We had the best Thanksgiving outing ever. There was well over 50 members including those from the Imperial Valley Prospector group. We all got to prospect, metal detect and explore on the five 160 acre claims. Off and on throughout out the week, we conducted tours to all of the claims. We had many positive comments on the outing and on our meetings.

Thanks to Earl and his volunteers, they were able to post the paper documents and plant most of the corner markers. Thanks to many of our members familiar with the area, we were able to lead groups to the claims. Thanks to many of our members, we were able to share prospecting equipment and help others set up their own items. Thanks to many of our members who helped prepare and set up our wonderful potluck dinner.

The weather was perfect, day and night. When we were not kicking back and sharing stories, we were out individually trying our luck in finding those gold locations, hiking, metal detecting, walking our dogs, or exploring old mine locations. This is a new training location for us, and we can come here for many years. All in all, I believe it was the best outing we have had for years.

Like I have previously said, we are planning our next years outings and if you know of some place we should include, please let us know. These are educational events and we want to cover as much as we can. While we do a lot of prospecting and mineral identification, we want to cover a lot in metal
detecting.

Went to a last minute BLM Resource Management meeting. Anytime a government entity says that they are going to enhance my quality of life on my public lands, I get nervous and want to hear what they are up to. In short, the BLM is working on “management plans” to change how they will manage plots of BLM lands from Palmdale, down to the Mexican border. The claims they are sticking with is that they have been working on this for some time and as of August, they have been looking for input from concerned citizens. We have a 90 day input time and it is up on December 21. Wow!, where have we been and why do we seem to have just found out about this?

These management plans cover four different “Alternatives” (A, B, C, D). some good for some citizens and bad for others. Open up some areas while closing or restricting other areas. A “for instance” is while keep open some mining areas, it will restrict some access to these areas. While opening grazing, you will not have roads or paths. I may have made some distortion to the “Alternatives”, but wanted you to get the picture. It appears it is a lose-lose situation.

Where we may get to save some options, we will lose on others. When we asked when the final decision will be made, we were given the statement that they hope to be done in a year……

We will complete this year with our annual Christmas party. This will be at the Madrid Manor Mobil Home Park. December 10, from 2:00 on. Don’t forget the gift if you want to participate in the exchange. Gift price from $15 to $20.

Have a very merry Christmas you all and I hope Santa brings you the prospecting supplies, metal detecting machines and mineral identification items you have put on your wish list.

Sourdough Chet

Treasure Seekers of San Diego (TSS) will hold their monthly chapter meeting on Wednesday, December 7th at 6:30 pm at the Joslyn Senior Center in Escondido, CA 92025. Click Here for a map.

Main Points of Discussion

Speaker: Q & A Session

Finds of the Month: Bring in your Finds of the Month. This is what you have ‘found’ during the last month and falls into three categories.

• Gems and Minerals
• Gold
• Metal Detecting

Show off what you have done in the last month and there is a prize for the winner of each category.

Items available for purchase at the meeting:

• TSS Claim Guides – $20.00 per guide with proof of your TSS membership card.
• TSS Dowsing Rods – $20.00 per set.
• TSS Bags of Gold Dirt - $10.00 per bag – or 4 bags for $35.00!  Save on the cost of gasoline and still get some practice time in! ** One in every 10 bags will have a ‘little’ something extra in it.  You just never know what you are going to get!**

Monthly Opportunity Drawings at the meeting:

• Door Prize Drawing (Free ticket for coming)
• 50/50 Drawing ($1.00 per ticket)
• Gold Nugget Drawing ($1.00 per ticket)
• Table Drawing ($1.00 per ticket)

Quarterly Grand Prize drawing:

• Big Gold Nugget

Upcoming Outings & Events

TSS Board Meeting: All are welcome.  Thursday, December 8th at 1:00 pm at Madrid Manor Mobile Home Park, back clubhouse, 1401 El Norte Parkway, San Marcos, CA 92069. Click Here for a map.

