[env-trinity] Sac Bee 3 1 2011

[Byron Leydecker]

State could cut permits for gold dredging in rivers and streams

Share
<http://www.sacbee.com/2011/03/01/3440506/state-could-cut-permits-for-gold.h
tml>  

By Matt Weiser
mweiser at sacbee.com 

Published: Tuesday, Mar. 1, 2011 - 11:40 am 

A new environmental study of California's suction dredge mining program
could reduce the number of permits issued for that activity by more than
half.

The environmental impact report on the program was prepared by the
<http://topics.sacbee.com/California+Department+of+Fish+and+Game/>
California Department of Fish and Game as a result of a lawsuit against its
suction dredge permitting practices. The Karuk Tribe alleged suction
dredging was harming fish spawning habitat and also releasing pollutants in
streambeds left behind by historic mining activity.

Suction dredging involves using a powerful pump, usually driven by a
generator mounted on a raft, to vacuum up streambed sediments and separate
out gold and other valuble minerals. Some of the heaviest such activity
occurs in Sierra, Plumas, Placer and El Dorado counties. Participation
requires an annual Fish and Game permit that costs $47 for residents, $185
for nonresidents. 

A court ruling in 2009 required the new study of the program, and Fish and
Game suspended the permitting program in the meantime.

The study identifies an "environmentally superior" alternative that would
limit suction dredge permits to 1,500 annually, compared to an average of
3,200 issued annually over the past 15 years. It would also limit dredge
nozzle size to 4 inches, compared to the current maximum of 8 inches, and
would limit dredging to 14 days a year for each permit holder.

Fish and Game has scheduled five public meetings on the study this month,
including one in Sacramento on March 29 at 5 p.m. at the Cal EPA
Headquarters Building, 1001 I St.

For information and to read the study, visit:
http://www.dfg.ca.gov/suctiondredge/ or call (530) 225-2275. Public comments
will be accepted until April 29 by writing to Mark Stopher, California
Department of Fish and Game, 601 Locust St., Redding, CA 96001; or by email
to dfgsuctiondredge at dfg.ca.gov. 



Read more:
<http://www.sacbee.com/2011/03/01/3440506/state-could-cut-permits-for-gold.h
tml#ixzz1FOUy3FRl>
http://www.sacbee.com/2011/03/01/3440506/state-could-cut-permits-for-gold.ht
ml#ixzz1FOUy3FRl

 

 

Byron Leydecker, JcT

Chair, Friends of Trinity River

PO Box 2327

Mill Valley, CA 94942-2327

415 383 4810 land

415 519 4810 mobile

 <mailto:bwl3 at comcast.net> bwl3 at comcast.net

 <mailto:bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org> bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org
(secondary)

 <http://fotr.org/> http://www.fotr.org 

 

 

 

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://www2.dcn.org/pipermail/env-trinity/attachments/20110301/5266eb28/attachment.html>