPlan Amendments (SNFPA) which establish standards and guidelines for activities toprotect and restore aquatic, riparian, and meadow ecosystems in the 11 NationalForests located in the Sierra Nevada range. The Economic Analysis states that theSNFPA provides significant conservation benefits to the species from grazing, timberharvests, fire management and recreation activities that occur on National Forest lands.Additional protections cited are the Wilderness Act of 1964, anticipated newNational Forest System Land Resource Management Plans, the federal Power Act of1920, the Clean Water Act, the Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park Restoration ofnative species in High elevation Aquatic Ecosystems Plan, the Yosemite National ParkHigh Elevation Aquatic Ecosystem Recovery and Stewardship Plan, as well as Stateprotections such as the California Endangered Species Act, the CA Department of Fishand Wildlife High Mountain Lakes Project, and the CA Forest Practice Rules.The litany of current protections afforded the subject species detailed in theEconomic Analysis once again raises the question as to whether the listing of thespecies and the designation of critical habit is necessary. RCRC again urges theUSFWS to seriously consider the protections already in place.Impacts to Small Entities and the Energy IndustryThe Economic Analysis includes an analysis of the impacts of the proposeddesignation on small entities, and states that under a strict interpretation of theRegulatory Flexibility Act (RFA) that only Federal agencies are directly regulated by thedesignation of critical habitat. At the same time the Economic Analysis states that theUSFWS acknowledges that small parties may participate as third parties insection 7 consultations associated with hydroelectric power operations and timberharvest activities and thus are “indirectly” affected. However, again as a result of themethodology utilized, the actual costs to small entities and hydroelectric facilities are notestimated as the Economic Analysis is limited to the “administrative costs” related toconsultation.

Public Comments ProcessingFebruary 20, 2014Page 5ConclusionRural counties are understandably concerned that the federal government, withits role in water management, flood control, regulation of resource-extraction and otherindustries, management of federal lands, and funding, authorization, or conduct ofmyriad other activities may propose actions that will affect activities on lands designatedas critical habitat. In fact, the Economic Analysis specifically states that “…a keyuncertainty is the question of whether conservation efforts undertaken to avoid jeopardyof the species will be identical to those undertaken to avoid adverse modification ofcritical habitat.”Section 4(b) (2) of the ESA (emphasis added) reads:(2) The Secretary shall designate critical habitat, and make revisions thereto, undersubsection (a) (3) on the basis of the best scientific data available and after taking intoconsideration the economic impact, the impact on national security, and any otherrelevant impact, of specifying any particular area as critical habitat. The Secretary mayexclude any area from critical habitat if he determines that the benefits from suchexclusion outweigh the benefits of specifying such area as part of the critical habitat,unless he determines, based on the best scientific and commercial data available, thatthe failure to designate such area as critical habitat will result in the extinction of thespecies concerned.”The USFWS and NMFS utilization of the current federal methodology foreconomic analysis of critical habitat designation denies the Secretary the data neededto determine the real economic impact of critical habitat designation on the citizens andthe economy of the 17 affected counties. Additionally, the conclusions reached in theEconomic Analysis relating to the estimated economic impacts from 2014 to 2030,limited as they are in scope, do not provide the Secretary with the information needed todetermine if the benefits of exclusion from critical habitat outweigh the benefits ofspecifying an area as part of the critical habitat. Once again, this appears to be contraryto the intent of Congress and the law as written.In conclusion, RCRC appreciates the opportunity to comment on the EconomicAnalysis. Please contact Kathy Mannion at (916) 447-4806 or kmannion@rcrcnet.orgwith any questions or comments.Sincerely,Kathy MannionLegislative Advocatecc: RCRC Member County Congressional Delegation

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From the Herald & News Guest Commentary: Posted: Sunday, April 13, 2014 12:00 am By PAUL CLARK Guest Writer | 0 comments I have lived in the Pacific Northwest for most of my life, and during the past 28 years I …

Resource Management Plans (for your land?)
From PPG Gazette: Resource management plans (for your land?) How does the UN, Monsanto, mining, and oil & gas companies get their hands into Bureau of Land Mangement (BLM) Resource Management Plans and Environmental Assessments to dictate the use of …

