Coarsegold Gold Prospector’s
Newsletter
A Non Profit Organization
Established May 8, 1997
Presidents Corner
April 2016
Happy Spring to everyone!
We had another great outing at Bonnell in March. Only about a dozen members came, but I do realize it was
Easter weekend.
The weather was once again beautiful. There was some water in the creek, which made panning a lot easier!
We were a very enthusiastic group and everyone went home with a little gold.
Next month's outing will be at Goler Gulch in the desert the weekend of April 22-24. You can find directions
on the club's face book page. There is cell phone service where we camp in case anyone gets lost. Bring
your dry washers and metal detectors. There is no water out there so you must bring what water you will
need. Ridgecrest is only about a half an hour away if you forget anything. Hope to see everyone out there!
If you can get the Newsletter by e-mail please do and save club funds.
E-mail Kelly at [email protected], Attn Newsletter.
Thank You,
Your President,
Ann Borella
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Coarsegold Gold Prospectors
2016 Board Members
President: Ann Borella
559/301-0720 [email protected]
Vice President & Editor: Kelly Hall
559/862-0570 [email protected]
Secretary: Leslie Eidsness
559/645-4392
Treasurer, Membership & Web Master:
Kenny Hall 559/658-5756
[email protected]
Claims: Greg Voisard
559/760-8714
Assistant Claims: Ed Bailey
[email protected]
Parliamentarian: Frank Benard
559/871-3270 [email protected]
Claims & Ways & Means:
Mike Eidsness 559/645-4392
Board of Director: Carol DeSilva
559/301-0720 [email protected]
Page 2
Just Another Day in the Fight to Save Mining
“As for doing good; that is one profession which is full. Moreover, I have tried it fairly and, strange as it may seem
it does not agree with my constitution.” Henry David Thoreau
This past month we had the Foresthill meeting with
Congressman McClintock. Thank you to everyone who
took the time to show up and have their voices heard.
Congressman McClintock vowed to stop the BLM effort
to eliminate the small miner’s waiver and turn mining
claims into royalty leases. As the Chair of the influential
Federal Lands Committee we have a strong friend in
Congress who will work to stop it.
The recent draft documents from the Idaho BLM and the
Nez Perce Forest Service are troubling, but they’re just
another milepost on the road to a complete takeover of
our public lands by the environmentalists and agencies
acting outside their prescribed authorities.
The Oregon case is deeply troubling. Sometimes a
quick decision doesn’t work in our favor and in this case
it decidedly did not.
We’re in a new kind of fight and we need to step up to
this new reality. It’s a reality where the previous tactics
aren’t working. In fact, we’re getting our collective asses
kicked by the environmentalists.
It’s simple enough, if what you’re doing isn’t working,
and then you had best try a different approach. Luckily
we have this new approach in our last great hope to
save suction dredging: the CEQA challenge.
During those times where people were saying this case
was moot, we hung on and refused to dismiss the case.
It now appears this may be our last chance.
Not based on preemption, which the Federal court just
ruled against, but on the concept of reasonableness.
That we will be regulated is certain. We can stand on
the empty river banks or hide in the canyons and shout
about rights, but rights don’t mean a damned thing to
these people. Your rights aren’t worth spit if you don’t
fight for them.
After successive victories in San Bernardino and the
Appeals court on preemption the Federal 9th Circuit
Court for Oregon just torched the preemption defense in
the Bohmker Decision, 25 March 2016.
To date the Western Mining Alliance has paid the
litigation costs of this case. Going forward we will be
splitting costs with PLP 50/50.
The three organizations in this litigation have agreed to
split litigation costs of the general San Bernardino cases
separate from CEQA with each paying a third of the
total bill.
That’s good news. We’re all with the same lawyer now,
and all sharing the legal costs.
The Western Mining Alliance is shouldering a significant
share of the legal costs and the reality is we’ve got a
legal bill sitting on our desk right now which is pretty
significant, and it’s our bill, not any other organizations.
