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Oregon Gold Miners fight BLM (feds) on their claims!


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From the little that I can find online, gold miners who have had legal claim to an area in southern Oregon were told by the BLM to stop their operations by the 25th of this month or they would burn down their buildings and take their equipment.

 

The tricky thing is that the claims have been in place long before the BLM was a thing. The area has produced millions of dollars in gold since the claims started and geologist say that only 10% of the gold mined in this area has been removed.

 

This leads a lot of people to believe that somebody or some state or country is putting pressure on the mines to get out so they can have a crack at this very fertile land. Some even say China? Tinfoil on but I wouldn't put it past them.

 

So, here enters the Militia of Oregon. They show up and then Oath Keepers (that I truly believe is a federal operation) shows up to create a security force to protect the miners from the feds.

 

You see, the BLM created these orders out of thin air and there has never been a court case. Pretty messed up if you ask me. After the shit hit the fan and the Militia and then Oath Keepers got involved, the Sheriff finally got involved and said that the feds would not be allowed to remove the miners from their legal claims and they would actually have to go to court like everybody else.

 

In my opinion, everybody involved in this BLM land grab should be fired and their bonds surrendered so that they can never work a high risk job again. In fact, the head of the operation should be jailed for it. This is the only way that the rest of the organization (corporation) and union thugs will be corrected. When you see brass go to jail, you start to question your orders and think of the rights of the people before you strap on your your .45 and treat Americans like criminals.

 

This is the only corporate media outlet covering this story at the moment. http://www.kdrv.com/news/Mining_Operation_Standoff_Begins.html

 

Alex Jones and disInfoWars is also trying to make a buck or two off of it.

 

What do you think? Any land grabs in your area? I think there will be more to come with the new Green Nazi agenda and the Sage Grouse.

 

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"This is the only corporate media outlet covering this story at the moment. http://www.kdrv.com/...off_Begins.html"

 

And that is why I cut Jones slack. No dont like him personally and find his presentation a bit over the top so as always question it's validity but that changes nothing as regards making public things that go ignored by the State media. Of course it was also picked up by a few bloggers, very few, and thats about it. 

 

Who would of known about the Walmart store closings and the like otherwise? Yeah that one pegs about an eight on the weird scale.

 

Interesting the claim that OK is federal, just an impression or is there solid evidence?

Edited by Rhodes1968
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Locals say that the claim is over 100 years old and has always been active. Not much known about the whole thing. Really hard to find hard data. I guess they will get their day in court?? Apparently the miners welcome it as they think it's a once in a lifetime opportunity to set things straight about mining.

 

There was an Agenda 21 website that had a lot of good information on it as well.

 

The KDRV "journalism" is what I expected. They don't mention why the Militia showed up and why OK just showed up to "help support the militia". They don't mention the threats to the miners operations, property and buildings and the second order to stop or be removed by the 25th. The Agenda21 site goes over it.

 

Far as Oath Keepers, I love to watch people. I have watched the oath keepers in Montana along with Liberty Bell and the whole bunch of the organized groups in our Valley. Elmer Stewart Rhodes is first and foremost an attorney. I know combat wounded veterans who asked him about his service and wanted him to produce a dd214 because the things he said were not lining up. He is the head of the operation and the more I look into the guy he seems like a spook or a fraud. I could be wrong and it's just my opinion. I have no interest in organizations but I would hate to see the people of Montana led into a trap by outsiders as has happened so many times here in the past. My area is a white hot fire bed of organized militias, religious organizations and even some controversial groups that somehow manage to get in the national spotlight from time to time. Since I really don't give two fucks about going to meetings with strangers I just sit back and observe things. So, take my opinion with a grain of salt. My friends donate and participate in organizations like the oath keepers and I don't hold it against them. It's their life. I believe my oath was discharged but what debt I owed still remains a mystery.


BLM, just add another government agency to the list that needs to be disbanded.

It's really hard to get rid of Union Protected government jobs. I see it as a conflict of interest. No public sector job should allow unions. It, to me and my opinion is a matter of national security. Outside entities pushing protocol upon a nation seems like an assault.

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Locals say that the claim is over 100 years old and has always been active. Not much known about the whole thing. Really hard to find hard data. I guess they will get their day in court?? Apparently the miners welcome it as they think it's a once in a lifetime opportunity to set things straight about mining.

 

There was an Agenda 21 website that had a lot of good information on it as well.

 

The KDRV "journalism" is what I expected. They don't mention why the Militia showed up and why OK just showed up to "help support the militia". They don't mention the threats to the miners operations, property and buildings and the second order to stop or be removed by the 25th. The Agenda21 site goes over it.

 

Far as Oath Keepers, I love to watch people. I have watched the oath keepers in Montana along with Liberty Bell and the whole bunch of the organized groups in our Valley. Elmer Stewart Rhodes is first and foremost an attorney. I know combat wounded veterans who asked him about his service and wanted him to produce a dd214 because the things he said were not lining up. He is the head of the operation and the more I look into the guy he seems like a spook or a fraud. I could be wrong and it's just my opinion. I have no interest in organizations but I would hate to see the people of Montana led into a trap by outsiders as has happened so many times here in the past. My area is a white hot fire bed of organized militias, religious organizations and even some controversial groups that somehow manage to get in the national spotlight from time to time. Since I really don't give two fucks about going to meetings with strangers I just sit back and observe things. So, take my opinion with a grain of salt. My friends donate and participate in organizations like the oath keepers and I don't hold it against them. It's their life. I believe my oath was discharged but what debt I owed still remains a mystery.

BLM, just add another government agency to the list that needs to be disbanded.

It's really hard to get rid of Union Protected government jobs. I see it as a conflict of interest. No public sector job should allow unions. It, to me and my opinion is a matter of national security. Outside entities pushing protocol upon a nation seems like an assault.

 

I do understand the feeling that something is hinky with OK but there are a lot of things like that. Time and events will tell.

Interesting insight into Montana you give, and it's history reflects exactly what you describe. Still its on the short list when and if we ever get shed of this property. 

 

As for that oath it expired the day of discharge and I will never take another to anyone save the one I gave my wife.

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A few clarifications.  Seems some, (a few?) of the aforementioned miners have not paid their legally required yearly maintenance fees to keep the mining gold claims active ... and legal.  A big distinction in some eyes ... a very small non distinction in the eyes of others.

 

This particular group of miners and mining gold claims are a source of ongoing comings and goings.  Right now my sources, ( I live here ... or actually in ((kinda)) Cave Junction OR in the Illinois Valley in SW OR) tell me that this MIGHT be much to do about nothing.  Nothing new.

 

What we MIGHT be seeing here is some over blown Internet presentations and sites that for whatever reason are not providing all the facts and backgrounds in this matter.  Again, may be important, may not be important.  Right now things seem to quite calm.  Just me.

 

Yes there used to be a near ZERO expense obtaining and maintaining a gold mine claim.  Then the FEDS did change the rules and created yearly "maintenance" fees.  Then the FEDS greatly increased the yearly maintenance fees.  If one has many claims ...$OUCH$!

 

Now the very long list of ecological, economic and bureaucratic requirements for anybody to actually work their "legal" gold mining claims is so impossibly long and non doable, most folks just throw their hands in the air in disgust.  They also stop paying the yearly fees.

 

The important land mark 1882 Federal Mining Law is still on the books.  Unfortunately, like a lot of things today in our own government, that important law is being ignored by various ABC Federal agencies.  We have become a nation of men rather than of law.

 

HB of CJ (old coot) Hope this provides some background.  About 42N, about 122W.  Kinda.

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I don't know the back story on any of this. Just posting this info to tack onto Old Coots post on the mining laws and the maintenance fees.

 

"General Mining Law of 1872

 

The federal law governing locatable minerals is the General Mining Law of 1872 (May 10, 1872), which declared all valuable mineral deposits in land belonging to the United States to be free and open to exploration and purchase.

 

This law provides citizens of the United States the opportunity to explore for, discover, and purchase certain valuable mineral deposits on public domain minerals.

 

Federal Land Policy & Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA)

 

This Act did not amend the 1872 law, but did affect the recordation and maintenance of claims. Persons holding existing claims were required to record their claims with BLM by October 1979, and all new claims were required to be recorded with BLM. FLPMA’s purpose was to provide BLM with information on the locations and number of unpatented mining claims, mill sites, and tunnel sites to determine the names and addresses of current owners, and to remove any cloud of title on abandoned claims.

 

What is a Mining Claim?

 

A mining claim is a parcel of land for which the claimant has asserted a right of possession and the right to develop and extract a discovered, valuable, mineral deposit. This right does not include exclusive surface rights (see Public Law 84-167).

 

Locatable minerals include both metallic minerals (gold, silver, lead, etc.) and nonmetallic minerals (fluorspar, asbestos, mica, etc.). It is nearly impossible to list all locatable minerals because of the complex legal requirements for discovery."

