EASTERN OREGON
MINING ASSOCIATION
MARCH 2026
VOLUME 438
President……………………………………..Ken Alexander……. alxk@ortelco.net ……541-446-3413
Vice-President……………………………..Dan Johnson……………………………………..1-503-510-3281
Director of Governmental Affairs……… Terry Drever Gee……………………… 541-523-6228
Editor…………………………….. Jan Alexander………. alx@ortelco.net ….541-446-3413
Mineral Policy Director………………Jan Alexander………. alx@ortelco.net ….541-446-3413
EOMA MEMBERSHIPS AND BOND PAYMENTS FOR 2026
WERE DUE IN JANUARY
If your mailing label doesn’t indicate 1/1/27 your dues are not paid up. You can send your payment to: EOMA, PO Box 932, Baker City, OR 97814. Or you can pay at the meeting. You can also sign up and pay with a credit card on our website: EOMA.US
Please let us know if we have made an error in our bookkeeping. Thank you for your support.
MARCH 6th, 2026 MONTHLY MEETING AT ELK CREEK ENTERPRISES
The EOMA monthly meeting is at the Elk Creek Enterprises building located at 890 Elm Street in Baker City. The Executive Board Meeting starts at 6:00 PM and the General Meeting follows at 6:30 PM. March is the meeting where we count votes for the election of officers. You need to be a paid up member for your vote to count. As usual, someone will be winning a 1 oz. silver medallion at the end of the meeting.
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Winter has finally hit Eastern Oregon. We finally are getting some snow, but so far, the Burnt River watershed snowpack is considerably below normal. We can hope that plentiful Spring moisture will be heavy enough to ensure the replenishment of ground water, and supplement runoff of the creeks and for our mining ponds. It might rain all spring to make up for our dry winter, but mining involves all kinds of risks, and not having a good snowpack is just one more.
For miners along the Burnt River below Unity Dam, your storage water from the Burnt River Irrigation District will most likely depend on availability. You will have to check with the Irrigation District to find out what the situation is for the water supply.
MINE SAFETY TRAINING MARCH 31-APRIL 3 and SECOND ANNUAL REFRESHER APRIL 29-Trent Hahn
Tuesday March 31st will be annual refresher training plus the start of new miner training.
Surface new miner will be March 31, April 1 & 2. Miners will be there for 3 days.
Underground will finish up on Friday April 3. So, miners will be there for 4 days.
If miners have surface already, then they will need to attend on Tuesday March 31 for their annual refresher and Friday April 3 to finish their underground new miner.
Annual refresher is $60
New miner training is $250
New miner with underground is $300
Annual refresher with underground (Tuesday and Friday) is $120
If you wish to sign up for a class, Call Jan Alexander at 541 446 3413.
All classes will be held at 890 Elm St. and begin at 8:00 A.M.
April 29th is the day Trent will be in Baker for the second annual refresher
CHANGES TO THE FOREST SERVICE MINING REGULATIONS AEMA
AEMA received word that the U.S. Forest Service has completed their proposed revision to the Locatable Minerals regulations at 36 CFR 222 Subpart A (commonly referred to as “the 228As” or “228s”.) In a press release announcing the update, Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz stated “This isn’t about relaxing the rules. It’s about improving the review process for small-scale operations that have consistently proven to have minimal effect on surface resources.” He also noted the clearer direction, practical examples and greater consistency in the proposal, which will make reviews more efficient, not to mention better aligned with Bureau of Land Management (BLM) regulations.
AEMA has visited with Chief Schultz and Forest Service leadership several times about this issue over the last year, and numerous times with past administrations.
While AEMA is still reviewing the nearly 150-page proposal, we are pleased to report that it does include a 5-acre notice-level provision, a change that the National Academies of Science recommended nearly 30 years ago in order to better align Forest Service and BLM regulations, and which AEMA has been pushing for years.
We will continue to review the proposal and provide further information as necessary. There will be a 60-day comment period, starting February 20, with a deadline of April 21.
