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<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:16.0pt;text-autospace:none'><b><span
style='font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#111111'>Suction Dredge Mining
Bill Breezes Through State Senate </span></b><b><span style='font-family:
"Helvetica","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:16.0pt;text-autospace:none'><b><span
style='font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#111111'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:16.0pt;text-autospace:none'><b><span
style='font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#111111'>by Dan Bacher </span></b><b><span
style='font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:16.0pt;text-autospace:none'><b><span
style='font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#111111'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:16.0pt;text-autospace:none'><b><span
style='font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#111111'>(Sacramento) The
California Senate today approved a bill requiring the California Department of
Fish and Game (DFG) to temporarily halt issuing all suction dredge mining
permits by a vote of 31 to 8, including bi-partisan support from Democrats and
Republicans throughout the state. </span></b><b><span style='font-family:
"Helvetica","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:16.0pt;text-autospace:none'><b><span
style='font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#111111'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:16.0pt;text-autospace:none'><b><span
style='font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#111111'>The bill easily
garnered the 2/3 aye votes needed to be adopted as an urgency measure, meaning
it will take effect immediately upon the Governor's signature. Representatives
of California Indian Tribes, recreational fishing organizations, commercial
fishing groups and environmental organizations consider the vote to be a big
victory for fish and the environment, while mining advocacy organizations and
the Regional Council of Rural Counties view the legislation as unnecessary and
a violation of private property rights. </span></b><b><span
style='font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:16.0pt;text-autospace:none'><b><span
style='font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#111111'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:16.0pt;text-autospace:none'><b><span
style='font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#111111'>The Governor vetoed
previous legislation restricting suction dredge mining sponsored by then
Assemblywoman Lois Wolk in October 2007, but suction dredging opponents are
hoping that the strong bi-partisan support for this bill, as well as the
urgency of the current salmon fishery crisis, will spur Schwarzenegger to sign
the bill this time. </span></b><b><span style='font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:16.0pt;text-autospace:none'><b><span
style='font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#111111'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:16.0pt;text-autospace:none'><b><span
style='font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#111111'>Senate Bill 670
prohibits the use of suction dredge mining equipment in rivers and streams that
provide critical habitat to spawning salmon and steelhead until the DFG
completes its court-ordered overhaul of regulations governing the controversial
recreational activity. Suction dredge mining, a recreational mining activity
that disturbs streambeds, is heavily regulated in other states including
Oregon. However, California suffers from surprisingly slack regulation,
according to Higgins. </span></b><b><span style='font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:16.0pt;text-autospace:none'><b><span
style='font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#111111'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:16.0pt;text-autospace:none'><b><span
style='font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#111111'>Suction dredge gold
mining involves sucking up sediment from rivers or streams and spitting it out
again. “Current California regulations permit monster-sized dredges
capable of moving thousands of yards of river bottom in a summer season,”
Wiggins said. “This kills fish eggs, immature eels and churns up
long-buried mercury left over from the gold mining era. In short, it’s
harmful to fish at a time when they need our help the most.” </span></b><b><span
style='font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:16.0pt;text-autospace:none'><b><span
style='font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#111111'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:16.0pt;text-autospace:none'><b><span
style='font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#111111'>Wiggins said the DFG
has been ordered by the courts to overhaul regulations governing suction dredge
mining on streams. In 2005, the Karuk Tribe sued DFG to force the department to
overhaul its suction dredging rules. Pushed by suction dredge miners, the
courts ordered the department to complete a California Environmental Quality
Act (CEQA) review before it acted. That review was supposed to take 18 months and
be completed by July 2008, but DFG has yet to begin. </span></b><b><span
style='font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:16.0pt;text-autospace:none'><b><span
style='font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#111111'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:16.0pt;text-autospace:none'><b><span
style='font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#111111'>That led the Karuk
Tribe, California Trout, Friends of the North Fork and the Sierra Fund to
petition DFG to issue emergency regulations to limit dredging on Klamath
tributaries and five other streams in the Sierra Nevada while it completes its
EIR. DFG officials refused to issue regulations, arguing that they cannot do so
under current law, stated Wiggins. </span></b><b><span style='font-family:
"Helvetica","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:16.0pt;text-autospace:none'><b><span
style='font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#111111'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:16.0pt;text-autospace:none'><b><span
style='font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#111111'>Last year, all salmon
fishing was banned along the Pacific coast of California and Oregon, due to the
unprecedented collapse of Central Valley fall Chinook salmon, the driver of
West Coast salmon fisheries. In 2006, commercial salmon fishing was severely
