What's all the fuss?

        First of all we’ll give you an update on our small scale mining permit.  The US Forest Service signed off on the Plan of Operations for the Iron Creek permit.  We meet with a ranger this week to walk through the site which archaeology has marked out for our disturbance area.

        Everything at the state level (Department of Environment and Natural Resources) is in the works, bond awaiting approval before permit issued.

        We also attended the GPAA Gold and Treasure Show, running into a couple of our prospecting friends there. Alex wanted everything, but we kept our purchases to things we have trouble finding locally. We did see a really nice little 5-gallon bucket buggy that I’m still contemplating… but it can be found here at a local ag-related store that we patronize.

        Now we’ll get back to the “fuss” regarding our small scale permit versus any other small scale permit!

        We have discussed that our mine site falls within the Spearfish Creek watershed.  This fact automatically put us in a position for a hearing before the Board of Minerals. There was also an “intervener” due to this designation, worded that he did not request denial of permit but wanted to make sure the watershed was properly protected.

        So we are first-timers in the permit process, and although we understood the implications of this ruling as setting precedence, we did not know the technicalities required by the hearing for approval.

        The first surprise to us when on-site with the Board of Minerals was that placer mining is an unknown other than that people like to pan gold.  Several members had questions as to how we go about it, what equipment is used, etc.

        So the discussion quickly shifted from emphasis on our project to placer mining in general.  It sure made it all a lot more fun for us, talking about what we love to do!

        The intervener made an attempt to discredit the project with a sweeping gesture from rim to rim of the meadow, telling all that massive flooding had created that drainage and massive flooding can occur at any time.  We’ll get back to this shortly…

        So that was the on-site.

        Now we get to the hearing itself, which is available on audio at SD DENR website.

        The Attorney General staff outlined what needed to be addressed in the hearing.  This gets a little complex…

        The Board of Minerals in previous years negotiated and approved the Spearfish Creek watershed to a preliminary list of unique and scenic properties in South Dakota.  This was based, as far as we can tell, on the fact that Spearfish Creek is able to sustain a trout population.

        The Board, because of our permit, was assigned to determine our four-acre mine site as either removed from the list (or) finally designated as scenic and unique.  This ruling, it was made clear, applied only to that four acres and there were only two option available.

        There was quite a lot of discussion of pre-existing donut holes, something we weren’t aware of.  These occur in the area called the Deadwood Standard project.  Those areas were already permitted at the time of designation to this preliminary list, therefore were left out of the watershed.

        DENR was next on the agenda, with a gratifyingly complete report on not only our project but geology of the area, hydrology, and a very thorough explanation of placer mining and equipment that we would use in the project.

        So we get to my testimony, which was made blessedly short by the thorough DENR presentation. It was my opportunity to address the intervener’s broad statement regarding historic flooding.  I agreed with how th3 meadow was created historically by flooding, but pointed out that Iron Creek Lake exists just a few thousand feet up the gulch.  Little spring run-off occurs in our mine area.  In fact, our creek flow is primarily dependent on discharge from Iron Creek Lake.  So historic flooding as portrayed, will fill and flood Iron Creek Lake, not our mine site.

        Time for testimony of the intervener, James Nelson.  I recall last week’s Rapid City Journal story about the Lawrence County Commission and the Deadwood Standard project… ½ hour of scenic shots of Spearfish Canyon.  That’s about what we saw and heard also.  It came time for us to ask questions and Bob addressed the impact of 200 homes and septic systems in Spearfish Canyon versus a four-acre mine a couple of miles up Iron Creek.

        It was then the Board of Minerals chance to ask questions and it got a little pointed in that scenic and unique does not define in any way the “McMansions” and septic systems allowed in Spearfish Canyon. These homes are permanent footprints on the Canyon. We were gratified to see this same comment reflected a few days later regarding the Deadwood Standard project.

        So the result of all this is the permit was approved, the four acres designated as scenic and unique but conditions put in place to allow mining.

        If you waded through all that and still don’t understand, drop me an email at hillshistory1876@gmai.com!

        We conclude this with little else to say except that I will attempt to explain in a future blog some of the Deadwood Standard project questions we are getting as to the why and wherefore of events happening.  We’re not involved in that project, but do have a better understanding  of the whole permitting process!

        Support your local miners… we contribute to the local economy and reclaim as we go!

       

       

       

Pie panning...

We’ve got a story we just have to share!

Some friends of our family missed the opportunity to prospect one of our claims recently, so they picked a day and visited on their own, grabbing a couple of buckets of material to take home.

We did receive a phone call (never underestimate how many people watch for claim jumpers) about a party prospecting. We were happy to learn in the next few days that is was our friends, therefore we have this great story!

These friends have not done a lot of prospecting but had helped dig previously at the site, so they took what they thought were good gravels.

Now let’s talk about beginner’s luck! They didn’t have a gold pan so… they improvised with a pie pan. Pretty innovative, I think!

I’ve lectured that it’s not the pan that you use, but how you pan. This is a stellar example! The first pie pan full of dirt gave them a fingertip sized nugget!

Speaking of prospecting equipment, we’re pleased to see that the GPAA Gold and Treasure Show is at the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center this weekend, Aug. 25-26.