It’s our bill for staying in the CEQA fight. A fight where
we did the research and wrote the Opening Brief and
the Reply Brief and worked with the lawyer over the
holidays to get this done. WMA
Preemption Defense is Crushed in Oregon Case
“Truth is stranger than fiction, but it is because Fiction is required to stick to possibilities. Truth isn’t.” Mark Twain
In a stunning decision the United States Court for the
District of Oregon ruled on March 25th in the case
Bohmker v. Oregon, that state environmental laws
which prohibit dredging are not preempted by the 1872
Federal Mining Law.
Under this ruling all mining activity is now under threat
of attack from environmental groups as they file lawsuits
to stop the use of anything with a motor on it. The
Judge’s ruling doesn’t simply apply to dredging, it
applies to all activities which are motorized.
The Oregon decision will have far reaching impacts
across the mining industry as this decision sets a new
standard for what constitutes mining.
The opinion answered the question which is actively
being litigated in California as well as Oregon which is
“Can a state temporarily ban all motorized forms of
instream mining in certain areas, out of concern for the
environment, or is such a law preempted by the federal
regulations that apply?”
Judge Clark’s opinion found the use of manual
methods, such as pans and sluice boxes is still mining,
and therefore a prohibition on the use of motorized
equipment is not in conflict with the 1872 Mining Law
which provides all lands are free and open to
exploration and development.
Judge Clark answered that question by providing states
the legal authority to ban mining in favor of
environmental laws.
Page 3
Two major issues were decided in this case which you
need to be aware of.
The first answers a question from the Rinehart Appeal
case which is “Can the cost of permitting and regulation
be so high as to make mining commercially
impracticable?”
The Federal Court said the cost of permits and
regulations is part of the economic costs of mining, and
these costs can be so prohibitively high they make
mining commercially impossible. The second question
considered whether using a shovel and gold pan was
still considered mining, and therefore the banning of
motorized equipment wasn’t preempted by federal law.
He found the use of gold pan is still mining, and
therefore isn’t preempted by the 1872 Mining Law.
The impact this decision will have on pending litigation
is profound.
The Oregon ban resulted directly from the California
2009 suction dredging ban when large numbers of
miners who previously worked claims in California
moved their operations to Oregon. In Senate Bill 837
which implemented the suction dredging ban the
language of the bill includes “Between 2007 and 2013,
mining that uses motorized equipment in the beds and
banks of the rivers of Oregon increased significantly,
raising concerns about the cumulative environmental
impacts.”
The California ban was attacked by miners using two
primary defenses, the first was the ban was preempted
by the 1872 Mining Law and a defense which Judge
Ochoa of the San Bernardino Superior Court agreed
with, and an Appeals Court agreed with. The second
attack, which is still pending decision, centered on the
preparation of the California Environmental Impact
Report (EIR) and challenged the factual basis for the
findings which led to the ban. This defense was due for
decision in January 2016 but Judge Ochoa stayed all
pending litigation until the California Supreme Court
issues their decision.
With this recent Federal Court ruling the prospects grow
dimmer for a win in the California Supreme Court
leaving only the challenge to the EIR and the
regulations as the last defense of suction dredging.
WMA
Miners Making The Rules Update: A Must Read!
Up-Dated March 10th 2016 Miners Making the Rules and Regulations supported in Washington D.C.
The existing Federal Mining Law gives claim holders the
authority to make rules and regulations in the context of
organized Mining Districts. The miners within traditional
mining districts have been neglecting their duties under
Federal Mining law (30 U.S.C. section 22). This is why
the Minerals and Mining Advisory Council (MMAC) was
formed as a project under Public Lands for the People
(PLP) to organize the traditionally and legally
recognized Mining Districts within the United States and
encouraging the miners holding mining claims to step to
the plate, legally, and take charge of their future.