restricted because of low numbers of salmon returning to the Klamath
River. </span></b><b><span style='font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:16.0pt;text-autospace:none'><b><span
style='font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#111111'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:16.0pt;text-autospace:none'><b><span
style='font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#111111'>“The crisis is so
dire that the commercial and recreational salmon fishing ban has been placed
again this year,” Wiggins stated. “This is affecting the
livelihoods of thousands of commercial fishermen, fish processors and charter
boat operators, and eliminating hundreds of thousands of dollars in economic
activity.” </span></b><b><span style='font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:16.0pt;text-autospace:none'><b><span
style='font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#111111'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:16.0pt;text-autospace:none'><b><span
style='font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#111111'>Wiggins emphasized
that while fishermen are being told to stop fishing, suction dredge mining is
allowed to continue. "SB 670 is about equity. We simply cannot ask an
entire fishing industry to stop their work while a small group of hobbyists are
allowed to continue," she stated. </span></b><b><span
style='font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:16.0pt;text-autospace:none'><b><span
style='font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#111111'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:16.0pt;text-autospace:none'><b><span
style='font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#111111'>“We are very
pleased with today’s vote,” commented Bob Goodwin, Karuk Self
Governance Coordinator and Tribal member. “We have had to suffer through
150 years of watching gold miners rip apart our river; today we begin the slow
process of putting it back together.” </span></b><b><span
style='font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:16.0pt;text-autospace:none'><b><span
style='font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#111111'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:16.0pt;text-autospace:none'><b><span
style='font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#111111'>Elizabeth
“Izzy” Martin, CEO of The Sierra Fund, added, “We are so
pleased with the bipartisan support that this bill has earned, reflecting the
clear consensus on the importance of protecting fish and water quality. The
Sierra Fund thanks Senator Wiggins as well as the Senators that spoke on behalf
of the bill including Senate President Pro Tem Steinberg, and Senators Ducheny,
Wolk, and Oropeza.” </span></b><b><span style='font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:16.0pt;text-autospace:none'><b><span
style='font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#111111'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:16.0pt;text-autospace:none'><b><span
style='font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#111111'>“It’s good
to see California stop spending taxpayer money on a mining program that puts a
few flakes of gold in 3,000 hobby miners’ pockets while harming fisheries
and those who depend upon clean, healthy rivers," agreed Scott Harding,
Executive Director of Klamath Riverkeeper. </span></b><b><span
style='font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:16.0pt;text-autospace:none'><b><span
style='font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#111111'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:16.0pt;text-autospace:none'><b><span
style='font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#111111'>"SB 670 is a step
forward for better protection for salmon in their rivers than they have
today," said Glen Spain, Northwest Regional Director of the Pacific Coast
Federation of Fishermen's Associations. "There's no excuse to allow
practices that destroy salmon habitat while we are all desperately trying to
increase devastated runs and put fishermen back to work." </span></b><b><span
style='font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:16.0pt;text-autospace:none'><b><span
style='font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#111111'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:16.0pt;text-autospace:none'><b><span
style='font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#111111'>Senator Sam Aanestad
(R- Grass Valley) argued against the bill, suggesting that it amounted to a
"taking of property rights." In response, Senator Wiggins pointed out
that SB 670 takes no one’s property and miners can still mine using other
mining techniques that are less environmentally destructive. </span></b><b><span
style='font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:16.0pt;text-autospace:none'><b><span
style='font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#111111'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:16.0pt;text-autospace:none'><b><span
style='font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#111111'>The bill will next
move to the State Assembly, which will likely assign the bill to the Assembly
Water, Parks & Wildlife Committee chaired by Assemblymember Jared Huffman.
Mr. Huffman is a co-author of the bill, along with Assemblymembers Evans and
Jones. </span></b><b><span style='font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:16.0pt;text-autospace:none'><b><span
style='font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#111111'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:16.0pt;text-autospace:none'><b><span
style='font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#111111'>If SB 670 passes, the
moratorium on issuing permits would last until DFG completes its court-ordered
environmental review and resulting overhaul of regulations governing the
practice. "It is estimated that this will save the Department nearly $1
million in costs to administer a program that does not pay for itself, and
allow it to dedicate saved funding toward paying for the EIR necessary to
complete regulatory review," said Izzy Martin. </span></b><b><span
style='font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:16.0pt;text-autospace:none'><b><span
style='font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#111111'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:16.0pt;text-autospace:none'><b><span
style='font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#111111'>The bill is supported
by a broad coalition of Indian Tribes, fishing groups and environmental groups.