It’s always fun to see what’s out there, but I doubt you’ll see any pie pans there! Do keep in mind though… you can spend a lot of money but you’ll still get the same gold!

We’ll conclude with a brief summary of our permit process. To make a very long story short, the permit site was declared not mineable unless conditions were imposed to ensure the integrity of the watershed. Those conditions… mining outside of the creek, erosion control, protection of creek resources… were all part of our plan from the get-go!

So don’t let politics get in your way… when it comes to permitting, where there’s a will there’s a way!

Public hearing... decision in the near future

        We’re a little nervous, a little excited, but most of all happy to see the light at the end of the tunnel!

        We’re talking small scale placer mining permit. We have a hearing before the South Dakota Board of Minerals on Aug. 15-16 in Deadwood. 

        Wednesday will be an on-site inspection to view the project. We spent a few hours today (Thursday) putting in pin flags to represent the buffer zone written into the permit for Iron Creek, drainage areas that will not be mined, and a general idea of where we will be mining and access to the property.  Whew! Thanks Brian, for all your help.

        We were visited by some very friendly but inquisitive US Forest Service personnel.  We don’t blame them… just doing their job.  Once it was ascertained that we had legitimate reason to be marking out boundaries, that we have a Plan of Operation that allows our activity, and we had no campfires or cigarettes burning, they departed on friendly terms.

        We don’t mind… would rather see them out watching for fire risk than out fighting fire!

        That brings us back to a discussion we’ve had frequently.  We toured the claim with Ms. Hudson of DENR this time last year.  She suffers from allergies.  It was hovering around 100 degrees, there was a slight flow in the creek and numerous wildflowers blooming!

        Flash forward to this year, same time, same place.  The wildflowers and grass are cured, the creek has been dry for at least a month.  It looks and feels more like late September!

 

        But back to the permit.  I’ve been wrestling with our presentation…  I’ve sat thru so many of these speeches on the other side of the table as a reporter!  What I know is this… keep it short and simple! The Board of Minerals, after touring our little four acre project, go on to tour the Deadwood Standard and Wharf Resources. Thank goodness we’re on the agenda first or they probably wouldn’t even remember us!

        We’re hoping the impression is good and the project sets an example of what really constitutes a small scale operation. It will help in the long run, I think, to distinguish that so many of these permits are really recreational mining (a tiny pit dug with a backhoe to allow user-friendly recreation) from active placer mining with loaders feeding a recovery system.

        That is what we are striving to do… and get some gold while we’re at it! 

       

Wanderings....

        A little cooler these days, we’re able to be out and about without total melt-down!  A little rain here and there keeps the workings a bit damp, but at least the undergrowth isn’t snap, crackling under our feet.

Exposed bedrock on privately owned claim, Sand Creek.

        Just a few of the places we’ve been recently include the Tinton area of South Dakota and Wyoming, Castle Creek area, Boulder and Bear Butte creeks and whatever we find of interest in between!

        I’m going to stress something here that we take for granted, but is confusing to many.  We were recently asked where all the homes were at Tinton because people often comment, “Well, we have a cabin at Tinton.”  Locals (maybe a habit acquired from the gold rushers who settled the Black Hills and didn’t want claimjumpers) tend to attach our location to a general geographic landmark.  We say we live at Whitewood.  We actually live a couple of miles out of town, but our address is Whitewood. 

        I try to say “Tinton area” rather than Tinton, but that includes pretty much everything from Iron Creek Lake to Sundance, WY.

        So we stay really busy prospecting areas, helping people locate claims and exploring with various prospectors we meet either through our blog or just traveling from place to place.

        Right now we have some company from Texas;  Randy and Steve try to get to the Black Hills once a year.  They enjoy digging, which is always a plus to us geriatrics!  We give them a few maps and they go dig prospect holes on potential claims!  They also helped me remove some boulders from my current dig, making it possible to keep digging to bedrock.

        Randy and Steve like to take a little gold home, but this year they are also collecting black sand from various areas to test an extraction process.  We’re also trying to help them locate a claim so they can commit themselves to developing a dig on their very own location!  They also visit a few favorite sites in Deadwood, so if they end up with gold and winnings it will be a good trip.

        I forgot to throw the permitting process into the works here.  We will appear before the Board of Minerals this month in the hope of obtaining a small scale placer permit.  We’ve got a whole list of “to do” for an on-site with the US Forest Service and BME.

       One interesting claim search this week involved two conflicting maps regarding private property, three calls to the Bureau of Land Management which resulted in the land office division needing to consult.  A possible claim area, shown as US Forest Service on the Lawrence County GIS site conflicted with BLM Glo as to ownership.  It turns out that it was originally a homestead, then sold to Homestake, which deeded surface rights back to the Forest Service but retained the mineral rights. A big thank you, as always, to BLM staff in sorting out this puzzle!

        As often happens, the mailing from the Bureau of Land Management arrived the day after we posted the last blog.  Everyone who has a claim registered with BLM should get this envelope with maintenance and affidavit forms, plus some information on new rulings being implemented regarding maintenance fees.

        We’re proud to announce that, due to his diligence in researching claims and information we try to get out there through our blog, the Bureau of Land Management has named Bob a “land man” for the Montana-Dakota Bureau.