EOMA COMMENTS WERE ACTUALLY LISTENED TO-Jan Alexander
EOMA and some of our members submitted comments to the Forest Service concerning changes that need to be made to the 36CFR228 regulations. According to the Federal Register notice, there were a total of 172 comments, with 47 of those in support of changing the regulations. Most of our comments centered around the need to have a category of permitting which mimics the BLM bonded Notice. The Federal Register Notice states “some commenters insisted that the Forest Service turn over all management of mineral related activity to BLM”. That was certainly one of my comments,
The Federal Register notice states the reasons for wanting to change the Forest Service mining regulations were numerous, but included the fact that Forest Service Staff didn’t have the knowledge or expertise to effectively implement current or proposed regulations. But the good news here, is that, when these new regulations are adopted, the Forest Service will have an “Operating Notice” which will be similar to BLM’s bonded Notice. Hand operators are called “limited operations”, and these miners need not notify the Forest Service of their activities. Of course, as always, if you don’t tell the Forest Service you are mining, they will close your road or approve a timber cutting project right on your claim. The Forest Service is proposing that suction dredge miners have an “Operating Notice”. I will report more next newsletter.
STEVE PEARSE NOMINATED TO LEAD BLM-AEMA
Former Representative Steve Pearce’s (R-NM) nomination to lead the Bureau of Land Management will receive a hearing next week before the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. The hearing is scheduled for February 25.
Pearce served seven terms in the House, and understands public lands issues well. Upon his nomination in November, AEMA Executive Director Mark Compton issued this statement of support: “AEMA welcomes President Trump’s nomination of Steve Pearce to lead the Bureau of Land Management. Steve is a westerner with a deep understanding of the value of responsible multiple uses on public lands. We look forward to working with him once again to create a stable, predictable regulatory environment that will lead to a stronger domestic mineral industry, and we urge a speedy confirmation process in the Senate.”
CLAIM JUMPING -Jan Alexander
The open winter and the price of gold may have increased this illegal activity all over Grant and Baker County mineralized areas. This spring, when we miners return to our claims, we need to see if illegal location notices have been posted on our claims. You must make sure you are up to date on your filings with the county and BLM. If the claim jumper is a junior locator he has no rights. If you have been filed over, get the contact information from the claim jumper’s location notice, and write that person through certified mail. I can help you check on your filings if you find yourself in this situation. Call Jan at 541-446-3413.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW-National Mining Association
• The USGS released its annual Mineral Commodity Summaries, which shows the U.S. is 100 percent import reliant for 16 minerals and import reliant for more than half of 54 nonfuel mineral commodities. The new data underscores the urgent need for congressional action on permitting reform.
• National Mining Association President and CEO Rich Nolan, along with John Downey, General President of the International Union of Operating Engineers, called for permitting reform to accelerate domestic production of minerals and reduce dangerous reliance on adversaries.
LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT AND CEO of NMA
Dear Ken:
2025 saw major wins and historic action to address mineral insecurity in our supply chains. Yet new USGS data shows that the United States became more heavily reliant on imports for minerals in 2025 than in 2024. The lesson: meaningful change will take time and executive action alone isn’t enough. Congress must pass comprehensive permitting reform to unleash American mineral dominance and secure our supply chains.
In 2024, the U.S. was 100% dependent on imports for 15 critical non-fuel commodities and at least 50% reliant on imports for 46 minerals. By 2025, those numbers grew to 16 and 54, respectively. This isn’t just an economic problem—it’s a national security threat. China’s mineral dominance allows it to control our supply chains, and it’s already using that leverage—restricting our access to key minerals several times in the past year alone. As China tightens its grip and geopolitical tensions rise, our vulnerability deepens. Every day of delay strengthens our adversaries.
2026 will determine whether the U.S. deepens its import dependence or breaks through to a new era of American mineral dominance. We have the resources. What we need is Senate action to clear the path. Passing legislation like the Mining Regulatory Clarity Act and the SPEED Act will allow responsible mining operations to move forward—unlocking domestic resources and supporting the industries that make up our national security, energy and manufacturing sectors.
Thank you,
Rich Nolan
National Mining Association (NMA)
President and CEO
USGS REPORT SHOWS CHINA’S MINERALS DOMINANCE PERSISTS-USGS
This report shows China’s Minerals Dominance Persists, Underscoring the Urgency for Comprehensive Action. “The U.S. is finally taking important steps to confront our minerals crisis, but this report underscores just how hard it is to put a dent in China’s decades-long strategy to dominate the world’s minerals markets,” said Rich Nolan, President and CEO of the National Mining Association (NMA). “We have an administration and Congress that have united around the need to de-risk our supply chains and reshore minerals production and processing, but it still takes an average of 29 years to bring a mine online in the U.S. That’s far too long. Quick action by the administration has been key in jumpstarting domestic mining efforts but we need Congress to act on permitting reform to create the kind of lasting certainty that mining companies need in order to make long term investments in U.S. projects. China will not relinquish its chokehold on U.S. mineral supply chains easily. We must fully recognize the scale of the challenge before us and commit to doubling down on our efforts to tackle it.”