Presently MMAC has partnered with mining
associations, unions, PLP and the National Association
of Mining Districts. MMAC is a combined effort by
numerous concerned miners, mine owners, geologists,
mining engineers, retired politicians, retired military
personnel, and mining attorneys that are gravely
concerned about the future security of our nation and its
increased dependence on foreign sources of mined
materials. Currently the United States is importing up to
92% of raw materials, metals and rare-earth minerals
from overseas. Mining Districts can change all of this.
(This was voiced by Capitol Hill committee members on
our March trip to Washington DC)
green groups has nearly shut down the entire mining
industry through onerous and prohibitive regulations
and is also shutting out the general public at large. This
is not consistent with the 1872 Mining Law, the mining
district by-laws, the 1955 Multiple Surface Use Act, the
1969 National Environmental Policy Act, the 1970
National Minerals Policy Act and the 1976 Federal Land
and Policy Management Act. MMAC was asked by the
some Congressional House Natural Resources
Committee members to put together a comprehensive
solution to our industry’s plight. MMAC’s solution draft
bill is named the “Minerals & Mining Regulatory
Reform Act – A Clear Path Respecting Mining
Rights” providing true accountability and regulatory
certainty in existing law. This proposed bill provides:
To date, the failure of Congressional action to rein in
agencies at the Federal and State level from extremist
Page 4
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Regulatory certainty of a 30 day approval
mitigation deadline
Regulatory certainty of exemptions to the Clean
Water Acts
Regulatory certainty of exemptions to the Mine
Safety and Health Administration
Eliminates duplicative regulation by State and
local governments
Eliminates duplicative federal agency permits
and the permit system
Equal Access to Justice Act relief
Cost effective due process appeal relief for
unreasonable regulation
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Reasonable regulatory best management
standards and mitigation formation procedures
Clear environmental standing requirements to
eliminate frivolous environmental lawsuits
The TRADITIONAL MINING DISTRICTS as
arbiters of reasonable regulation
MMAC’s objectives are advancing methodically and are
being well received by regional Bureau of Land
Management where MMAC has recognized their
needed role in this process and this new path. The
MMAC website, PLP Facebook and ICMJ have been
documenting our progress.
PLP and MMAC went to Capitol Hill in Washington D.C
the first week of March 2016. We had more than 36
meetings with Senators, Congressmen, and their
legislative staffers on the House Natural Resource,
Energy and Natural Resource, Oversight and Armed
Services committees. In sum they felt our proposed bill
and mainly the idea of the MINING DISTRICTS are
exactly what they are looking for from the Grass Roots
of America. What they were especially excited about is
the power the traditional and congressionally
recognized mining districts have presently, and with
some clarification through the MMAC bill, can push back
agency overreach! Why were they so interested in the
mining districts? They saw the mining districts as a
viable option to the issue that public lands go back to
the States immediately and thus would trigger massive
valid existing right determinations, which never end well
for the miner. The committees were not aware of this
until MMAC and PLP opened their eyes, and a way to
open the land and roads to recreation, hunting, ranching
and other outdoor activities under the “free and open”
language of the Mining Law.
We have been called back to work closely on this
historic piece of legislation with the legislative staffers
on our bill and review other bills for them on the federal
level. We are prepared to provide the Congressional
education of the customary functions of the Mining
Districts to the staffers. The Mining Districts along with
clarification through the MMAC bill can break up the
conflicts while employing a constitutional representative
form of local governance benefiting other recreational
public land users, along with grazing, hunting and
ranching. This will require funding to pay for our travel
and research. Now, here is where your help is
needed. PLP is a 501(c)(3) and your donation for this
grand endeavor will be tax deductible. Be part of the
solution and make a healthy donation today in order that
MMAC and PLP can continue to assist the local mining
districts and educate Washington DC on the POWER
OF THE MINING DISTRICTS! See Washington DC
progression as it happens on DC trips on PLP’s face
book page.
https://www.facebook.com/publiclandsforthepeople
The Dept. of Interior has plans presently to place all
public lands under environmental land designations that
will not be for public use! PLP
Idaho Forest Service Redefines Significant Surface
Disturbance
The Idaho Bureau of Land Management and the Nez
Perce National Forest recently released a draft
environmental review of suction dredging which will
have impacts beyond Idaho.