Metal Detecting Outing: Sunday, December 11th at 7:00 am — La Jolla Shores Beach. Gloating & Whining over finds @ 10:00 am.

Mid-Week Metal Detecting: Friday, December 9th at 8:00 am – Oceanside Pier (South Side). And as always you can keep all you find and we/I will help you with your new Detector to find all those rings and some coins that are just waiting to be found. See you there. Big”C” Charlie.

Gold Prospecting Outing: No outing this month.

TSS Annual Christmas Party: December 10th @ 2:00 pm. The party location will be at the Madrid Manor Mobile Home Park Clubhouse, 1401 El Norte Parkway, San Marcos, CA 92069. Click Here for a map. More details & sign up sheet at the meeting.

BLM Palm Springs-South Coast Field Office Announces Public Workshops on Draft Management Plan

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has scheduled two public meetings on the Draft South Coast Resource Management Plan (RMP) which was released for public review and comment on September 23, 2011.

The BLM Palm Springs-South Coast Field Office will hold two public meetings:

November 29th at the Rancho Jamul Ecological Reserve, 14715 State Hwy 94 (Campo Road), Jamul, 91935

November 30th at the Mary Phillips Senior Center, 41845 6th Street, Temecula, 92590. (Click Here for a Map)

Meetings will be from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

The meetings will be conducted in “open house” format with a presentation on the alternatives presented in the Draft RMP and the opportunity for the public to view maps and other sections of the Draft RMP. Copies of the Draft RMP will be available along with the opportunity to ask managers and planning specialists questions about the alternatives. All comments must be in writing and submitted prior to the close of the 90 day comment period on December 21, 2011.

The Draft South Coast Resource Management Plan (RMP) Revision and Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) will provide guidance for the management of approximately 300,000 acres of BLM administered public lands in portions of five highly urbanized Southern California counties: San Diego, Riverside, San Bernardino, Orange, and Los Angeles. The existing South Coast RMP was completed and signed in 1994. Since that time there have been significant changes in the patterns of urban growth, increased demands on the resources on public lands, changing policies and emphasis on the management of public lands and local land use planning, and new data that has led to the listing of additional threatened or endangered species.

The public is invited to submit comments on the Draft RMP/EIS prior to December 21, 2011, by email to: capsscrmp@ca.blm.gov or by mail to: BLM Palm Springs-South Coast Field Office, 1201 Bird Center Drive, Palm Springs, CA 92262.

“We look forward to the opportunity to engage in a dialogue with the public on how to manage our public lands for years to come,” BLM Palm Springs-South Coast Field Manager John Kalish said. “When completed, the RMP will provide broad guidance for management of this planning area for the next 20 years.”

For more information about the plan and the proposed revisions, please visit http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/palmsprings/SCRMP_Revision.html

It’s going to be over before you know it. This year is drawing to a close. Our last scheduled outing is this month, November 18 – 20 at the new Cargo Claims. We are planning on posting some of the corner markers, touring the various claims and a pot luck dinner on Saturday the 19th. The TSS will supply the ham and others who come are asked to supply a side dish. Bring your claims guide to the event so you can mark those special areas because there are a lot of them.

For December, we will have the Christmas dinner on the 11th. You can come fairly early to help set up, but not to bother the cooks. Side dishes again and we will have our gift exchange. We will also have our regular general meeting on December 7.

We are working on our next year’s schedule of outings, so we need your suggestions.

There is a storm brewing between the U.S. Forest Service rangers and prospectors in the San Gabriel Mountains. It appears that there is a ranger and the PLP Public Relations Director are exchanging meetings and messages on prospecting rights. The fight has escalated from the local ranger’s supervisor, on up to the Forest Service’s office in Washington, D. C. As Mr. Goldberg has stated in his PLP Alert, “it has gone to a bunch of buck passing bureaucrats with misleading statements who bend and twist rules and laws to mislead the American public.” Anyone personally know Mr. Goldberg? Let’s get him as a speaker.