Supporters include the California Coastkeeper Alliance, California Tribal
Business Alliance, California Trout, Clean Water Action, Friends of the River,
Karuk Tribe, Klamath Riverkeeper, Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's
Associations, Planning and Conservation League, Ramona Band of Cahuila, San
Manuel Band of Mission Indians, Sierra Club California, Sierra Fund, Sierra
Nevada Alliance and Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation. </span></b><b><span
style='font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:16.0pt;text-autospace:none'><b><span
style='font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#111111'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:16.0pt;text-autospace:none'><b><span
style='font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#111111'>The bill's opponents
include the County of Siskiyou, New 49'ers and Regional Council of Rural
Counties. Earlier this year the New 49'ers, a mining advocacy group, and other
mining organizations filed a petition with the California Fish and Game
Commission to ban the Karuk Tribe from fishing for salmon on the Klamath, but
the petition was rejected. </span></b><b><span style='font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:16.0pt;text-autospace:none'><b><span
style='font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#111111'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:16.0pt;text-autospace:none'><b><span
style='font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#111111'>The New 49'ers argue
that no scientific information points to suction dredging as a cause in the
collapse of salmon, that the collapse is due to ocean conditions and an
over-reliance on hatchery fish. They claim that a moratorium would violate the
private property rights of those who have federal mining claims and create
"takings" liability on the part of the state </span></b><b><span
style='font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:16.0pt;text-autospace:none'><b><span
style='font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#111111'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:16.0pt;text-autospace:none'><b><span
style='font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#111111'>The Regional Council
of Rural Counties argues that the existing regulations are sufficiently
restrictive and protective and allow individuals to legally mine their claims
of precious minerals. It points to parts of rural California where mining
remains an important part of the culture, history, and economy of some local
communities. Siskiyou County separately asserted these same concerns. </span></b><b><span
style='font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:16.0pt;text-autospace:none'><b><span
style='font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#111111'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:16.0pt;text-autospace:none'><b><span
style='font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#111111'>"The scientific
evidence against suction dredging doesn't pass the laugh test," said James
Buchal, attorney for the New 49'ers. "If passed through the Legislature,
this bill will put hundreds of people out of work and destroy the vacation plans
of thousands of people for no purpose whatsoever." </span></b><b><span
style='font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:16.0pt;text-autospace:none'><b><span
style='font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#111111'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:16.0pt;text-autospace:none'><b><span
style='font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#111111'>However, Steve Evans,
conservation director of Friends of the River, notes that this legislation will
not impact recreational gold panning or non-motorized mining, "just
motorized suction dredge mining that disturbs salmon spawning beds, fish and
frog habitat, and pollutes the water with sediment and mercury." </span></b><b><span
style='font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:16.0pt;text-autospace:none'><b><span
style='font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#111111'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:16.0pt;text-autospace:none'><b><span
style='font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#111111'>The Karuk Tribe,
California Sportfishing Protection Alliance (CSPA), Klamath Riverkeeper and
other environmental and fishing groups recently filed a lawsuit against the
DFG's use of General Fund money to support suction dredge mining. The suit is
asking for an injunction until California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA)
review is completed and other mitigations take place. </span></b><b><span
style='font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:16.0pt;text-autospace:none'><b><span
style='font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#111111'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";
color:#111111'>To download The Sierra Fund's groundbreaking report
"Mining's Toxic Legacy," go to sierrafund.org/campaigns/mining. For
more information about suction dredge mining, please visit <a
href="http://www.klamathriver.org/"><span style='color:#18345C'>http://www.klamathriver.org</span></a>,
<a href="http://www.friendsoftheriver.org/"><span style='color:#18345C'>http://www.friendsoftheriver.org</span></a>
or <a href="http://www.karuk.us/press/mining.php"><span style='color:#18345C'>http://www.karuk.us/press/mining.php</span></a>. </span></b><b><i><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'> </span></i></b><b><i><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><i><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:gray'>Byron
Leydecker, JcT</span></i><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><i><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:gray'>Chair, Friends
of Trinity River</span></i><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><i><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:gray'>PO Box 2327</span></i><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><i><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:gray'>Mill Valley, CA
94942-2327</span></i><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><i><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:gray'>415 383 4810
land</span></i><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><i><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:gray'>415 519 4810
cell</span></i><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><i><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:gray'><a
href="mailto:bwl3@comcast.net"><span style='color:blue'>bwl3@comcast.net</span></a></span></i></b><b><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><i><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:gray'><a
href="mailto:bleydecker@stanfordalumni.org"><span style='color:blue'>bleydecker@stanfordalumni.org</span></a>
</span></i></b><i><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:gray'>(secondary)</span></i><b><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
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