Samantha Everett works at Armadillo Mining Shop in Grants Pass. They say the bill violates federal mining laws and will have negative economic consequences. Mining enthusiasts have disputed that their hobby hurts the environment. And while 156 suction dredge mines won’t undo hundreds of millions of dollars in salmon restoration work, a relatively small body of scientific work on the issue does point to the potential for negative effects on aquatic wildlife. Since the moratorium passed five years ago, the number of suction dredge permits in the state has plummeted – from a recent high of about 2,000 in 2012 to just 156 last year. It now goes to the governor to be signed into law. The bill cleared the Oregon Senate in April. The group has supported Senate Bill 3, which passed the House Wednesday, 38-20. “The main goal is to prevent this kind of hobby, recreational mining activity from undoing the hundreds of millions of dollars in salmon habitat restoration that we’ve been focusing on for decades,” says Nick Cady, Legal Director of Cascadia Wildlands. It also requires permitting by the state. While allowing suction dredge mining to continue, the new bill protects 20,700 miles of rivers and streams considered “essential salmon habitat.” It restricts when suction dredges can be operated in proximity to a residence or campground.
The current bill would slightly modify and codify the restrictions. They succeeded in passing a partial moratorium on suction dredge mining back in 2013. The motor powers a large vacuum hose, which is used by a swimming miner to suck up sediment in the search for gold.įishing and environmental groups have been trying to limit the practice in Oregon for years. Picture a lawnmower motor floating top of a pontoon in a river. Suction dredge, or placer mining, is a kind of motorized in-stream mineral extraction. The practice has been controversial because of noise and concerns about harm to fish habitat and water quality.
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