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The Past Is Our Heritage The Present Is Our Responsibility The Future Is Our Challenge |
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ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF P.L.P. AND FRIENDS
The East Fork of the San Gabriel River (Angeles National Forest) was proposed to be closed to all prospecting. PLP intervened and was able to convince the U.S. Forest Service to keep the area open. PLP and one of our members were instrumental in getting the first Special Use Suction Dredge Permits for the upper East Fork of the San Gabriel River. The U.S. Forest Service attempted to close the entire Angeles National forest, under the guise of the 1928 Watershed Act (withdrawn to mineral entry). PLP and our members invited them to cite us for this violation, to this day there has been no citation issued and prospecting is still being done. PLP members have been participants in educating the agencies on the fact that Wilderness Areas do not disallow prospecting. The Wilderness Act states: “This Act does not prohibit prospecting for the purposes of gathering information!” What is prospecting, if it is not gathering information? PLP assisted a member in litigation against the BLM’s $100.00 Claim Rental Fee. This action is still pending in the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. PLP had member representation on the ADHOC Committee in the California State Fish & Game process for Suction Dredging Regulations. Originally the DFG wanted a 4-inch maximum size suction dredge for the entire state of California. We were able to maintain a 6-inch dredge size with 10 rivers in the state having an 8-inch size. PLP assisted a member in a Pro Per lawsuit against the California DFG in an effort to maintain the regulations that were in place prior to 1994. The lawsuit was demurred as to being filed three days late. Live & Learn! PLP has assisted in or reopened metal detecting in places such as: Florida, Monrovia, Ca., Temple City, Ca., Whittier, Ca., San Bernardino, Ca., and areas of un-enforceable policy where Federal law should applied. The B.L.M closed to prospecting and mining eighty square miles of the Coolgardie District for 20 acres of recent surface disturbance. PLP assisted two pro per litigants in appealing this decision to the Interior Board of Land Appeals. The pro per’s prevailed and this closure was lifted. PLP was able to challenge an illegal closure on Piru Creek in the Los Padres National Forest and the Judge informed us that we could go back to the area and mine. Later, the U.S.F.S. re-closed the area due to the listing of the South Western Arroyo Toad. When the U.S.F.S. went to a Trust Fund which had been established by a joint L.A. County/State and U.S.F.S. Agreement, for a parking permit fee in the San Gabriel Canyon, (which had acquired some $200,000 to be used to maintain the canyon facilities), found much to their dismay that this money had been removed by the county to help balance their budget. PLP check the facts and then took it to the LA County Grand Jury for a full investigation. The money was immediately returned to the U.S.F.S. to be used in the San Gabriel Canyon as intended. PLP and its member participated in the Desert Protection Act process; our input was invaluable in keeping many of the areas open to public use. To this day PLP and its members are still participating in this on going process in the hopes of preventing any unnecessary land closures. |