Key points from the USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries:
1. In 2025, the United States was 100 percent net import reliant for 16 minerals, compared with 15 in 2024, and imports made up more than one-half of the U.S. apparent consumption for 54 nonfuel mineral commodities, up from 46 in 2024.
2. China and Canada were the leading source of mineral commodities with a greater than 50 percent import reliance, with China the lead supplier for eight of these and was a major supplier of six others.
3. Of the mineral commodities included in the Final 2025 List of Critical Minerals, the United States was 100% net import reliant for 13 mineral commodities, (up from 12 in 2024), and an additional 20 critical mineral commodities (including 14 lanthanides, which are listed under rare earths) had a net import reliance greater than 50 percent of apparent consumption (down from 28 in 2024).
STOCKRAISING HOMESTEAD ACT OF 1916
Passed in 1916, the intent of the Stock Raising Homestead Act (SRHA) was to allow ranchers
to privatize lands deemed to be of no value except for livestock grazing and the growing of
forage for cattle. While homesteaders gained ownership of the surface lands, the federal
government retained the mineral rights. Over 70 million acres of public lands were privatized
under SRHA. Much of this acreage has since been developed for home sites and sold as smaller parcels – something the Act never intended. Since the Federal Government retains the mineral rights under this act, the 1872 Mining Law applies, and SRHA lands are opened to mineral entry even though the surface land is private. There is a requirement to notify the surface owner before the land is entered in order to prospect, file a mining claim, and then file a plan of operations to mine. The Act was amended in 1993, but the landowner cannot stop mining from taking place on the property if the proper procedures are followed. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is charged with administering mining on these lands.
HOUSE PASSES BILL TO CODIFY MINERALS EOS-AEMA
Early this month, the House of Representatives approved H.R. 4090, the “Critical Mineral Dominance Act,” legislation from House Natural Resources Subcommittee Chairman Pete Stauber (R-MN) which is designed to codify several Trump administration executive orders related to mining.
H.R. 4090 would direct the secretaries of Interior and Agriculture to identify priority projects that they can immediately approve; help to identify and reduce regulatory barriers to mineral production; and identify federal lands with mineral potential. As the Energy and Mineral Resources Subcommittee staff worked to craft this legislation, AEMA was proud to provide feedback to improve and fine tune it. In the lead up to a floor vote, AEMA was pleased to join a coalition of national and state mining associations on a letter to House leadership in support, which you can read here. We look forward to working for its adoption in the Senate as well.
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) this month released its annual Mineral Commodity Summaries report, providing comprehensive data and analysis on the production, use, and flow of nearly 100 non-fuel mineral commodities. The report underscores the continuing Chinese dominance of mineral supply chains and the United States’ increasing import reliance.
According to the report, the U.S. is more than 50 percent reliant on imports for 54 mineral commodities, an increase from 46 the previous year, and 100 percent import reliant for 16 of those, up from 15 the prior year.
In 2025, the estimated total value of nonfuel mineral production in the U.S. was $112 billion, compared with $106 billion in 2024. The estimated value of metal production in 2025 increased by 13% to $38.1 billion from a revised total of $33.6 billion in 2024, and the total estimated value of industrial minerals production was $73.7 billion, 2% more than 2024.
ADMINISTRATION LAUNCHES PROJECT VAULT-AEMA
On February 2, the Trump administration announced the launch of “Project Vault,” described as a government-led stockpile of critical minerals. The announcement followed a Section 232 investigation by the Department of Commerce, which covered every mineral on the USGS List of Critical Minerals. While the investigation found that minerals are indispensable to defense, infrastructure and many other sectors of the U.S. economy, volatility in the markets is deterring investment worldwide. In response, the administration plans to create a $12 billion mineral stockpile, combining $10 billion from the Export-Import Bank (EXIM) and nearly $2 billion in private capital. Three firms – Hartree Partners, Traxys North America and Mercuria Energy Group – will make purchases to fill the stockpile using the funding. The stockpile will use price floors to provide stability to mineral producers. Companies seeking to use minerals in the stockpile would then be required to replace what they use at the same price,
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GOOD SAMARITAN PROGRAM UPDATE-AEMA
Earlier this month, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) made another important step forward in the implementation of the Good Samaritan Remediation of Abandoned Hardrock Mines Act (Good Samaritan program). EPA released a NEPA Environmental Information Document (EID), to provide a guide to potential “Good Sams” who may be considering applying for a Good Sam permit.