This abbreviated environmental review was prepared to
evaluate the effects of suction dredging on the rivers.
The background, and the results of this EIR are
complex, you can read the full report by clicking here,
Draft Idaho Environmental Assessment. The attack on
suction dredging in Idaho, California, Oregon and
Washington all center on endangered species.
BACKGROUND Last year we published an article on
the Sawyer Decision, which stopped hydraulic mining,
and our current litigation. We drew parallels between
the miner’s defense in 1884 and our defense in 2016.
We pointed out the plaintiffs in the Sawyer decision
failed to overcome the miner’s preemption defense so
they changed tactics and sued under the “nuisance”
lawsuit. Under this nuisance lawsuit they were able to
obtain a permanent injunction against the dumping of
debris into several of the major rivers and tributaries
including the Yuba, Bear and San Joaquin.
This injunction didn’t stop hydraulic mining, but it
prohibited the dumping of debris into these rivers where
the debris eventually would find its way into the valley
and cause damage to private and public property.
Today the opponents of dredging attack using
endangered species and environmental law. This
is the basis of the Idaho EIR, but with a twist.
KARUKS V. US FOREST SERVICE In 2012 the Karuk
Tribe sued the U.S. Forest Service to block the approval
of several Notices of Intent filed by the mining club, the
New 49ers. The Karuks challenged that endangered
and threatened salmon lived on these streams and
under the Endangered Species Act coordination with
Page 5
the US Fish and Wildlife Service was required prior to
approval of either NOIs, or POOs. Suction dredging has
historically been considered a de minimis activity,
meaning it was of such small disturbance it didn’t
require a plan of operations. In 2012 the US Court of
Appeals for the 9th Circuit Court ruled in favor of the
Karuks, that if a Notice of Intent was filed, then
coordination was required.
Fundamentally this meant simply another step was
required in the plan approval process, but the Idaho
plan now turns this decision upside down.
ENDANGERED SPECIES It is naïve under the current
regulatory environment to believe the preemption
defense will withstand the attacks of the States, as
we’ve seen with the Oregon decision the federal courts
have now ruled the use of a gold pan is still mining.
This new attack is based on endangered species and
the explosion of endangered species designated by
their genetic makeup. For a more detailed explanation
of how the environmentalists do this you can read the
WMA article Endangered Species Industry is Booming.
The continued designation of endangered species
throughout the west is acting as the backdoor to
circumventing the 1872 Mining Law, and this spread of
endangered species is only accelerating. Virtually every
river, stream and gulch in the west is now critical habitat
for something, and if its not, then it soon will be.
It matters a great deal when you see the critical habitat
designations, they are the forefront of dredging bans.
Rather than take on the 1872 Mining Law directly the
environmental groups have attacked using the
Endangered Species Act.
THE NEW IDAHO INTERPRETATION The Idaho BLM,
and Nez Perce National Forest are taking the 2012
Karuk decision and now flipping it upside down. The
Karuk decision said if a Notice of Intent was filed, then
coordination was required.
Suction dredging typically doesn’t qualify as a significant
surface disturbance, but the new Idaho Plan now
classifies any operation in endangered or threatened
species habitat, or any habitat of “special concern” to be
in and of itself a significant surface disturbance which
requires a plan.
Follow? The Karuk decision said if you were creating a
significant surface disturbance, which then triggered a
Notice of Intent, then coordination was required. Idaho
has now re‐interpreted this decision stating all suction
dredging is a significant surface disturbance, and all
suction dredging, including the lowly 2” dredge, requires
a plan of operations and coordination.
In other words Idaho has redefined what is a significant
surface disturbance. The US Forest Service definition
has always excluded small scale activities which are
consistent with other users of the national forest such as
boating, rafting, hiking and camping, and specifically
excludes small scale mineral sampling.
The new Idaho definition requires a plan of operations
regardless of the amount of material moved.
