Articles

CA Supreme Court invites state to frustrate federal policy

August 22, 2016 | By JONATHAN WOOD

The California Supreme Court has issued its long-awaited decision in People v. Rinehart, concerning the legality of the state’s ban on suction dredge mining. The case concerns an apparent conflict between federal law, which encourages mining on federal lands, and the state’s ban against the only practicable method of mining stream bed c ...

Articles

Court of Appeal deals a blow to the state’s ban on suction dredge mining

September 25, 2014 | By JONATHAN WOOD

The California Court of Appeal has issued a decision that seriously undermines California’s ban on suction dredge mining. Adopting the argument of our amicus brief, the Court held that a state ban forbidding all commercially beneficial use of a federal mining claim is preempted by federal mining law. Brandon Rinehart has a federal mining clai ...

Articles

California agency proposes continuation of mining ban

March 31, 2014 | By JONATHAN WOOD

Since 2009, California has forbidden the use of suction dredge mining equipment until the agency in charge of regulating this mining — the Department of Fish and Wildlife — develops regulations to mitigate any adverse environmental effects. However, the Department doesn’t think this is possible and this temporary moratorium has be ...