What EPA Overregulation Means For U.S. Manufacturing
From Free Republic: Manufacturers, already pinned down by rising production costs and competition from other countries, continue to struggle against an old adversary… Washington, specifically the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The EPA has instituted tough rules and regulations on U.S. …

Conservative group sues EPA over its ‘IRS-like’ tactics
From The Daily Caller: A conservative environmental law group is suing the Environmental Protection Agency over its alleged “IRS-like” tactics, including stone-walling federal records requests and imposing fees on conservative groups that sought government records. The Energy & Environment Legal …

EPA’s Water Police: Coming to Your Farm?
From Farm Futures Blog: I just returned from Germany and Poland and was startled to discover the regulatory control the European Union exercises over its farmers and agriculture. This should not be a surprise, however, when a farmer has the …

Big Green’s ‘sue-and-settle’ strategy draws pushback from states, Congress
From the Washington Examiner: on Arnold | APRIL 1, 2014 AT 7:03 PM Topics: Energy and Environment Law Endangered Species Act This March 2007 photo provided by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department shows a male lesser… Scott Pruitt is …

How Environmentalism Harms The Environment
From the Raw Report Blog: Posted on March 24, 2014 by Mart van der Leer Friends of the Earth, Earthwatch, Environmental Defense Fund, Green Cross International, The Climate Project, World Resources Institute, WWF, and of course the inevitable Greenpeace. These …

California agency proposes continuation of mining ban
From the Pacific Legal Foundation Blog: http://blog.pacificlegal.org/2014/california-agency-proposes-continuation-mining-ban/ Since 2009, California has forbidden the use of suction dredge mining equipment until the agency in charge of regulating this mining — the Department of Fish and Wildlife — develops regulations to mitigate …

Regulation Through Sham Litigation: The Sue and Settle Phenomenon
From Heritage.org: By Andrew M. Grossman Typically, the federal government defends itself vigorously against lawsuits challenging its actions. But not always: Sometimes, regulators are only too happy to face collusive lawsuits by friendly “foes” that are aimed at compelling government …

The Anatomy of Environmental Fraud
From BAR Formula: Although this article talks about palm oil, there are some similarities with other types of eco-fraud. Here are some excerpts: …A plethora of green groups emerged, sensing the opportunity to make a killing. All with euphemistic sounding …

More Fraudulent Science from EPA
From Right Side News: Excerpts from this article: …As Ron Arnold recently reported in The Washington Examiner, 15 of EPA’s Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee members have received $180.8 million in EPA grants since 2000. One CASAC panelist (Ed Avol …

Time for the states to fight back against ‘sue and settle’ environmentalists with their own litigation
From 4th St8 Blog: by Thomas Mitchell Perhaps it is time for Western states to take a page from the tactics of environmentalists — namely, sue and settle. Over and over, federal land agencies are eagerly caving in to radical …

Arkansas House delegation introduces bill requiring social impact study before habitat designation
(Hello? It’s about time) From The Republic: LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas — The U.S. House delegation from Arkansas introduced legislation requiring the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to consider social and economic impacts on land owners before designating a habitat as …

Pruitt: Devastating combination (Endangered Species Act)
From The Journal Record: Home / Opinion / Guest Column / Pruitt: Devastating combination Pruitt: Devastating combination By: Scott Pruitt Guest Columnist March 28, 2014 0 Scott Pruitt On Thursday, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service caved to a …

Going Green A Luxury Good For Rich At Expense Of Poor
From IBD: Prominent environmental leaders tie themselves to the White House gate to protest the Keystone XL oil pipeline on Feb. 13, 2013. Activist and actress… View Enlarged Image Saving The Planet: It used to …

EPA’s ‘independent’ science advisers get government grants, ‘peer review’ own work
(Have someone look at the Humbug Creek Study for such ‘fishiness’.) From the Daily Caller: 2:51 PM 03/26/2014 Michael Bastasch Environmental Protection Agency science advisers may not be so impartial, according to congressional investigators. Scientists tasked with reviewing one of …

EPA Unveils ‘Largest Expansion’ of ‘Authority to Regulate Private Property’
From PJ Media: Clean Water Act rule ropes in streams that only fill when it rains, ornamental landscape features, anything deemed to affect downstream waters. March 25, 2014 – 6:09 pm WASHINGTON — The Environmental Protection Agency today unveiled its …

