Listen here:
Concerned residents and gold mining hobbyists gathered Thursday afternoon to hear a presentation and voice opinions about the Chuckwalla Monument in Riverside County that they say will bring an end to their decades-long practice of conducting small-tool prospecting and mining.
Just off Interstate 10 near Blythe, a group of concerned residents met Thursday afternoon in a room that usually stands in as a chapel for the small community at Chiriaco Summit. Organized by Margit Rusche, approximately 30-40 people gathered to hear a presentation about the proposed Chuckwalla National Monument. Co-led by Associate Director Chris Clarke of the National Parks Conservation Association, and Assistant Policy Director Linda Castro of CalWild, a non-profit conservation organization, the highly skeptical audience included several members of First Class Miners, a non-profit small-scale mining group (approximately 250 members) based out of Yucca Valley, and residents deeply concerned about encroaching solar fields.
The proposed Chuckwalla National Monument would be approximately 660,000 acres, reaching from Coachella Valley in the west to the Colorado river in the east. It would also include 17,000 acres of public lands in the Eagle Mountains adjacent to Joshua Tree National Park, where members of First Class Miners hold claims. There is much concern that the new designation will eliminate small-scale desert mining for over 100 active mining claims.
Clarke kicked off the meeting by stating that the monument idea began as an official and permanent way to block escalating development of solar fields, which was the one thing everyone in the room agreed to hate. There is a strong push for both wind and solar developments from federal and state levels.
“A common concern among many of us, I would guess, is that when the solar goes in, that area is really locked up. I mean, there’s a chain link fence there and security, razor wire and things like that. Our goal, basically, is to keep that from spreading farther than the development focus area with this monument proposal and south of the highway,” said Clarke. “When they go in, we all get fenced out.”
On September 21, Representative Raul Ruiz (D-CA) introduced HR5660, the Chuckwalla National Monument Establishment and Joshua Tree National Park Expansion Act of 2023. And while it sits with the Natural Resources Committee, it would still have to pass the currently-stagnated House, and the Senate, before President Biden even considers signing the bill. Which is why, Castro emphasized, a posted map of the proposed area is a draft.
“First Class Miners have been really good stewards of the land. I’m hoping that we can find a way for folks to continue those activities on the valid existing claims,” said Clarke.
Though the General Mining Act of 1872 is cited as proof that mining could continue, Susan Herring, co-founder of First Class Miners, brought reality into the mix. “We would be required as small miners to provide a validity test, an environmental impact report, a performance bond, and a reclamation all totaling $100k estimated per mining claim. Do you think a club, a non-profit organization, or individuals here, miners, the 100-plus miners that have mining claims are going to be able to afford that?”
Though other issues arose – protecting off-roading routes, hunting areas, traffic corridors, rockhounding and wildlife, the primary issues centered around keeping solar developments at bay, and distinguishing small-scale hobby miners from large commercial mining.
“Yes, we are asking for a mineral withdrawal and that is a problem for a number of you in this room,” said Castro. “The goal is large-scale industrial mining. Mostly, it’s the solar, that’s the thing we are really trying to lock it up against.”
Noticeably absent from the meeting was a representative from Rep. Ruiz’s office. Attendees were encouraged to send letters (preferably hand-written) to his office:
https://ruiz.house.gov/contact
First Class Miners have started a petition to protest HR5660:
https://www.change.org/p/opposition-to-the-proposed-chuckwalla-national-monument
Ultimately, it was agreed that an in-person roundtable discussion with Rep. Ruiz was needed to express these concerns.
Previously reported:
