Colorado -- Cache Creek Will Close 30 November......Maybe For Good If We Don't Act

Hey Gold Adventurers...

Sadly, with BLM invoking the Antiquities Act of 1906 to run us all off 2,136 acres of the 2,161 acre property at the Granite Cemetery end of the valley, and into the worst 25 acres in the rock piles and trees, and them planning to close/lock the access gate on power line road come 30 November, we'll be effectively shut out until Memorial Day 2018.    

This is a criminal act as there is NO official historical designation for Cache Creek, no registration with the Colorado State Historical Preservation Office, no national monument status, nothing.  Just criminal BLM off the reservation, again!     For 16 years they refused to acknowledge the historical significance as a old gold mine and NOW they're saying we can't dig or pan/sluice anymore (like we have the past 16 years) BECAUSE it's now magically "historical" in nature.  Just criminal...

The property is the site of the biggest, longest running hydraulic gold mine in Colorado State history.  Miner's continuously mined there from 1860 to 1912.

This property is less than 1/3rd of 1% of the 668,000 plus acres the Royal Gorge BLM mismanages for us, the landowning public.  Think they can throw all us recreational gold prospectors a bone here?  NOPE!

If anyone is interested in helping me fight the BLM and keep Cache Creek open to us all, please call/write or e-mail U.S. Senator Corey Gardner and U.S. Congressman Doug Lamborn and ask them to engage now, team up and push back on the BLM.  BLM needs to rescind their onerous & unnecessary new supplementary rules and then administratively designate Cache Creek a first in the nation SRMA (Special Recreation Management Area) specifically FOR all us gold prospectors -- local, in-state and nationwide.

BLM has already tipped their hand in this latest plan -- "Alternative C".  Closure to All Mineral Collection Activities.

IF we don't get our politicians to act, BLM WILL shut us down there for good.  It's their stated goal.  Death by 1,000 cuts.  

I have contacted my HD60 state representative and he says he'll send them both letters.  I met yesterday with the Mayor of Salida, Colorado.  He promises two letters too.  I have meetings scheduled with the Mayor of Buena Vista and our 3 Chaffee County Commissioners soon to ask for their support as well.  The more voices/calls to "save" Cache Creek to our politicians the better!!!  

TIA,

Randy C-17A  

So Randy, what happened to Cache Creek? Did the eco-nazi's get their way? I'm am sorry I didn't find your website earlier, you did not hear about these issues on other forums.

Pickaxe,

First, welcome to the Gold Adventures Forum!  

Second, the Cache Creek nightmare is still ongoing....as my personal struggle...

Sadly, without any legal authority or proper cause, this year for 2017 they posted "NO DIGGING" and Antiquities Act of 1906 protection signs at the Granite cemetery access/parking area, effectively closing that whole end of the valley.

They locked the power line road access gate on 30 November, so we're effectively run off the property until Memorial Day weekend 2018...6 long months, for NO reason.

President Trump's EO on no new regulations held them up from "going final" with their new supplementary rules, yet they still have illegally closed the property.

I am STILL trying to get local government/clubs to support me in calls to US Senator Gardner & US Congressman Lamborn to team up, engage, force BLM to do the right thing at Cache Creek for all us prospectors...  I went before our 3 Chaffee County Commissioners, met/talked to/e-mailed the mayors of Leadville, Buena Vista and Salida, my HD-60 state rep. Jim Wilson and about 6 in-state prospecting & gem clubs.

To date, 3 months later, only a few letter received by Gardner or Lambor, and I provided them all draft letters to sign/send.  

I've sent up 8 total packages in cries for "HELP!" WRT Cache Creek to President Trump (one) and DoI Secretary Zinke (seven) since 3 Feb 2017.  Not one reply to ANY of them...  

The latest scam job by BLM I learned at the 13 Nov 2017 commissioner's meeting by BLM, from the BLM rep., is that they're now "considering" doing as I have asked for 3+ years, fought them tooth and nail on, is going ahead and again "possibly" designating Cache Creek an Special Recreation Mgt. Area (SRMA) or an Extensive Rec. Mgt. Area (ERMA)...........

...........BUT, in looking at their proposed text/wording/charts in their insanely big Eastern Colorado Resource Mgt. Plan draft, it's all carp.  Total crap...  They are prospering only a SRMA or ERMA in name ONLY.  They still want to impose ALL the same new supplementary "rules" crap within them, like only 1/2 year access, a reduced area to prospect, no sedimentation of the creek (meaning a pan only), the same permit/fee system to limit permits and fine us $5K/12 months in jail and confiscate our equipment, give plants & animals all the priority, on and on and on...

Bastards all the BLM!  NO real changes for the better.  NO real priority for us prospectors at all.  Just a name/title to say, "look, we did what he wanted, designated a SRMA for him".....but with all the old rules.  Total crap.

So, still fighting the fight.  The best thing is to write/e-mail/call Mr. Andy Merritt at Gardner's office and Mr. Dale Anderson at Lamborn's office and tell them of BLM"s "in name only smokescreen" and to act/pressure BLM to sit down with us, make REAL changes for the better up at Cache Creek.  Otherwise, they threaten us IF people don't abide by their rules, they implement their "Complete Closure to All Recreational Mineral Collection" alternative, they have already written into their plan...

HTH,

Randy  C-17A