Under the law, which was enacted in 2024, an Environmental Assessment is required, which can either be undertaken by the agency (for projects not involving federal land), in coordination with the agency, or prepared by the project proponent (and reviewed by EPA). Under the Good Sam law, this process must ultimately reach a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI).
The NEPA EID that EPA recently published goes on to provide additional information that potential permittees may want to include in an application. We appreciate EPA’s continued work to develop guidelines to provide additional clarity, and their efforts to ensure the program’s success.
HOUSE PASSES MINING REGULATORY CLARITY ACT-AEMA
The full House of Representatives has passed the Mining Regulatory Clarity Act (H.R. 1366) with a bipartisan vote of 219-198, with nine Democrats voting in support. The legislation, led by Reps. Mark Amodei (R-NV) and Steven Horsford (D-NV), clarifies that mine operators are able to use federal lands for activities ancillary to mining, such as waste disposal, regardless of whether those lands contain valuable mineral deposits.
AEMA joined a coalition of 28 organizations in a letter supporting passage of the legislation. The Trump administration also released a Statement of Administration Policy supporting the legislation. AEMA will continue to work for passage in the Senate, where Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) and Jim Risch (R-ID) are co-sponsoring the companion bill.
Editor’s note: This is meant to clarify the Rosemont Decision. Everyone should remember with the Powder Mining Projects EIS, the Forest Service here in Region 6 erroneously interpreted Rosemont to mean that claim owners needed to have a validity test. This doesn’t make any sense when miners are in an exploration and prospecting phase to quantify their valuable mineral deposits on their claims. Next this bill must be passed in the Senate.
ARE FS AND BLM SHUT DOWN?
The third shutdown of the year is impacting only DHS, as every other federal agency is funded through September.
During previous shutdowns, BLM and FS operated under contingency plans that reduce staffing and services during federal budget lapses. But this time, they should be working.
EOMA ADVERTISING AND SALE LISTINGS
WANTED-GOLD
Gold Specimens and Gold nuggets, mostly from Oregon mines. Fair prices paid. Also selling Gold nugget jewelry, specimens, nuggets and more. For an interesting and informative experience explore www.northernnevadagold.com. Call Robert 775-455-6470
MINING EQUIPMENT FOR SALE
STILL AVAILABLE- 3” flat hose, sluice, Honda pump, scraper, clean-up table, road runner screen, screen, diesel tank and pump, two slurry pumps, clean-up room equipment, and additional flat hose. I can send pictures and can provide details on this equipment. I am willing to discuss offers. Call Bill at 503-781-4393. E-mail me at dei@teleport.com .
EASTERN OREGON PLACER MINING CLAIMS WITH ESTABLISHED RESERVES
FOR SALE – Two 20-acre placer BLM mining claims in Baker County, Oregon. Located in an established placer gold district. Established reserves at a very conservative 75,000 cubic yards at a grade of 0.58 grams (0.0186 ounces per yard). Reserves can likely be increased by additional testing. Claims include a current Notice of Intent for sampling and bulk sampling. Excellent year-round access from maintained county road adjacent to the property. Normal operating season is April to October and often longer. Perennial stream Clarks Creek flows through the Lone Pine Claim. Mining geologist report is available. $300,000, or trade for private property. Will consider terms. Send inquiries to mjawine@comcast.net
MINING CLAIMS FOR SALE
STILL AVAILABLE-I still have an association placer claim 40-acres in size, Gold Midas Association, and a 20-acre placer claim, Gold Midas 2. These are on Wilson Creek near the confluence with Elk Creek. I have moved out of the area and thus, need to sell these claims. They are up to date with BLM. Jan Alexander has some maps and information that I sent her on the claims alx@ortelco.net. For a price, please e-mail me at Rob Browning, robbrowning70@gmail.com .
ACTION MINING SERVICES, INC.
AMS is selling assay supplies, screens, chemicals and labware! Call for a quote and mention this ad for 10% off! Assay supplies, concentrators, impact mills, technical books (for the beginner to the advanced mill man), & more! Call for our free catalog or visit us online! Check out our website for information on Wave tables. We are located in Plains, Montana. Please call 406.826.9330 to place your order. This way our staff can have it pulled and ready for pick up. Otherwise, we can always ship your order! sales@actionmining.com • www.actionmining.com