Please Join the American Mining Rights Association at their Annual Dinner - Socal - June 2nd

For the past 5 years American Mining Rights Association (AMRA), a 501(c)3 not for profit organization, has tirelessly fought FOR YOU against significant challenges with the never ending assault on small mining and public land use all across America.

Dinner, Raffle & Silent Auction

All Dinner and Table purchases must be made by May 27th.

No dinner ticket sales will be made at the door.

http://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/event?oeidk=a07ef8d87l4d42380be&llr=djgo8s7ab

We are fighting the mining rights battles on your behalf - step up and support us by attending, or making a donation today.

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In recent news, AMRA update from Arizona

We are currently in Arizona and spoke at the GPAA Gold Fever West Valley Chapter last night about a new proposal by the BLM to close 505 miles of public land roads under their Travel Management Plan. Most of these lands are used by miners, recreationalists, hikers, campers, hunters and off-roaders. What BLM is doing is proposing changes to these currently accessible roads, or basically........restricts your access to your lands.

Here is the link to their plan:

https://eplanning.blm.gov/epl-front-office/eplanning/planAndProjectSite.do?methodName=renderDefaultPlanOrProjectSite&projectId=78300

First of all, RS2477 (revised statute 2477) is a part of the original 1872 mining grant. In a nutshell, it states the roads and travel routes must remain open for exploration, mining and usage. In 1976, Congress passed FLPMA, the Federal Lands Policy Management Act and claim they now can close all the roads willy-nilly at their discretion. Well, not so fast BLM and USFS. Under 2477, they cannot close any roads which predate 1976. If it is a road "created" after 1976, they can, prior to that, no they can't, it's really that simple.

Just two years ago, Utah took this issue all the way to their Supreme Court and the court ruled unanimously that RS2477 is valid and their roads must remain open and accessible for public use and for mining.

Like Utah, the Arizona Congress and politic body decided to protect their roads that the public uses and took it a step further than Utah did. They passed a bill telling the Federal Government they cannot close roads under RS2477. So, in clear language, Arizona told the United States government, any roads in the state which predate 1976, they will not allow the Federal Government under FLPMA to close them period. End of story

Arizona House Bill 2175 passed in April of 2015 and signed by Arizona's Governor states just that. Gotta love Arizona and these politicians who told the Federal Government if you aren't going to recognize RS2477, we will, and we will not allow you to close our roads. (link below)

https://www.azleg.gov/legtext/52leg/1r/bills/hb2175h.pdf

So, what does all this mean? It means the Federal Government (BLM) has just given the middle finger to the state of Arizona, the residents, claim owners and folks who like to use these roads and is saying we don't care what you say, or that you passed a bill allowing roads to stay open, we are going to ignore a "grant" passed by Congress in 1872 and are proposing to close your roads anyway.

So, what do the folks in Arizona do?

Call the sponsors of HB2175, the bill which was passed telling the BLM they can't close these roads and ask these Congress folks what they are going to do about it. Make them stand up for you again. These politicians should be pretty upset the BLM is ignoring their laws that passed in this great state.

Here are the sponsors of HB2175 (these are the good guys who passed the bill on your behalf), call them today:

Rep Mark Finchem District 11

(602) 926-3122

Rep Bob Thorpe District 6 (602)

926-5219

Rep Brenda Barton District 6

(602) 926-4129

Senator Sonny Borelli District 5

(602) 926-5051

Rep Regina Cobb District 5

(602) 926-3126

Rep Vince Leach District 11

(602) 926-3106

Senator Steve Smith District 11

(602) 926-5685

Also as a part of our research, we found this statement put out by the Arizona Attorney General in which he reasserts these roads will remain open. It's a great read and goes further than any other state we have ever seen in protecting your public lands and road access. Man do we love this state.

https://www.azag.gov/sgo-op…/revised-statute-2477-rights-way

So here it is folks. Arizona passed a law saying the roads must be kept open, BLM is thumbing their nose at you and it is now up to you to call these politicians and first of all thank them for passing HR2175, and then tell them to make the BLM back off.