FINDINGS OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT
“Due to this [endangered species designation and the
Karuk case] and several other factors coming to light,
the Forest Service determined that suction dredging
along streams that contain ESA listed species within the
Nez Perce‐Clearwater National Forests is a significant
disturbance as defined by 36 CFR 228.4(a)(3) and
therefore a POO is required along with copies of an
approved Idaho Department of Water Resources
(IDWR) letter permit and an approved Environmental
Protection Agency National Pollutant Discharge
Elimination System (NPDES) general permit.
WATER QUALITY Effects to increases to sediment –
slight increase for 78 days (note: this is speculative at
best as all studies show sediment levels return to
normal river levels within 100 meters of the dredging
site)
Effects to Aquatic Habitats • Slight changes to no
changes
Effects on Threatened and Endangered Species • No
impacts
Effects on Riparian Wildlife and Plants • No effects
REGULATING YOU TO DEATH So how hard is it to
legally dredging in Idaho now?
Very hard. In order to legally dredge you must obtain
the following permits:
• Submit Plan of Operations by the U.S. Forest Service
• Clean Water Act section 402 permit
• State certification 401 permit
• Idaho Department of Water Resources Permit
• Streambed alteration permit
• Receive Approved Plan of Operations
However, as we’ve seen repeatedly with state and
federal agencies they misinterpret their own regulations
to meet the demands of environmentalists.
For example, the Idaho Environmental Assessment
quotes 36 CFR 228.4 (a)(3) which covers the
submission of the Plan of Operations while skipping by
36 CFR 228.4 (a)(1) and (a)(2) which prescribe the
conditions under which a Plan of Operations is required.
Again, the Idaho EA quotes 43 CFR 3809.11(c)(6) as
their justification to require the POO, this section deals
with conditions where a POO is required, while
conveniently skipping over the previous section which
exempts casual use such as small scale mineral
sampling and prospecting from requiring a POO.
THE FUTURE So how do you go from an environmental
assessment report which finds no effects from dredging
to
such
severe
regulations
and
permitting
requirements? Endangered species is the short answer.
While we’ve been fighting mining law the
environmentalists have been busy taking every one of
our streams and then using the ESA to shut those
streams down to dredging. The simple answer is you
can’t beat the environmental laws using the mining law.
The Sawyer decision should have shown us this much.
Our last remaining fight right now in San Bernardino is
the Western Mining Alliance / PLP challenge to the
California EIR. It’s long overdue but if we win that then
the last legal EIR is back in effect which is 1994. If we
lose, then the 2012 EIR which found severe
environmental effects is in place unless we win on
appeal. The Western Mining Alliance and PLP are
jointly funding this lawsuit.
As we’ve repeatedly seen the only way to stop this orgy
of regulatory zeal is to challenge it in court. The
regulatory system has gone insane when you need this
many approvals and permits to operate a 2” dredge on
a creek.
Sometimes They Really Are Out to Get You
If it appears to you there is a widespread conspiracy to
take your Constitutional rights, those same rights fought
and died for so we could be free people, you may be
right.
We’ve pointed out in several issues of the newsletters a
conspiracy between environmental groups and
government regulators to fabricate data, hide data and
to reach conclusions unsupported by science. The
march towards eco‐ fascism is rapid and accelerating.
In order to deny you your rights crisis must be invented.
It’s not just us saying this, there is a good, short article
from Wikileaks whereby they document a recorded
conversation of International Monetary Officials
discussing how to fabricate a debt crisis to force
European countries to bail out Greece.
Of particular interest to these IMF officials is Britain’s
refusal to bow to the demands of the IMF. You can read
the whole story here.