Fed Reg – 26Mar14 – BLM – Notice of restrictions on Public Lands in Jackson County, OR
From Defend Rural America: 1. You must not discharge firearms, gas- or air-powered weapons or simulated weapons, including paintball and paintball-like weapons, from or across BLM lands. 2. You must not use motorized vehicles or non-motorized mechanized vehicles that are …

Oklahoma Enters the Fray of Endangered Species Sue-and-Settle
From The National Law Review: Article By: Lowell M. Rothschild Kevin A. Ewing Bracewell & Giuliani LLP posted on: Monday, March 24, 2014 Environmental, Energy & Resources All Federal / Oklahoma On …

Neugebauer Introduces Bill to Reform Endangered Species Act
From the Seminole Sentinel: Tuesday, March 25, 2014 8:09 AM Congressman Randy Neugebauer, 19th Congressional Dist. of Texas (R–Lubbock) WASHINGTON — District 19 Congressman Randy Neugebauer (R-Lubbock) introduced legislation Monday which he claims will improve the Endangered Species Act (ESA). …

The Green Scam Of “Endangered Species”
From Renew America: Alan Caruba A recent article in The Wall Street Journal took note of what has occurred since the 1990s when some three dozen gray wolves were captured in Canada and transferred to the wilderness of Idaho. According …

Oregon: Salmon litigation threatens state forest production: Guest opinion
From the Oregonian Live: Salmon litigation threatens state forest production: Guest opinion Coho salmon swim up Johnson Creek in December 2013. (The Oregonian) Print By Guest Columnist Follow on Twitter on March 22, 2014 at 12:22 PM By Tim Josi …

Book: The World Rushed In: The California Gold Rush Experience
Review From Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/The-World-Rushed-California-Experience/dp/080613464X When The World Rushed In was first published in 1981, the Washington Post predicted, “It seems unlikely that anyone will write a more comprehensive book about the Gold Rush.” Twenty years later, no one has emerged …

Job Creators Sue Federal Government
From: Town Hall Finance: For years environmentalists have usurped individual private property rights and thwarted economic development. Now, thanks to Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt, it appears that the job creators may have finally learned something from the extreme …

Putting A Face On Radical Environmentalism
From News With Views: “Humans have the innate propensity to take a moment in time and attempt to preserve that moment as a sacred moment for all time and do so using propaganda, myths, distortions and lies, or by forcing …

John Beale: The EPA Fraudster You’ve Never Heard But Whose Work Is Destroying America
From the Daily Gator Blog: . Who is John Beale and why is he ruining your life? John Beale was a career employee in the Environmental Protection Agency. He was not qualified for the job he got. In fact, it …

Minnesota Legislation Seeks to Nullify EPA Rulemaking
From The Tenth Amendment Center Blog: A bill recently introduced in Minnesota would nullify federal Environmental Protection Agency regulation and overreach within the state. HF3094, introduced by Representative Mary Franson, is Minnesota’s latest reaction toward federal encroachment of state …

The Sue & Settle Racket
From the National Journal: March 20, 2014 12:40 PM The lesser prairie chicken Print Text For four years now, radical environmental groups have teamed with the Obama administration’s Interior Department and hijacked the Endangered Species …

The Genocidal Duck Whispereres of the Post Human Left
(We don’t think this is a Left or Right issue as there are members of all political parties involved in this process. So when we read this article, we don’t pay any attention to the political accusations and read more …

Walden bill targets ‘travel management rule’
From KTVZ.com: Aims to ‘put local communities back in driver’s seat’ La GRANDE, Ore. – Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.) today announced Monday he has introduced the Forest Access in Rural Communities Act (H.R. 4272) to stop the problematic travel …

Oklahoma Lawsuit Challenges Use Of Endangered Species To Stop Energy Boom
From Investors.com: View Enlarged Image ….In their suit, Oklahoma and the DEPA seek “declaratory and injunctive relief for violations of the ESA.” The relief is intended to overturn designation of dozens of species added to the threatened or endangered list through the …

ENVIRONMENTALISM – Building Block of Global Government
From The Federal Observer Blog: Straw man: …. is a common type of argument and is an informal fallacy based on the misrepresentation of the original topic of argument. To be successful, a straw man argument requires that the …

