Meet Your Moderators

[Scott Harn - Editor 19]

We are blessed that Chris, Steve, and Dick are helping out as moderators!

 

Chris Ralph, Associate Editor, ICMJs Prospecting and Mining Journal

Chris has been writing for us since 2004, and he took on the role of Associate Editor in 2008. He has experience in small and large scale mining, in both surface and underground operations. Chris has a degree in Mining Engineering from Nevada's Mackay School of Mines. He is an individual prospector who has been prospecting in California, Nevada, Arizona and Alaska for many years, and recently made his first venture into Australia in search of gold. Chris contributes several articles each month, including our "Ask The Experts" column. (View the list of articles Chris has written for the Journal.) He is based in Reno, Nevada.

Steve Herschbach, Contributing Writer

Steve has been prospecting, highbanking, dredging, and metal detecting for gold since the early 70s. He eventually acquired a large placer and hardrock property at Moore Creek, Alaska and has claims at other locations in the state. Lately his prospecting ventures have expanded to Nevada, California, the UK and Australia. His interests have expanded to include gold, copper, silver, platinum, and even meteorites. Steve co-founded a dealership in 1976 that became one of the largest multi-line suppliers of prospecting and metal detecting equipment in the country. He is a respected writer and teacher, and has authored several articles for the Journal. (View a list of articles Steve has written for the Journal.) Steve is based in Alaska.

 

Scott Harn, Editor/Publisher, ICMJs Prospecting and Mining Journal

Scott is a third-generation Editor/Publisher for the Journal, following his father and grandfather. He took over as Editor/Publisher in 1999, though he has been involved with the Journal since the mid-1970s. Scott is a small-scale miner/dredger who has prospected in California, Oregon, Washington and Montana. He authors an article or two each month for the Journal, including the "Legislative and Regulatory Update" column. (View the list of articles Scott has written for the Journal.) Scott is based in Aptos, California.

 

Dick Hammond (aka: chickenminer)

Dick has been a year-round resident of the remote little town of Chicken, Alaska for over 40 years. His entry into mining started as a youngster pulling rocks down a sluicebox for his grandfather, a start that just naturally turned into a career as a commercial placer miner in Alaska's historic Fortymile Mining District.  He has fabricated much of his own mining equipment including trommels and shaker plants.  His interests are varied, including winter prospecting, rockhounding, lapidary and just about all aspects of the placer industry.

[Steve Herschbach (Inactive) 32]

And I am honored to be associated with the most respected magazine in the industry. Thank you for the opportunity Scott!

[R Jim P 0]

Thank you for creating this great Forum... I had the pleasure of meeting Chris Ralph at the Salem Oregon Gold Show and have read many of the articles by Steve, Chris, And the other great Prospectors who publish in the Best Magazine available... My only Complaint is that Chris, Steve, and some of the others are Having WAY to much fun out and about while I sit here at this Wretched PC... I gotta Get Out on the Rivers More... lol... Wishing all the Best Prospecting... R Jim

[Scott Harn - Editor 19]

Thanks guys.  I would also like to mention that Dick Hammond (aka: chickenminer) has agreed to help us out as a moderator!  Welcome Dick!  (His info is posted above.)

[chickenminer 42]

 Scott,

  Indeed, Thank you!  It is my pleasure and I must say, more than a bit humbling.

[Doug W1 0]

Thanks guys and this will be a great forum, just like the magazine.

[Dan 2]

Moderators, I was wondering what the 0 warning points means below my picture. I don't see anyone else that has that. And its in red. Red isn't good haha.

[Steve Herschbach (Inactive) 32]

Everyone has it; you can only see your own. If a moderator wants to warn you but not just outright ban you he can give you a point. If several mods all add points at some juncture a ban might happen. Zero is good!

[Dan 2]

Haha thanks Steve.

[Ken Byers 1]

Are ya all going to add a legal advice section, or something along those lines? I know you can't give legal advice but something to help point us is in the right direction. My situation is I live in Idaho and can't find anyone to help or point me down the right path on this new EPA permit, and it seems the local clubs are rolling over for it.

Don't know if any of you have read it but 41 pages wow, they took areas that had been open year around and cut them to 84 four hour days on a first come first serve permit.

To and to that you had a little over 30 days to put in for the permit to work the area, so lots of claim owners that had know idea of the time frame have lost the right to work claims they legally own. How can they fight to get on their claims? Beings the ninth circuit Supreme court ruled over some of the things in this permit doesn't make the permit as a whole a waste of paper?

Thanks

Ken

[Reno Chris 101]

I doubt you'd see a formal legal advice section - for the very reason you point out - we are not lawyers and if we give legal advice we can get sued for it. The problem with taking on the EPA is that its not a part-time do-it-yourself project for small miners. The EPA has armies of lawyers, and if you are going to fight them, you need a good lawyer yourself.

 

I know exactly how ridiculous and unfair it is. I used to dredge in California, and we've been fighting that battle in the courts for years, and I still cant dredge. No actual damage has ever been proved from dredging, its just that a bunch of ignorant tree huggers figure small miners are an easy target and in general we are because we lack the multi-million dollar resources of the fat, big money environmental organizations and the EPA. I  wish I had better news, but perhaps you and some other claim owners can band together to hire a lawyer. - Just an idea.

[Ken Byers 1]

Thanks for the reply, maybe we can use some of the free tax payer money to sue the government like the bark eaters do to us. 

Thanks

Ken