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2016‐04‐02/wikileaks‐
reveals‐imf‐plan‐cause‐credit‐event‐greece‐and‐destabil
ze‐europe
Page 7
Up Coming Events
April 29th thru May 1st, 2016 Coarsegold Rodeo
May 14th & 15th, Central Valley Prospectors Gold Show at the Fresno Fair Grounds
Randsburg, California Revisited
A Visit to the Past
A visit to Randsburg, California is a visit to the past,
when the mining camps of the Mojave were boomtowns
and gold was being dug out of the hills. The community
has survived the many perils the desert mining camps
faced, and some of its residents still work the land for
its hidden riches. It is a living ghost town, a working
mining town that likes having some -- but not too much
-- company. There are no stoplights, gas stations or
malls here; just an unpretentious, quiet little town that
enjoys its place in desert history.
These three prospectors -- John Singleton, F. M.
Mooers and Charlie Burcham -- were down on their
luck. They barely had enough food and supplies to
keep them alive while they established their claim, and
each day they used the gold they found to finance
another day's digging. They were almost to the point of
selling their claim to a developer when Rose Burcham,
Charlie's wife, arrived and saved the day -- and their
fortune. She wouldn't allow the sale, and found a way
to finance the mine's development.
Randsburg is located on the western Mojave Desert,
near the El Paso Mountains and not far from Red Rock
Canyon State Park. It's high desert- - around 3,500
feet. With nearby Red Mountain (formerly known as
Osdick) and Johannesburg, Randsburg is a must-see
for anyone interested in prospecting or the Mojave's
fascinating history. The area is not only famous for
mining gold, but also for mining silver and tungsten.
To her husband and his partners, this was a woman
who was worth far more than her weight in gold. The
Yellow Aster became one of the biggest gold mines on
the Mojave.
In the late 1800s, the Rand Mountains hadn't been
named yet. They'd been prospected a little, but passed
over by most Rainbow Chasers. In the early '90s, three
gold hunters discovered that one of the peaks in this
small mountain range was a mountain of gold.
The prospectors called their discovery the Rand.
The town that sprung up became Rand Camp,
then Randsburg. The mountains they were in
became the Rand Mountains, and the owners
changed the name of the mine to the Yellow Aster.
The town and the area boomed. Soon over 2,500
people inhabited Randsburg making it a beehive of
activity. Gold mines blossomed on the hillsides,
and the boom was on.
Outing is April 23rd & 24th at Goler Heights Meeting @10:00 a.m.
Tee Shirts, Hats and CGP Logo Decals
Tee Shirts w/Logo Front and Back:
Color: Tan
Sizes: M L XL XXL XXXL Quantity____
Color: Grey
Sizes: M L XL XXL XXXL Quantity____
Color: Orange Sizes: M L XL XXL XXXL Quantity____
Total @ $15.00 each _________
Hats w/Logo: Colors: Tan Grey Size: One Size Fits Most Quantity____
Total @ $8.00 each _________
Coarsegold Gold Prospectors Color Logo Decals
Total @ $3.50 each or Two for $6.00 Quantity____
Total $ _________
Total Order $__________
Call Kenny Hall at 559/658-5756 for orders and mailing cost.
Page 8
Randsburg, California Revisited
A Visit to the Past
The boom faded, as they do around here; but the town
would not die. Both silver and tungsten were discovered
in the nearby hills, just as the area was beginning to die.
Today, a few hundred hardy souls remain and keep the
spirit of Randsburg alive. The town survives off a little
mining, and a little tourism, as do the nearby
communities of Red Mountain and Johannesburg.
The heart of the town hasn't changed much since the
first solid buildings went up. It's a little desert community
built on the side of the mountain, a few strings of falsefronted buildings, lackadaisical sidewalks and collages
of old cars, trucks and mining equipment. There isn't a
straight street or right-angle corner in the entire town;
built on the hillside, the roads meander with the lay of
the land.
History is important here. A museum, open only on
weekends, houses a surprising amount of mining
artifacts and memorabilia. The general store has a long
counter and malt machines dating from the 1930s.
There's a rack with treasure maps, books on hunting
gold and locally-published histories, all great reading.
There are a couple of good saloons still operating. Like
the old days, here in Randsburg a good saloon is a lot
more than a watering hole -- it's the heart of a
community and a meeting place where business gets
done, as well as socializing and problem-solving. The
White House sits on the main drag (Butte Street),
across from The Joint.
