Recreation Dredging closed in Idaho?

[salmonriverhotrock]

As best I can determine, it appears recreation dredging is pretty much closed in Idaho by the EPA. From all I have read, that also includes panning and hand sluice of all things. It seems the EPA has pretty much killed it state wide as best I can determine. Sure have wanted a dredge over the years but I'm so glad now I never invested in one.

It was interesting though that along the lower Salmon River, for almost a month until about this last week, a guy had a dredge set up and was working it pretty regular, I have no idea if he got caught but there are frequently Federals up and down this highway.

Unless I have missed any discussion on it here and I did not see any in a quick look, before you make a trip to recreation dredge in Idaho, ya better read the EPA regulations. Except for the one person dredging, I have not seen even a panner passing through give it a try. All my gold stuff is packed away but for the Detector and much of the area along the river has been withdrawn from prospecting.

 

[amcjavelin]

I would 've never thought in a million years Idaho and probably like Montana full of transplant California liberals, sorry to hear this my friend, people need to get together and fight this, I live in maine and feel your pain my stupid state actually has a season on motorized sluicing and dredging from june 15TH to sept15th progressive and liberals need to understand not going to just take it

 

[salmonriverhotrock]

Californians and Obama, don't get me started.

There have been no successes in holding back and defeating Obama Ruin or Illegal Aliens so I'm not so sure we will beat and push back the EPA. It is really like living in a foreign land now and I'm a natural born citizen reaching a point I don't recognize my country anymore. As for some of the locals who dredge each year, I have not heard any word yet on fighting this.

 

[Hoser John]

Simply go into the forest and listen---if a tree falls and no one is around to hear it--did it really matter-John

 

[Robert2300]

"Simply go into the forest and listen---if a tree falls and no one is around to hear it--did it really matter-John"

Nope! Not to me anyway. And another thing, if it falls and I can't hear it fall, becaue i'm deaf,and never knew it
happened, does THAT matter? Nope to that two.

 

[team sidewinder]

Talked to a gold dredger on a GPAA claim near Pierce, Id.( Elk Spirit ) a week ago and he said the forest service shut him down. He asked the FS person if he had to quit right now and she said that if she came back in two weeks and he was still there he would get a ticket. He told the FS person he had purchased a dredging permit and her comment was. " did you read the fine print where the EPA can close dredging at any time ". I can't believe they took his money and sold him a permit when I am sure they well knew he would be shut down if they found him dredging.

 

[salmonriverhotrock]

It is my understanding from reading the Idaho Dept. of Water Resources web site and that of the Idaho EPA, my area is closed. It goes back to what you mentioned, the fine print and that is how I found it on the EPA site.

Amazingly, the one dredger I mentioned previous pulled out and it is rumored, he was already in hot water with the BLM for something else. I have no idea if he was caught or run off. The BLM Ranger we have had down here on the Salmon has been known to be quite aggressive with the Law.

Here on the Salmon, there are at least 3 more dredges since the first one pulled out. One is rumored to be on the river in Protest. Now I agree with the protest but for each day the dredge is on the river, the fine could become very expensive. The other two look like they are just having a blast and are in full view. I see them working their dredges almost every day and do wonder if they are clueless.

Up on the South Fork of the Clearwater, I understand recreation dredging is also closed but I spotted one small dredge set up but in a difficult place to see it.

I personally see no harm in dredging unless these guys get into places our good fish lay eggs. I believe the EPA is many years over due for a reduction in powers and de-funding but they are here so far to stay and make their own empire. They can spend you to death trying to fight them.

You commented on the Idaho Dept. of Water Resources (they issue one permit) taking his permit money and I assume he got his EPA permit. I do pan and sluice besides electronic detecting and I had a pretty good idea this was coming last dredge season. I just did not think it was going to be so extensive across Idaho. The few locals I kind of know and speak with that dredge are aware of this closure. I know we have had two dredge builders (if they are still building them) in our area and this has got to be hurting them a bit. Dredging various parts of a stream is the best thing you can do for it and the fish. You would not believe the amount of metallic trash and Mercury these guys can collect. I have though seen some damage done by those who crevice dredge and pretty much rip the bed rock stream bottoms all apart. I know that is where the gold is but I'm not so sure the permits for recreation dredging allow stream alteration beyond dredging loose material below water. I know I have seen some places where the bed rock has been left barren and noticeably deeper from that rock torn out.

Well, that is interesting. Sounds like don't spend your money on a GPAA membership either. Thanks for the reply.

 

[IdahoGoldGettR]

MY TWO CENTS WORTH:

Regulations (not to be confused with LAW) with the use of fine print is nothing more the than cheap, coward-like corrupt bureaucracy. Nothing more.