There it is… don't sit there and be silent, CALL.

Support your government officials that supported your rights.

California SB1222 update:

We have been in daily discussions since the bill was brought to the CA Senate Natural Resources Committee nearly two weeks ago. The bill (SB1222) was "stayed" for further discussions after it was clearly shown that Ben Allen's (D Hollywood) SB637 labeled "the suction dredge bill" had language so vague it was causing over a hundred thousand small miners in California to be severely and adversely affected. Allen agreed the language needed to be changed and the intent of SB637 was not to affect dry washers, generators, and tiny pumps to be considered "a suction dredge". This vague language has resulted in citations, confiscation of equipment, threats and fines.

Department of Fish and Game's job is not to "interpret" law, it is to enforce it. What we are seeing is Law Enforcement Officers (LEO's) who interpret everything as a suction dredge. A tiny hand-held 12v Harbor Freight water pump used in a tub is a dredge, a generator, a post hole digger and even a dry washer used in the desert out of Barstow is now a dredge.

The language was so vague, even a man running a sluice box on the Trinity River with a garden shovel was cited for "suction dredging". AMRA is representing this man in court.

During our testimony, Mr. Allen agreed the language in his bill, SB637 needed to be changed and the Chairman presented SB1222 should be stayed so the parties could open up a dialogue on how to correct the language. We believe this was primarily done to salvage Mr. Allen's small mining killing bill and give him a chance to save face and correct the language.

The following day, early in the morning, Senator Allen was anxiously waiting in Senator Stone's office (the sponsor of the language correction bill, SB1222) to discuss how to correct the language. It was agreed all of the items we presented in the Capital were not a dredge and therefore should be clarified as not a dredge.

Throughout the next week, multiple discussions were had on defining a dredge as a dredge, the same way one would define a coffee maker as a coffee maker and not a blender. Common sense would tell one that someone being cited for a sluice box is a significant problem and because of this vague language of SB637, the bill is a prohibition on mining. The language states it does not outlaw panning as a method of mining. Panning has never, ever, in the history of mankind been a method of mining, it is a prospecting tool and a clean-up tool, it is not mining.

What SB637 is, is a ban on small scale mining in California. It has deep economic impacts, is causing lives to be altered, adversely and in our opinion, it is also illegal.

Ben Allen is now stating anything which involves water should be evaluated by the California Water Board (CAWB). Even if it is a tiny 12v pump recirculated in a tub in camp. He's even gone so far as to say if you scoop a bucket of water out of a creek, that needs to be evaluated by CAWB for potential permitting for water and environmental impacts. The absurdity of this is nothing short of stunning, and frankly, it is reprehensible. We believe strongly this is a result of Izzy Martin of the Sierra Fund whispering into his ear on a daily basis of what to do.

We firmly, and with good cause believe Ben Allen, and Izzy Martin, who sponsored the original SB637 want to ban mining and they have been all along. This is the only logical conclusion one can come to. We also believe Ben Allen thinks you will remain silent and will just accept this crap sandwich without complaint.

The California government is in fact tyrannical. Taking a bucket of water out of a creek, dumping it into a tub and recirculating it for a Cube is not dredging and any sane person would agree. We have more talks slated for today and throughout next week but Mr. Allen needs to hear from you. He needs to hear how angry you are, how his insane actions make you feel and how they impact you.

Pick up the phone, call Ben Allen today and let him know he needs to stop this illegal banning of all forms of small mining in California. That he needs to work with the small miners immediately to correct this language as he agreed to. Pick up the phone.

Capitol Office

State Capitol, Room 5072

Sacramento, CA 95814

Phone: (916) 651-4026

Fax: (916) 651-4926

District Office

2512 Artesia Blvd., #320

Redondo Beach, CA 90278-3279

Phone: (310) 318-6994

Fax: (310) 318-6733