The following letter was received within the last few days and addresses suction dredging in the state of California, It is time to "go all in"!
There are many sections to the included link and it is very important to read all of the "HOT NEWS" sections including the FAQ pages.
These are public meetings that we as prospectors need to attended and there is a date for written replies as well.
Professionalism and respect should be maintained at all times in these meetings if you are attending and in your letter writing. Always keep in mind that causing people to choose sides because of behavioral for the most part goes poorly for those that are screaming the loudest. In other words remember The proverb you can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar means that it is much easier to get what you want by being polite rather than by being rude and insolent.

Letter from California water board

Hello All:

State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) staff has posted a Revised Public Notice for the upcoming workshops to solicit input from stakeholders and California Native American Tribal interests on how to regulate suction dredge mining <g class="gr_ gr_53 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_run_anim Punctuation only-del replaceWithoutSep" id="53" data-gr-id="53">at:</g> http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/&hellip;/npdes/suction_dredge_mining&hellip;.<br />
A revised notice is being issued to notify interested stakeholders and California Native American Tribal interests that a fifth workshop has been added in Orleans on January 24, 2017. Please refer to the Revised Public Notice for the time and location of this workshop.

For future email notifications and other communications from the State Water Board regarding this matter, please subscribe to the “Suction Dredge Mining” email notification list by following the link below, choosing the Water Quality list, and selecting "Suction Dredge Mining": http://www.waterboards.ca...rcb_subscribe.shtml.

Future email notifications on this matter will only be distributed via the “Suction Dredge Mining” email notification list.

Thank you,

State Water Resources Control Board
NPDES Program Staff

http://www.waterboards.ca..._dredge_mining.shtml

 Staff will be conducting four public meetings throughout the state in early 2017 to solicit input from stakeholders and California Native American Tribal interests prior to developing a Water Board permit or waiver for suction dredge mining. The public meetings are scheduled as follows: Fresno - January 17, 2017; San Bernardino - January 18, 2017; Orleans - January 24, 2017; Redding - January 25, 2017; and Sacramento - February 6, 2017. The following documents provide detailed information regarding these upcoming meetings: