Idaho Dredgers take a stand

Idaho said:
As far as I know there are several "Spokesmen" involved. The Idaho Recreational Counsel seems to be spearheading the effort and they have some very good people.

It is hard to get the message out about Dredging, when your competing against the lies of those against Dredging.
Not too long ago I was at an Idaho State Legislator Hearing where an Ex-EPA Environmental scientist (Retired) testified that dredging (when following common sense guidelines) was NOT harmful to fish or the environment.
Yet the opponents of Dredging (The EPA and their allies) will have you think that disturbing the sand and gravel in the bottom of a stream from just placing a human foot in it will release pollutants and damage beyond repair the fish and environment. Of course this is bunk, but tell them that and they scream at you that your trying to kill Mother Earth.
So even talking about Dredging with these people is like talking Athisim with the Pope... You just never seem to understand each other.
Click to expand...

Was that retired EPA Claudia Wise, or Greene ? - if so, you have excellent representation up there, good deal...
 

@littlenugget1,
Don't get too happy about this new Idaho waste water permitting law. The devil is in the details and this law has a lot of "details" in it, one of which is forcing the Idaho regulators to follow the EPA regulations... So what you get is just the State enforcing the EPA Regulations... and as far as I am concerned it is the EPA regulations that are severely onerous and need to be rewritten.

Idaho i am not getting happy about this at all.

Well i am part of this event in riggins and did alot of talking to people. have even gotten the jet boaters on our side and it just happens to be that the jetboaters have a guy in the IRC and that helped change IRC on this event. So when we get up there we will all have a great time and make some good friends.
 

Yes i do under stand. i do under stand really more than you think. My wife and i found out that she has caner at the beginning of may, she went through Major surgery for 6 1/2 hours on the 20th of may and now at the end of this month she will go through 12 weeks of chemo. and i am still fighting for the dredgers and there wrights and helping her out.

And just want to thank you again from for the donation for the event. and if any one else wants to make a donation you can bring it to the event,or contact this address on face book, or mail to me and i will get it to Nicole or john as soon as i get it.

Thanks again to all that supports this event and miners wrights.
 

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Fullpan said:
Was that retired EPA Claudia Wise, or Greene ? - if so, you have excellent representation up there, good deal...
Click to expand...
It was Dr. Joe Greene. And yes he was an Excellent Witness on behave of the Dredgers.

The real problem is that just a few days after Dr. Greene Testified before the State Legislature, a major news paper in this state carried an op-ed (from a self proclaimed "Environmentalist") that was full of lies about dredging... How dredging was poisoning the waters, because Dredgers were using Mercury to recover gold... There were several dredgers that I know of that responded to the article but were never published that I know of. It seems that the media is stacked against us.


@littlenugget1
I hope your wife is doing well, she has my best wishes.
 

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It's NOT what we do but whats published that is killing us. The stinkn' radical environutz own way too much from sueing everyone,like the tribes taught them...sic sic sic...truth and justice are no longer the american way....PERCEPTIONS CORRUPTED RULE THE DAY....John
 

Doitlaynstyle said:
I have an idwp for the salmon, the whole open stretch. I'll be there with BLACK BETTY.



I've always wanted to dredge but haven't gotten into it yet. As far as I'm concerned I want it open so I can in the future. I want the EPA out of Idaho. Period. They are messing with something that works and we all know that saying....
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you sir, will need 20 people to keep that fed
 

The Nampa GPAA just got a email from the jack booted thugs at the EPA.. Warning us that dredging that stretch of the River is illegal... Although no politician or citizen voted to make dredging illegal...

Anyway here is the veiled threat from the EPA...


From: "Kowalski, Ed"
Date:06/24/2014 3:17 PM (GMT-07:00)
To: XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Subject: Important information for your members


Mr. Ron Hancock(Current President of the Nampa GPAA):


I am writing to ask that you, as the current President of the Gold Prospectors Association of America, Nampa Chapter, distribute some important information regarding the “Occupy Idaho Waters: Dredge-In Event” planned on the Salmon River near Riggins, Idaho, from June 30-July 6, 2014. While EPA respects every citizen’s right to peaceably protest on federal land, the Salmon River locations of the planned event (Shorts and Island Bars) are areas which are closed to suction dredging under the EPA NPDES General Permit for Small Suction Dredge Mining.

This area is closed under the permit in order to protect habitat for threatened and endangered species. This part of the river is designated as critical habitat for chinook salmon, steelhead, and bull trout under the Endangered Species Act. The operation of a dredge in closed waters would be a serious violation of the law.

I recognize that the EPA NPDES General Permit has introduced restrictions since 2013 that many of your members do not agree with. We also know from our experience in working with dredge miners and your association, that there is a general desire to legally conduct this activity. That opportunity is available, as EPA’s permit framework does allow for small scale suction dredge mining in many waters in Idaho, where the activity doesn’t threaten or damage important habitat or other resources.

