Welcome to Willamette Valley Miners

Dear Friend,

The western U.S. is steeped in the history of mining and as early as 1850, miners found gold in Southwestern Oregon, followed by discoveries in Eastern Oregon, along the Cascade Range, and the Oregon Coast. Miners opened up the Oregon territories and settled throughout Oregon and brought their families to live in our beautiful land where they settled down and raised their families.

To this day a small core of hard working small-scale miners continue to raise their families throughout Oregon. Some depend solely on their income from mining to take care of their families needs, while others depend on what they make mining to supplement their incomes. Much of what is made from their hard work goes back into the small rural communities. The rural communities we work in depend on what we spend in these small towns to survive as much as we need them to supply our needs.

I don't know if you are aware that Oregon suction dredge miners are under attack by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and the environmental community who would like nothing better than to ban mining in Oregon just as they succeeded in doing in California (destroying an industry that contributed over $60 million annually to CA).

The DEQ is continuing to write a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit (NPDES) to regulate small-scale miners in Oregon. The 2010 permit is written even more restrictive than the 2005 permit we are presently fighting in the Oregon Supreme court. An NPDES permit is written for industries that add pollutants to the water. The regulation requires a system of treatment for the pollutant to bring the effluent discharge within Water Quality Standards within a specified mixing zone

Suction dredge miners only discharge dredged material already present in the waterway. There is no treatment available to reduce the turbidity (cloudiness from the dredged material) that DEQ is calling a pollutant short of reducing the size of the dredge or not dredging in areas that have turbidity levels that are visible after the allowed mixing zone of 300 feet. Either of the choices would limit the profitability of mining to a point that would put almost all of Oregon miners out of business in a time when jobs are not easy to come by.

In addition there is published scientific evidence that intermittent turbidity, such as that which occurs during small-scale gold suction dredging, is only temporary and of short duration. The turbidity causes no harm to the environment or its inhabitants. Retired US EPA scientists are aiding the mining community by reviewing the scientific literature. They have found that small-scale suction dredging research, that studied the effects of disturbed bottom material and the resulting turbidity, has concluded that the effects on water quality and stream biota are less than significant.

DEQ's choice to use of turbidity as a pollutant of concern and their refusal to take into account the economic and social factors important to Oregon miners and the rural communities in which we live has forced us to take DEQ to court. The outcome of this litigation will affect all future small-scale placer gold mining and prospecting (from simple gold panning to modern suction dredge mining) throughout Oregon (and possibly other states). Put bluntly, it is the living heritage of the individual gold miner in Oregon that is at stake – if we loose, mining in Oregon will go the way of the timber industry.

Our having to fight multiple court cases against DEQ simultaneously results in our running out of funds as fast as they come in. Eastern Oregon Mining Association (EOMA) located in Baker City, Oregon and Waldo Mining District (WMD) located in Cave Junction, Oregon is again taking the lead in the fight against DEQ and the environmental organizations. We have received money from Oregon, Washington and California mining clubs to fund our fight so far but it isn't enough.

We are putting together a large fundraiser to help bring in the funds required to keep the fight going. Our plan is to have 3 drawings spaced over the next year and a half with the ultimate prize being a Half Pound of Gold given away at the Salem Gold Prospectors of America Association (GPAA) show in 2012. We are going to have two preliminary drawings leading up to the bonanza round to keep money flowing to pay attorney fees. Purchased tickets will be good for all three drawings. The following is the schedule of drawings planned:

Salem GPAA show, April 3, 2011
Miners Jubilee (Baker City), Mid July 2011
Salem GPAA show, Spring 2012

Many clubs and their members have stepped up in the past to help protect small-scale mining rights and we could really use your help now. We are in need of help to get the word out to as many individuals as possible as quickly as possible to make this drawing a success. Can we count on you to help us promote the drawing and make tickets available to all those wanting to purchase them. It is as simple as selling tickets at your club meetings and adding the poster and ticket page to your website.

We must all stick together to win this assault on miners throughout the western U.S. states.

Thank you for considering our need,

Your friend,

Claudia Wise

Please Send donations to:

EOMA/WALDO DRAWING
PO BOX 1574
CAVE JUNCTION, OR 97523

Here is a copy of the drawing poster

Here are the Gold Drawings Coupons