Almost there...

    The last few weeks have been a little hectic… Iron Creek placer permitting almost final!

       We have made an interesting acquaintance of another person in the permit application process, so we talk a little SDCL and ARSD (our newly-coined language revolving around South Dakota Codified Law and Administrative Rules) with him, which I think has been to the benefit of both parties.

       A word of warning to those contemplating permitting… every codified law and every administrative rule has to be addressed, and properly!  We’ve had a lot of help from Department of Environment and Natural Resources and US Forest Service staff.  They give constructive criticism to help you on your way, contrary to popular belief that they do everything to hamper the process!  These individuals did not create the law… we applaud their efforts to help us wade through the process.

        We also had the first on-site inspection at the Friday Gulch property.  We were relieved to hear that there appear to be no special, exceptional, critical or unique features and therefore feasibly shorten the permit process of that project.  Of far greater value, however, is the experience of the first permit to get our minds around what is needed.

        Left on the agenda is MSHA training and certification, final equipment roundup and hopefully some mining in July!

        Interspersed with the trials and tribulations of permitting are those days we just get out and prospect!  Those interested in claims… there is a situation with BLM regulations that may be opening up some claim areas this fall.  We can create an email waiting list for some prime placer locations, then give you a heads-up if the areas we are watching open up.  Drop us an email….

        A few hours’ outing at Boulder introduced some newly-made friends to the art of starting a dig, what to expect and how to proceed.  Their first pan of concentrates showed some pretty nice flour gold, so we think they’re headed in the right direction.

        Stream flows throughout the Hills remain fairly constant and we hope for steady rainfall to keep them running.

       We’re hearing a lot of talk about “public” lands open to prospecting.  These public lands, researched, are as often as not owned on the surface by a municipality with mineral rights reserved. 

        We also get a lot of inquiries about small highbanker/dredge permits.  We intend to put together an application that will help in obtaining that permit.  Just another project we’ll try to put together.  We’ve heard that in California they charge several thousand $$ to do this.  We’ll try to be a little more reasonable J since we would like to encourage permitting rather than circumventing the law!

        Good news is that legislation is being considered on more recreational-type mechanized mining.  Talk to your legislator about supporting the recreational miner!

       I will post a rather exhaustive blog tailored to claimholders on locating, relocating and amending claims later this week.