 

http://www.blm.gov/wy/st/en/programs/mineral_resources/Mining_Claims.html

 

"Maintenance Fees

 

An annual $140 maintenance fee per claim is required to be filed or postmarked (if mailed) on or before September 1 of the year preceding an assessment year. (For example, for the 2005 assessment year which begins September 1, 2004, the maintenance fees must be paid by September 1, 2004.)

 

Maintenance Fee Payment Waiver Certification (aka Small Miners Exemption)

 

If a claimant owns 10 or fewer active claims/sites on Federal land in the United States, he may qualify for a maintenance fee payment waiver. Waivers must be filed or postmarked (if mailed) on or before September 1 for the subsequent assessment year. There is no fee to file a waiver. A waiver must be filed prior to each year a waiver of the fees is desired.

 

If a claimant owns claims in more than one state, he/she must file a waiver form in each appropriate BLM State Office.

 

By filing a waiver form, the claimant is stating that assessment work has been or will be done, and that the proper affidavits of labor will be timely filed.

 

Annual Assessment Work

 

Claimants who perform assessment work must spend a minimum of $100 in labor or improvements on each claim, and record evidence of such with the BLM by December 30th of the calendar year in which the assessment year ended. FLPMA required the same document be filed with BLM which has been or will be recorded with the appropriate county office. The charge for recording an affidavit of annual assessment with BLM is $10 per claim. The annual assessment document must be filed or postmarked by December 30th.

 

The assessment work must be performed within the period defined as the assessment year.

 

Assessment work is not a requirement for owners of mill or tunnel sites; however, they must file a notice of intent to hold (NOIH) the site. BLM requires a $10 service charge per site for filing a NOIH.

 

Assessment work includes, but is not limited to, drilling, excavations, driving shafts and tunnels, sampling (geochemical or bulk), road construction on or for the benefit of the mining claim; and geological, geochemical, and geophysical surveys.

 

Chart showing all Fees & Service Charges

 

New Location Notices/Sites

 

Location Fee

$34.00/claim

 

Maintenance Fee

$140.00/claim

 

Service Charge

$ 20.00/claim

 

Copy Fee

$ .13/page

 

 

 

Proof of Labor

$10.00/claim

 

Notice of Intent to Hold

 

$10.00/claim

 

Transfer of Interest (per transfer/per person)

 

$10.00/claim

 

Amendment

 

$10.00/claim

 

Petition for Deferment of Assessment Work

 

$100.00"

 

http://www.blm.gov/wy/st/en/programs/mineral_resources/Mining_Claims/maintain.html

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 Chart showing all Fees & Service Charges

New Location Notices/Sites

Location Fee
$34.00/claim

Maintenance Fee
$140.00/claim

Service Charge
$ 20.00/claim

Copy Fee
$ .13/page



Proof of Labor
$10.00/claim

Notice of Intent to Hold

$10.00/claim

Transfer of Interest (per transfer/per person)

$10.00/claim

Amendment

$10.00/claim

Petition for Deferment of Assessment Work

$100.00"

 

 

Getting a bunch of armed people to hold the BLM off even if you didn’t comply with the rules and registrations fees:

 

PRICELESS

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Sounds like the same shit that went down in Marathon Co, WI.  They passed an ordinance to stop all recreational mining and rock picking on public lands in the county when a mining company is now looking at a mineral deposit that has gold associated with it.

 

Building a dredging/sluicing ROV right now.  Let the DNR try to figure out what's going on when they can't see what I'm doing!

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What may make this somewhat more touchy is that Josephine County (Southern Oregon) is a former Oregon And California rail road county.  Long political story.  The quick summery is that the FEDS have broken their own law in regards with allowing the State of Oregon (and Jo Co) to harvest timber and properly use the tax money.

 

Basically what the FEDS did was "allow" federal funding to flow into the area in exchange for not cutting trees.  Again a long political and environmental story.  Then the FEDS stopped the funding ... but still did not allow us the resume cutting trees.  They breached the contract.  Anyhow, tensions are high out here for many reasons.  HB

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What may make this somewhat more touchy is that Josephine County (Southern Oregon) is a former Oregon And California rail road county.  Long political story.  The quick summery is that the FEDS have broken their own law in regards with allowing the State of Oregon (and Jo Co) to harvest timber and properly use the tax money.

 

Basically what the FEDS did was "allow" federal funding to flow into the area in exchange for not cutting trees.  Again a long political and environmental story.  Then the FEDS stopped the funding ... but still did not allow us the resume cutting trees.  They breached the contract.  Anyhow, tensions are high out here for many reasons.  HB

For the win...

 

B108C547-AE05-46DA-88F6-D6DF7C98D630_zps

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