Follow us on facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/OregonMiningAssociation/
SB3 Rural Issue Section Speech 2017
Here’s an excerpt from an outstanding speech by Oregon Senator Herman Baertschiger, a true friend of mining and rural Oregonians:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wvasbxramzk
DOGAMI releases important Oregon mining study
With so much effort being spent to stop mining in the West, good news is welcome – especially on a Friday afternoon!
One of Rich and my first efforts on behalf of OMA was securing the passage of House Bill 3089 in the 2015 Oregon legislative session. HB 3089 set forth a positive statement about the critical need and importance of the mining industry in Oregon.
In addition, HB 3089 directed DOGAMI to prepare a report detailing the mineral potential in eastern and southern Oregon counties, and present that report to the legislature by September 15, 2016. Earlier this week, DOGAMI released its report to the legislature and public. Here’s a link to the report:
http://www.oregongeology.org/pubs/ofr/O-16-06_Report.pdf
As we expected, based on detailed analysis, DOGAMI concludes that there is a high potential for commercial mining in most parts of southern and eastern Oregon. This isn’t surprising, given the geology of the two regions.
Oregon has the potential to be an outstanding mining state, and the resources are located in the parts of the state that desperately need the family-wage jobs and taxes that the industry provides. This report should serve as a wake-up call for every legislator who cares about helping struggling areas in rural Oregon. The jobs and potential are there – let the industry get to work!
This was an outstanding effort by DOGAMI. Share the report – this is important work for mining in Oregon.
Eastern Oregon Mining & Aggregate Summit 2016
Great news – we are once again partnering with our friends at Baker County Economic Development, the Oregon Concrete and Aggregate Producers Association, Oregonians In Action, and the Eastern Oregon Mining Association to host the 2016 Eastern Oregon Mining & Aggregate Summit! The Summit is scheduled for Tuesday, April 26th, 2016 at the Baker County Event Center in Baker City. We have a great program planned, with federal, state, and local officials and mining experts there to educate the audience and answer questions.
The event is free, and you can register online by going to the website below. You can also check out the program lineup on the website. The Summit begins at 10 a.m. Looking forward to seeing all of you there!
http://www.oregonminingsummit.com/
OMA’s Testimony on Senate Bill 1530
Here is OMA’s testimony on Senate Bill 1530, the Oregon legislature’s mining bill. The legislature failed to pass the bill, but it will likely be back in 2017.
Don’t Forget To Use Your 2015 Political Tax Credit!
Your 2015 Oregon Political Tax Credit ends on December 31, 2015. If you pay Oregon income tax, you can take a $50 credit ($100 per couple) off your Oregon income taxes and give it directly to a registered Oregon Political Action Committee like our recently formed Mining PAC. The Political Tax Credit is a dollar for dollar credit. That means if you donate $50 to Mining PAC, you will pay $50 less to the State of Oregon in income tax. Your donation to Mining PAC costs you nothing!
The Political Tax Credit is a way for Oregon taxpayers to support Political Action Committees that they believe in. At Mining PAC, our mission is to elect candidates to state and local office that support miners and the mining industry, and who will help restore a mining industry that is a key rural industry in neighboring states, and that has a proud history in Oregon. As Mining PAC grows, we hope that it will soon play a vital role in state and local elections. Together, we can make a difference in state and local elections. But we need your help!
Every Oregonian should take advantage of the Oregon Political Tax Credit to help a cause they believe in – by using the credit (which appears on your state income tax form), your donation is free. Would you rather give $50 to a PAC that you support, or give that $50 to the state government to take away your rights? Seems like an easy call.
The address for Mining PAC is P.O. Box 23213, Tigard, Oregon 97281. We’re hoping for a great last week to help in the next year’s campaigns, with many important state and local races on the 2016 ballot. Please write your check to Mining PAC today!
OMA was invited to present testimony to the Oregon House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee. Here’s the video of OMA Legislative Director Rich Angstrom’s presentation. (November 17th, 2015)
New Proposed Legislation Would Further Restrict Oregon Instream Placer Mining
(November 6, 2015)
Oregon agencies and environmental groups are preparing another round of legislation to eliminate instream placer mining in Oregon. Oregon Mining Association (OMA) just received a draft legislative concept that was put together by a work group led by Senator Alan Bates, the main proponent of Senate Bill 838 (2013), the Oregon law that imposed the moratorium on instream placer mining along most waterbodies in western Oregon.
The work group crafting the proposed legislation included representatives of the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), the Oregon Division of State Lands (DSL), the Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries (DOGAMI), and Rogue Advocates, an Oregon environmental organization. Representatives of the mining industry were not invited to participate. (more…)
Eastern Oregon Should Not Become The Next Appalachia
(October 30, 2015)
The most recent government statistics on unemployment and poverty paint a grim picture for Oregonians living in rural counties, particularly those in eastern Oregon. It’s time for the Oregon legislature to take aggressive steps to fix this problem.
A case study shows the disparity. For those of you who don’t venture further east than Bend, Harney County is a large southeastern Oregon county, covering 10,226 square miles. The county seat is Burns. As of the last census, the population in Harney County was 7,422. The nearest metropolitan area is Boise, Idaho, nearly 190 miles away. (more…)
Call to Action – Help Us Stop BLM’s Proposed Ban on New Mining Claims!
(October 19, 2015)
On September 24, 2015, the Federal Bureau of Land Management (BLM) issued a Notice of Proposed Withdrawal to designate approximately 19,000,000 acres of federal land as “Sagebrush Focal Areas” and prohibit all new mining claims in those areas for the next 20 years.
The proposed withdrawal will impact miners in Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Utah, and Nevada, and will have a devastating impact on public and private efforts to revitalize mining in Oregon. The BLM proposal will affect nearly 2,000,000 acres in Oregon, located in Harney, Malheur and Lake Counties. The time is now for all interested parties to submit comments to the BLM! (more … )
At Long Last, Oregon Legislature Adopts Mining Policy!
(October 19, 2015)
The 2015 Oregon Legislature recently completed its annual legislative session. The passage of House Bill 3089 provided a highlight for Oregon’s long dormant mining industry.
HB 3089 is an important first step in bringing mining back to Oregon as a significant natural resource industry. The bill creates the first statutory mining policy for Oregon, and provides that the state will welcome the mining industry, and the jobs it creates, to Oregon.
Mining plays an important part in Oregon’s history. In Southern and Eastern Oregon, mining was the industry that first brought settlers in large numbers to the Oregon Territory. Over the years, mining was the predominant industry in these parts of the state. (more…)