Is it possible to file calim on DNR land placer deposits in washington state?

[Ragnor]

Is it possible to file claim on DNR land placer deposits in washington state?

I am well aware we have the right to file claim on federal forest lands, but what about state owned lands? Is BLM and DNR lands the same?
I know of an area locally that has a bit of gold. I asked the game department if I could operate suction equipment there as it falls outside of the normal gold and fish rules as I understand them. It's a seasonal ditch that holds water and does not actually drain into the river year round. It also happens to be a high bench/ ancient river channel.
Well the wildlife biologists wants to see the location in order to make a determination if I need a permit or not despite my vary detailed description of the situation.
Well I really don't want to go showing anyone my secret gold discovery , let alone a government official from such a notorious agency as WDFW.
I am wondering is there a way to protect my discovery? and the adjacent deposit which logically exists on the next section of that old channel?
I really don't wanna give up my spot, but I also don't want to get in trouble for violating the state mining laws.

This is one of those spots that nobody, like literally almost nobody is old enough to know the history and very few people who did hear of it ever paid attention. But if it goes public I expect someone with more money than me would be happy to start a new gravel pit on the secondary location if they took time to sample it.

 

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[OwenT]

This has always been my understanding, that the gold and fish pamphlet acts as the permit . As of the new revision the pamphlet is no longer required to be on-site.

Unless the new revision you're talking about was made in the last few months I believe you still have to have the rules on-site if you're doing anything more than panning/sluicing and using hand tools.

 

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[KevinInColorado]

Unless the new revision you're talking about was made in the last few months I believe you still have to have the rules on-site if you're doing anything more than panning/sluicing and using hand tools.

When I was prospecting in WA 18 months ago, I was told it's enough to have the pamphlet on your phone or tablet...which has to be with you of course.

 

[OwenT]

Here we go:
"Mineral Prospecting Without Timing Restrictions
You may mineral prospect year-round in all waters of the state, except lakes or salt waters. You must follow the rules
listed below, but you do not need to have the rules with you or on the job site."

That's for simple tools, pans, small sluices, etc.

"Mineral Prospecting With Timing Restrictions
You may mineral prospect only in the waters, during the times, and with the mineral prospecting equipment limitations
identified in the table of authorized work times beginning on page 17 of this pamphlet. You must follow the rules listed
below, and you must have the rules with you or on the job site."

Needed for dredging, some highbanking, larger equipment, etc.

 

[Ragnor]

Well you know, I have always said that I am never offended by the truth. The exception seams to be when someone challenges my understanding of the truth. At that point it seams I become a little defensive.
However my brother just stopped by to drop off my location of placer form I asked him to print up for me. We discussed this thread at length and then reviewed the laws again concerning prospecting on State Land in Washington.
I now understand that despite the gold and fish book saying that I can pan in waters of the state year round. The DNR site says that all state lands are closed to prospecting. This comes as a major shock to me. I would have never guessed that open public land was closed to panning or prospecting especially when the pamphlet would seam to indicate otherwise. I believed I was operating within my legal rights.
I can also see that had I taken WDFW to the location and admitted to sampling there they would most likely have nailed me for it.
Dangerous indeed.
I ain't much for rules and laws, In that I don't agree with most of em. However, I absolutely do understand the value in knowing and following them when it comes to keeping my backside out of the frying pan. I learned as a young man that the rules must be followed weather you like them or not.

It seams, as Clay stated that I am not near well enough educated in these things. Seams that just being able to find the gold is not enough these days.

I thank you Clay for taking the time to correct my understanding and to GoldenIrishman for translating it for me a bit.

This may be a subject for another thread however I will put it forward anyway. Are there any accredited online courses in placer mining that have been established?
My brother says I should just put in my 2 years at the CC and be that much further ahead.

As an aside,
I grew up in a time when this area was still lawless. That all changed in the late 1990's. Before that people just did whatever they wanted, wasn't really no one to stop them. Then all of a sudden they got a new sheriff and rounded everyone up and collected 8 million dollars in unpaid fines and established the rule of law. So I am from that transitional generation. I still don't think well of it. My brother is ten years younger. He grew up in the new system. He went to school and got his degrees and is much better at dealing with the system.
I understand the value of understanding the system, but it still kind of get's stuck in my craw being told you can't do this and you can't go there. After all they told us in school that this was America the land of the free.
and that's the difference, They taught my brother in school how to work within the system.

I also absolutely respect the desire expressed to create a clear understanding on this site and to operate within the legal guidelines.
I see your perspective on those matters and I respect the intent expressed in that light.
So I'll keep that in mind next time someone tells me I don't know what the hell I am doing.

 

[Ragnor]

I had the official .pdf on a CD disk that I carried with me Owen T.

(still aint figured out the quote system on this site yet)

 

[mike(swWash)]

Here's the complete rules and timing restrictions. released July 2015, 4th and final version. They are pretty clear cut and without grey areas.
Skip down to the mining without and with timing restrictions sections. Last part is individual dates that rivers can be dredged or worked in the wetted areas.
http://wdfw.wa.gov/publications/01729/wdfw01729.pdf

 

[goldenIrishman]

That's the good side of forums like this Ragnor. You can learn all kinds of things from them from people like Clay who have been around the block a few times when it comes to mining and prospecting. When I first met him on here, he was correcting me as well. I've been prospecting and mining since the early 80s and I'm still learning new things all the time. Thanks to Clay as well as many of the other members here I've been able to up my game to levels I never knew were possible.

Many of the guys on here that know me can tell ya that I'm a hard headed Irishman and as a general rule I "don't play well" with any one EXCEPT my fellow miners. (Even some of them get on my nerves from time to time.) There is a TON of knowledge to be had here on T_net and other sites like MyLandMatters.org. Take advantage of them and remember to keep an open mind. There is a LOT of thinking outside of that infamous box going on here to say the least and new options for how you prospect or process your materials to get more gold.