I greatly appreciate the efforts of you and your members to learn about and provide feedback on this NPDES General Permit, and encourage you to continue working with our agency. Your involvement is critical to improving our permit framework, so that you and your membership can continue this activity in areas where suction dredge mining is allowed.

Edward J. Kowalski
Director
Office of Compliance and Enforcement (AKA Jack Booted Thugs with machine guns... Yes I added this, it is my belief that the EPA is Violating the Constitutions Ninth Amendment. And Violating the Bill of Rights by using military force on US Citizens to enforce a "regulation" created by the EPA without any say by the American people. )

EPA Region 10

Seattle, WA 98101



Please note I removed Ron's email address and I added the bolded section.
 

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I would also like to add, that in Idaho we have been dredging that stretch of the River for decades (up until last year when the EPA suddenly stepped in)... Over the last 20 years (when we were dredging) the populations of Salmon have increased (I should say the populations have EXPLODED... The fishing has been GREAT!!)
This is all without the EPA's involvement... So the idea that Dredging is hurting the Salmon is just wrong and that the EPA has to be involved is in fact criminal as the EPA is violating the 9th Amendment to the Constitution.

This is ALL about control of the Water in Idaho ( Idaho has most of the Water in the West and the Feds want it, really bad)... This whole EPA expansion in to Idaho last year has little to do with the fish or the environment and everything to do with control of Idaho's WATER.
 

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This is getting out of hand. I gave up my health serving in the military for these "thugs" to wage war on us peaceful miners. I've had it! They think we are harming the enviro? They haven't seen notin' yet! I sure hope I find a "agent" in a location I'm dredging...lets just say that in one spot the ground is going to be very fertile...
 

I am ready to help boot the EPA out of our state. I am sick of them pulling this crap. It started like this in California and now they can't dredge at all.
 

Get it on Idaho,tune your radio to any F'M' station and procede as planned-righteous is your cause BUT try to keep weapons out of it as there are some yahoos who will go off for any reason and YOU will be blamed. Lotza luck,get'r'done' RESPECT-John
 

Hoser John said:
Get it on Idaho,tune your radio to any F'M' station and procede as planned-righteous is your cause BUT try to keep weapons out of it as there are some yahoos who will go off for any reason and YOU will be blamed. Lotza luck,get'r'done' RESPECT-John
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Blame Me? Why do you say this?
 

I think he means more like all of us. Also I will be packing but just because I will be doesn't mean that anything is going to happen. My whole adult life I have packed and I've never had to use it and I hope I never will but as the saying goes "better to have it when you need it than wish you did" I have a fire extinguisher in my car but I'm not expecting or hoping for a fire.... any responsible gun owner has the same views.
 

Mr. Ron Hancock(Current President of the Nampa GPAA): well i think you are dead wrong about this you have been against this protest from the first time you heard of it! so lets not bull **** your members. they pay for claims with memberships but did they get to dredge the places they wanted! HELL NO.
! LOOK AT THE NUMBERS OF THEM permits that was issued so with you not supporting this event for miners wrights an you are on the EPA'S side then i think you need to step down and let some that cares for there wrights take your place.
NOW THE EPA IS SENDING OUT E-mails TO SCARE THE ONES THAT STAND BACK AN COMPLAIN AN DO NOTHING AND HOPE OTHERS FAIL.

THIS IS FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE CLUB.
Wayne Evans That e-mail has been sent out to the membership of the Nampa Chapter of the GPAA. I sincerely hope that our membership sees it for what it is blatant attempt tp scare people away. As a past president of the club I urge all of ours members to not let the EPA scare you away. Please come and show your support.
LETS GET WAYNE BACK IN AS THE PRESIDENT!

AND I DO NOT CARE IF YOU LIKE THIS OR NOT!

AND YES I DO LIKE TO KEEP MY RIGHTS THAT IS WHAT THIS IS ALL ABOUT
 

Scott Cureton BTW the ultimate reason they can't do anything to us is our protection under the mining law that was written a 100 years before the CWA. Anyway you slice it, you DO have the right to mine.....Just remember you are not recreating, you are MINING so as to be protected.
 

South West Idaho Mining The email is fake! A classic "sheep" lined bogus email. Keep grazing on that all you people who believe everything the EPA is saying!! Cite us? Isn't that old news already?
 

South West Idaho Mining From Scott Cureton
From what I understand the epa has historically taken down plate numbers and sent threatening letters in the past. If a chair or something happens to be blocking your plate when parked that might be a good idea. Best thing that can happen is they do show up, everyone has a camera and it makes the news. They are using the clean water act incorrectly to fit their agenda. Commercial channel dredging in navigable waters is the intent of cwa permit...not small suction dredging. We are not alone, even congress has put a halt to the epa expanding it's definitions of connectivity and is still under review. 99% of our rivers are NOT commercially navigable at time of statehood and do not fall under the cwa/permit anyway. ALL THE EPA HAS IS FEAR TACTICS, they are hoping we will just go away. No one has ever been fined because, there is no law being broken. Please support our state and Idaho department of water resources as they have not turned their backs on us like the feds/epa. Follow their rules....we need them in this fight
 

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