# Frank Church



## dirtbagkayaker (Oct 29, 2008)

we can only hope the price of gold doesn't exceed cost of getting it! and why is gold so damn cool. It doesn't float. ya can't eat it, drink it, or smoke it!


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## BilloutWest (Jan 25, 2013)

Hey Zeus said:


> Company seeks to mine gold in central Idaho wilderness - Coeur d'Alene Press: Outdoors
> 
> Anyone heard about this?


From your link;


> The Forest Service said mining is allowed in the wilderness as the result of negotiations leading up to the wilderness designation. Before mining is allowed, however, the company has to prove the mines can be profitable in a process called validation.
> "They have to validate these claims before they can extract minerals from them," said Brian Harris, Payette National Forest spokesman. "If the two claims prove to be valid, then the next step is for the owner to submit a complete plan."


All Wildernesses are not created equal.

The human creation part.

I didn't realize we set some up with that much mechanized and road use.


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## Schutzie (Feb 5, 2013)

dirtbagkayaker said:


> we can only hope the price of gold doesn't exceed cost of getting it! and why is gold so damn cool. It doesn't float. ya can't eat it, drink it, or smoke it!


Well, now, hold on one second.
I'm pretty sure I smoked some once. Gave me a hell of a headache, and I think I saw dead people. but, I could be wrong.


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## glenn (May 13, 2009)




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## dirtbagkayaker (Oct 29, 2008)

I stand corrected! I'll add glenn's goldschlager as a valued resource and a must have on any float trip. I might try Schutzie's gold at the end of the day as long and the schlager wipes out the headache! 

But, I hate to give into the mining. However, its been going on around Yellowpine for a long time. I just hope they don't rip shit up and leave the equipment out to rust.


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## BilloutWest (Jan 25, 2013)

dirtbagkayaker said:


> I stand corrected! I'll add glenn's goldschlager as a valued resource and a must have on any float trip. I might try Schutzie's gold at the end of the day as long and the schlager wipes out the headache!
> 
> But, I hate to give into the mining. However, its been going on around Yellowpine for a long time. I just hope they don't rip shit up and leave the equipment out to rust.


Time Stamped photo documentation.
Don't trespass.
Don't confront.
Perhaps set up a 'monitoring' web page. If things are being done right give credit.

Understand the stipulations in the legalese so you know what to look for.

Beyond that check out any damage that you think may not be covered and document that.

======

I'm retired USFS.
No background in this sort of stuff.
But I did see how those that cared AND handled themselves professionally were treated with respect by my co-workers and I believe they had more success overall.

Exception being confrontational court cases.
That was where the real differences were sorted out.


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## wshutt (Jun 20, 2013)

Here is the link from the Payette NF to the Golden Hand drilling info. There was a statement in the McCall paper last week to the effect "this is legal and here are the conditions that we are putting in place" plus info for objections which have to be regarding impact not actual legality of the mining.

I think it was 4 miles of road being reopened, a limit on number of trucks to something like 500 trips in the 2 year period, no storage of fuel etc within the wilderness, noise and dust reduction etc. I got the feeling the FS were trying their best to reduce impact - though really roads and trucks into a wilderness area just seems plain wrong when you can't even get chain saw in for trail maintenance.


Forest Service


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## carvedog (May 11, 2005)

Those who know me know this is of great interest and concern to me. The status right now is such that unless you have already commented on the record, you have no further opportunity for public comment. The status right now is the draft EIS has been filed and it is in the period for objection. Which used to be the appeal period but NEPA changed the process somewhat.

The reopening of the road that has been closed for 30 years is to access the claim sites to have them 'validated'. What that means is that there has to be a certain amount of gold there for the claims to even be allowed to progress beyond the test drill sites that are being proposed. Three out of eight claim sites have been validated and two were determined to be not be worth it. The owners of the claim have had three sites validated for several years and have not moved forward on those sites. Not sure if that is good or bad. 

I will be following this as it progresses. 


Forest Service


http://a123.g.akamai.net/7/123/1155...i.com/11558/www/nepa/55181_FSPLT3_2396710.pdf


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## BilloutWest (Jan 25, 2013)

The actual reopening of these claims may depend on the price of Gold.

Don't shoot the messenger.

There is the possibility that the many nations stocking up on gold are doing so for a reason.


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## dirtbagkayaker (Oct 29, 2008)

BilloutWest said:


> The actual reopening of these claims may depend on the price of Gold.
> .


Good news is gold is leveling out. 

I think there is still too much good easy gold in Alaska. The Chinese really did work over that whole area just under 100 years ago. Don't forget that over 20K Chinese lived at French creek alone! However, the day will come when greedy ppl will pull every flake of gold out of the ground!


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## Wendell (Sep 5, 2011)

The price of gold and other commodities is a response to demand. Don't forget that rafting and kayaking are resource intensive. We place a lot of demand on petroleum, aluminum, steel, water, rubber, and beer to float and play. There wouldn't be drilling, mining, and brewing if we didn't create that demand.


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## BrianP (Nov 13, 2011)

^^ I said that once here and damn near got run out. It doesn't mean that all mining is good, but we aren't without impact either.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Mountain Buzz mobile app


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## SimpleMan (Dec 17, 2009)

Hayduke.


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