The Joint is a Randsburg landmark. Olga has run the
place since the 1950s, and her son took over the job
after he retired from a government job in Visalia. Olga
opened The Joint in the 1950s with her husband, who
died in 1969. She ran the bar until she was 102 years
old.
The Joint has an old rock wall for a front, backed by
whitewashed clapboard, and an old, old neon sign
hanging from the false front. Inside, there are no
pretensions; it's just a bar, with a few tables and a
wooden floor that echoes every footstep. Along the wall
are maps to rockhound sites and gold mines, as well as
pictures and newspaper clippings from better days. The
bar stretches along the left wall. It is dark, and cool, and
the restrooms are down a tiny hall in the very back of
the long, narrow building. Mining is still the number one
topic in Randsburg. Not just gold; many local residents
work at the 20 Mule Team Borax mine in Boron, or at
the salt flats, or other mining operations on the western
Mojave. Some still prospect, searching out the earth's
treasures just as did the founders of this community a
century ago.
This living ghost town is a pleasant afternoon's stop, just
off U.S. highway 395 about 20 miles south of
Ridgecrest, California. It can also be reached from state
highway 14 by taking the Redrock-Randsburg Road a
few miles south of Red Rock State Park.
The Lost Goler Mine
By the late 1880's, mining in California was in a slump.
This was especially so in lower California, which lacked
the immense gold deposits of the Mother Lode country
further north. The great Randsburg strike of 1894
rejuvenated the sagging mining history of southern
California. The Randsburg mines poured out a stream
of metal worth nearly $8 million by the time they closed
down. The first big strikes occurred on Rand Mountain
in 1894 but the year before, gold was discovered at
Goler, only 7 miles away in the El Paso Mountains. The
placers at Goler Gulch were extremely rich. Gold
nuggets weighing up to 10 ounces were recovered from
the canyon during the initial rush. Local mining men
claim that over a million dollars in gold have been taken
from the Goler Mining District. The first official strike at
Goler was in 1893, but twenty years before, a German
prospector named John Goler found and then lost a
fabulously rich placer deposit somewhere along the
southern flank of the El Paso Mountains. The Goler
legend was well established by 1893 and so the goldbearing canyon was christened "Goler Gulch".
John Goler was an experienced prospector. During the
early 1870's, he was in the rugged desert country of
south-central California. As always, Goler was on the
lookout for gold. Somewhere along the southern slopes
of the El Paso Mountains, he found himself in a canyon
near a spring. At his feet were nuggets of gold! He
filled his pockets and eventually made his way to Los
Angeles, where he sold his take. It was in Los Angeles
that John Goler met his future partner, Grant P.
Cuddeback. The two men would make several
attempts to find Goler's lost placer, but they never
located the golden spring. They did find a small deposit
in Red Rock Canyon, located on the western edge of
the El Paso Mountains near the site of Ricardo. But it
wasn't the fabulous Goler Mine. It just wasn't rich
enough. That gold-laden spring has been pursued by
many prospectors, but it still lies hidden somewhere in
the El Paso Mountains of south-central California.
Page 9
Coarsegold Gold Prospector’s Association
P.O. Box 152
Coarsegold, CA 93614
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Coarsegold Gold Prospector’s Association
P.O. Box 152 Coarsegold, CA 93614
559/658-5756 coarsegoldprospectors.com
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Disclaimer:
Coarsegold Gold Prospector’s members purchase the right to use the association’s mining facilities and
services as is, and each member further agrees to indemnity and hold harmless Coarsegold Gold
Prospector’s and its leasers from all claims, liabilities, losses and expenses incurred by reason of injury
to any person or property, arising from use by that member, members family or member’s guests on
Coarsegold prospector’s facilities. Annual dues are from January to December. Members are 18 and
above. If a family member is 18, he/she will have to join as a member. Each member also agrees to
carry personal accident insurance.
I have read and understand the above section. Signature:__________________________________