Court bars (State) soil testing on private property
From vcstar.com: By The Associated Press Friday, March 14, 2014 FRESNO — A state appellate court has ruled that California water officials cannot go onto private property for soil testing and other studies related to construction of two massive tunnels …

Idaho Suction Dredge Miners Support Rep Shepard’s Bill To Nullify EPA
From the Spokesman-Review: March 13, 2014 1:18 p.m. • 0 comments Seventy-six people have signed in for a House Resources Committee hearing this afternoon, including many suction dredge miners who are supporting HB 473, Rep. Paul Shepherd’s bill attempting to …

Report: EPA accused of overkill in “raid” on Alaska’s Fortymile river mining claims
From the Washington Times: Federal agency stands by officer actions By Valerie Richardson – The Washington Times Thursday, March 13, 2014 Enlarge Photo Last year’s Environmental Protection Agency raid on the small gold-mining town of Chicken, Alaska, constituted a clear …

What EPA Overregulation Means for US Manufacturing….
…(or any other means of trying to make a living….) From www.manufacturing.net: Manufacturers, already pinned down by rising production costs and competition from other countries, continue to struggle against an old adversary… Washington, specifically the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The …

Improving the Endangered Species Act For the 21st Century
From The Daily Caller: Improving the Endangered Species Act for the 21st century Over forty years ago, Congress passed the Endangered Species Act (ESA) with the noblest of intentions – conserve and recover wildlife facing preventable extinction. This is …

Endangered Species Act lost sight of its mission
From Deseret News: Summary A report from the Endangered Species Act Congressional Working Group found the ESA has produced an “unacceptable” recovery rate of 2 percent, and less than 5 percent of the species on the list are actually improving. …

Biologist Pleads Guilty in Yurok Embezzlement Case
From the Northcoast Journal: Blogthing Archives | RSS « Yurok Tribe Tosses Cap in Trade Rin… | Huffman Urges Obama to Reclassify M… » Tuesday, February 11, 2014 Crime / Courts / Environment / Natural Resources / Government Biologist Pleads Guilty in Yurok …

Cattlemen fire back at NDOW over Sage Grouse
From the Elko Free Press: March 11, 2014 6:00 am • By NEVADA CATTLEMEN’S ASSOCIATION (4) Comments It is obvious that the Nevada Department of Wildlife does not recognize the benefits private land ownership and ranching plays in the overall …

Made In China: Our Toxic, Imported Air Pollution
This is an article from the 2011 Discovery Magazine. We felt it important to display, since the small scale miners are being accused of “stirring up mercury” in the watersheds, but there is no mention in any “supporting evidence of …

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Sage Grouse Rebellion
From the Wall Street Journal: Will Obama use two small birds to limit oil drilling in the West? Updated March 11, 2014 7:33 p.m. ET Almost half the land west of the Mississippi belongs to the federal government, including 48% …

Letter to the editor: Resource Management Plans for W Oregon, an Open Letter To The Blm
From the news doctors: TND Guest Contributor: Jack H. Swift, J.D. | Dear BLM: I would like to make comment on the Report on Community Listening Sessions and the issues with which the BLM must contend in connection with developing …

Judge rules against forest service travel plan
From Capital Press: Judge rules against Forest Service travel plan Mateusz Perkowski Published: February 25. 2014 10:43AM A federal judge has ruled that some of the U.S. Forest Service’s road closures in an Idaho national forest are in violation of …

Doug La Malfa Congressman 1st Dist, CA Votes to eliminate “sue & settle” tatics
Washington, DC – Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-CA) voted in favor of legislation that limits “sue-and-settle” litigation to increase transparency and reinforce the separation of powers. The bill, H.R. 2804, reforms standards that would require federal agencies to take regulatory action …

East Fork Lewis River & Swanson Chum Channel Link For Salmon Returns
Restoration or improvement in salmon and steelhead returns on any stream including the East Fork Lewis River are like links in a chain. Healthy links in the habitat chain include nutrient rich waters, good hiding and rearing cover, stable spawning …

Dredge Miners Want Clean Rivers Too
February 24, 2013 By Jon A. Becker I have been a small-scale miner and gold prospector for 12 years, and I’m a member of the Northwest Mineral Prospector’s Club, a nonprofit organization with more than 600 members. NWMPC was established …