well it just had to happen!

[russau]

with the current flurry of people out looking for gold no-a-days and some of them not knowing where to go to strike it rich,newbees(here in Missouri ) (and im sure in other states aswell)have been calling the MDNR and asking them where to go and do i need a permit to dredge in Missouri? well the MDNR thought about it and now think they need some rules/guidelines/permit(?) for this activity!i got a headsup from someone about this issue, and im now compileing a ton of facts/reports/info on dredgeing/prospecting/equipment specks, and im going to call some polititions from Missouri and ask that small scale miners have a seat at the table when formulating these rules. also if they need to see mining equipment in operation,ill be avaliable for that aswell.i need to get onto Steve H. site and download all the dredge studies that were done for referances.plus, their office is roughly 250 miles from my home, so that ought tobe fun!i also think that group of people will have a enviromental contingency onboard. the sierra club is very prominant here.(oh boy!)(weve had words before!) well this is gonna be a big project and i hope other Missourians get on board to help! ive notified all the clubs here and ill give a little talk to them next weekend at our meeting/outting. i also contacted Mike Phelps/ Jerry Hobbs and others for advice on how to approach this subject.Mike and Jerry have been outstanding in their assistance! Jerry is still sending me studies/reports! now if i can just get onboard and kinda guide the MDNR to come up with something like Indiana developed.Missouri is mostly privately owned and unless your working (with permission) on private land, then youll be on state owned land,controlled by the Missouri Departmenrt of Conservation or the Missouri Department of Natural Reasources.all of these lands ,except private , are considered aquired land and therefore not under the 1866/1872 mining laws for federal lands.

[dickb]

Good Luck Russ and keep us posted on how things are going.

Might suggest a couple of these regulators stop by the St Joe gold show for some first hand information to see that we arn't just a bunch of greedy, environmental plundering, slobs that are out to destroy MO. Think Education!

Thought you might like to know that Western Illinois is starting a new GPAA group - Illinois Gold Seekers - Met some nice folks Sat and had some good conversation.

Dickb

[russau]

thanks Dick! good points!!

[gremlin]

Education! Education! Education! that is the key. and not only for the public for the officers too.

[russau]

Mel, thats my entire intention! just like you guys did in Indiana. i emailed Chuck Lassiter, Mike Phelps, and Jerry Hobbs for their advice assistance. and they came through for me!now to get the Missouri prospectors/miners to back me up with support.

[gremlin]

just be carefull and think over things a lot. having a paper for the land owners to sign works good if your in a creek. not so good in a river. i can not dreage in water that is 15 deep and running fast, add in a high wall of 50 ft of clay, but i must get that guy to sign even when i am no closer to him than 100 ft. and can not get any closer. he can shut me out from mining. all becouse he owns land that tuches the river. then if the land is leased for growing corn. witch a lot of it is i must get the guys that lease the land there very hard to deal with, even showing them i can not get any ware near the corn or there land they still get skidish on signing and want lawers in the mix.

[russau]

yep Mel thats why i asked for help in doing this! theres a lot that goes into the thinking part and "if" someone wanted to undermine or boobytrap the findings of the meeting, i might not see their underlying issues untill its to late.ive asked for help on this on the Missouri websites of the clubs.so far only 1 said he would help unless he had to work that day! this is one big job for a little podunk Missouri boy to under take.im sure there will be someone that wants to complain about why im doing this and not someone else, but i stepped up and NOBODY else did or even said theyed help(except for 1 )im trying to gather all the studys done and all the facts i can find pertaining to equipment.im wanting to do a hands on or maybe just a display of the equipment so they know what the heck im talking about.and the more knowledgeable people that i have with me would take a load off me with any question/answer talks.im really looking forward to helping form these (unneeded/unwanted) guidlines/rules/permittting for prospecting/dredgeing here in Missouri, but im nervous as all get out that i get setup by all of this! now that they started the ball rolling, we need to be involved to guide where this is going!

[Reno badboy]

Good luck with this Russ! Just a tad to far for me to be of any real help! In spirit brother!!! Keep us posted!

[russau]

thanks Reno! yep its almost to far for my budget ,but if someone dont get involved with this, who knows what kind of rules/laws/permits there will be! i offer them some info that i have gathered over the years,and a chance to veiw the equipment that they are going to rule over without them haveing to guess at it and not have the facts. then itll be up to them to decide what to do if anything. i really hope my trip to them isnt going to be a waste of my time! i need to get onto Steve H. website and down load all the dredge studies that he has stored there.

[gremlin]

they will be shocked to find out what a dredge really is. i was at one place the greens sent in the law, they were looking for a thing as big as a house. the guy drove by about 10 times be for he stopped. then he found out it was them things in the back of trucks that was causing all the problems. the way the greens were talking to them they had the idal we were using bulldozers and drag lines to dredge. not somthing no biger than a lawn mower.