Here's a photo of what I call Mercury/Gold. This happens quite often and is an afternoon's worth of work taken just this past month. If I can remove this much mercury on a daily basis with just pick, pan, shovel, and sluice,,, imagine how much healthier the salmon, trout, and steelhead would be if all rivers were dredged. Enough said.

 

[IdahoGoldSeeker]

Just finished spending a 4 day weekend on Grimes creek. Had a blast found some good gold. High banking like there was no tomorrow. I saw 6 others on the creek dredging. 3 were 2" dredges, 2 were 3" and 1 4" all in plain sight from the road. None of us had any problems. The local officer drove past us several timed in the 4 days i was there and never stopped to even bother checking for permits. I have a friend in Idaho City that tells me that the local powers that be could care less and having them pass me that often without even a stop to say hello I am inclined to believe her. Sunday morning I took a drive down stream to visit with the dredgers and they said they had no problems either. In fact one of them was a BLM officer getting ready to retire next year and he said "ain't no one gonna bother you up here." Ill take it with a grain of salt as time passes. But for now I will keep on dredging/high banking till someone says something to me. As for the EPA, There are only 2 EPA enforcement officers in the state of Idaho. They are relying on the tree huggers to turn you into the local authorities. Oh what a great thought that is! Here is how I am told they (tree huggers)are doing their part. They simply take down your licence plate # and call the cops. Solution: Take off your licence plate? Just a thought. By the way I am always looking for prospecting companions here in the great state of Idaho. So please feel free to contact me.

 

[Hoser John]

Here in kalif,land of stupidity, the Sheriffs have volunteers running around in cop cars looking and snitching ya out. The BLM/FS thought it was such a good idea they BOTH started a similiar snitch program. Envirowackos offering rewards to turn in a dredger also......sic sic sic -John ... If a tree falls down in the forest with no one around to witness it did it really just fall???

 

[WesHawkins]

We've been fighting this fight in California since 2008. They issued dredge permits and then stopped but if you had one you could dredge. Then by August of that year they put a moritorium on dredging and it didn't matter if you had a permit or not. Then environmental movement is making its move with our politicains behind closed doors. State Fish and Wildlife departments, Forest Service and other state agencies are tired of being sued so they side with these group when they propose and write regulations.
The real reason they are going after the dredger is because there are millions of government dollars in grant money for mercury eradication. The problem for them is they can't go onto the rivers and streams a dredge "mercury" as long as there are mining claims on these areas. Get rid of the suction dredger and the claims will be abandoned, or so they hope. Then the ones that arn't given up will be determined to be abandoned for lack of use. Once that happens the enviro's will get the government to take the land out of mineral entry which will open it up for them to go in with our tax dollars to mine for "mercury". All on our dime. Environmentalizim is not about the emvironment, its about money and the people that form these organization make a nice living doing it. The Sierra Fund here in Nevada City, Ca. took in over a half a million dollars in 2011 in government grants just for "spreading awareness" about mercury contamination. Pretty good work if you can get it. You can bet your ass that if this money in grants didn't exist they would care less about mercury. Look up the WMA website and look at the real facts. Its a great site.

 

[salmonriverhotrock]

I do not doubt a word you gave us on the Enviro's, money, mercury, and the Federals. I know the USFS and BLM have had a huge infiltration into their ranks by the Greenies so I can see the Federal Employees serving like minded on the outside through pretty much hijacking and using our system of government for personal gains. It's happening all over government under Obama. It is the largest rape of the American Tax Payer I have ever seen in my life time.

Whats funny to see here on the Salmon River, one guy has been dredging this week, right out front of the USFS Office. Anyone can see him driving down the highway. There are a few others on the river still and they go about dredging like nothings up and I have seen the BLM Ranger in the area a number of times so I'm thinking here, the Federals are simply not enforcing the closure. I know if I went out and began dredging, it would be my luck I'd get hauled off. Even up on the South Fork of the Clearwater, I saw a couple of guys that technically by the rules, are high banking but with pans right out in the open and there is a high amount of USFS traffic by that spot. They are just a digging and panning without a concern one. I don't have big enough pocket books to fight the Federals so I have kept all my gear put away this season and sticking to electronic detecting.

 

[starvin]

A couple of years ago I talked with a well known in my state Attorney and he said this" If you don't put All on your States Constitution You Will Eventually Loose All Of Your Rights To These People. WAKE UP!!

 

[Explorer]

Why not get them at their own game? Why can't we apply for some mercury eradication grant money? Gold is just an associated by-product of the mercury recovery program.

 

[Jim in Idaho]

The DEQ even outlawed dredging on the portion of the Big Lost that dries up half the year.....unbelieveable. There is no life in that portion of the river. The whole thing is just a big power grab. I don't dredge, but it still p----s me off.
Jim

 

[togg77]

Truthfully---how many of you people vote EVERY election---from school board,supervisers,dog catcher,you get the idea.If you do,bless you if you don't,get off your sheeple behinds and do it.