Like the PLP mission statement reads “to represent and assist outdoor user groups and individuals interested in keeping public and private lands open to prospecting, mining and outdoor recreation through public education, scientific data, and legal means.”

Let’s enjoy the upcoming holidays with our organization and families.

Sourdough Chet

Treasure Seekers of San Diego (TSS) will hold their monthly chapter meeting on Wednesday, November 2nd at 6:30 pm at the Joslyn Senior Center in Escondido, CA 92025. Click Here for a map.

Main Points of Discussion

Speaker: Jim Mears and Jim and Ray Ellis of the Escondido Coin Shop. The Ellis family will answer all your questions on buying and selling your gold and silver.

Finds of the Month: Bring in your Finds of the Month. This is what you have ‘found’ during the last month and falls into three categories.

• Gems and Minerals
• Gold
• Metal Detecting

Show off what you have done in the last month and there is a prize for the winner of each category.

Items available for purchase at the meeting:

• TSS Claim Guides – $20.00 per guide with proof of your TSS membership card.
• TSS Dowsing Rods – $20.00 per set.
• TSS Bags of Gold Dirt - $10.00 per bag – or 4 bags for $35.00!  Save on the cost of gasoline and still get some practice time in! ** One in every 10 bags will have a ‘little’ something extra in it.  You just never know what you are going to get!**

Monthly Opportunity Drawings at the meeting:

• Door Prize Drawing (Free ticket for coming)
• 50/50 Drawing ($1.00 per ticket)
• Gold Nugget Drawing ($1.00 per ticket)
• Table Drawing ($1.00 per ticket)

Quarterly Grand Prize drawing:

• Big Gold Nugget

Upcoming Outings & Events

TSS Board Meeting: All are welcome.  Thursday, November 3rd at 1:00 pm at Madrid Manor Mobile Home Park, back clubhouse, 1401 El Norte Parkway, San Marcos, CA 92069. Click Here for a map.

Metal Detecting Outing: Sunday, November 6th at 7:00 am — Mission Beach. Gloating & Whining over finds @ 10:00 am.

Mid-Week Metal Detecting: Tuesday, November 8th at 8:00 am – Oceanside Harbor (Jetty). And as always you can keep all you find and we/I will help you with your new Detector to find all those rings and some coins that are just waiting to be found. See you there. Big”C” Charlie.

Gold Prospecting Outing: November 19th & 20th — New Cargo claims. Wagonmaster: Lee. More details at the meeting.

Haven’t heard any bad news about any environmental group trying to fence us off or shut us out of any public lands lately. Have you heard any bad news? We had some great times metal detecting at the beaches and we also found gold up at the San Gabriel River. Some of our members reported a few rings found. There were stories this past month of a cache of old coins. Some large nuggets at the East Fork too. It’s still out there, you just have to do your research. Just because summer is almost over doesn’t mean that the beaches will end giving up coins and rings. Just ask Frank, John and Big C. The rings and coins are still out there.

Our trip to the Cargo Claims is up for October. There is supposed to be a dip in the weather just before and during our outing. That will be great. It will be in the mid 90′s…. We are going to have a work party setting up some corner posts during the outing. Those who help will be compensated. Lee will be our Wagonmaster and he will give us a tour of all the claims.

We had a discussion at our board meeting about wanting to have an event where we all could bring our favorite prospecting and metal detecting toys and do demonstrations on how to use them. Maybe even have a sale of the items we want to part with. This is where your suggestions come in. The event would help the newer members or even the older members find out what is out there and how we use it. Help us out to find a place to hold these events.

That’s it for now. Any other discussion or information will be at the general meeting. Study hard, hunt long and search deep.

Sourdough Chet

Treasure Seekers of San Diego (TSS) will hold their monthly chapter meeting on Wednesday, October 5th at 6:30 pm at the Joslyn Senior Center in Escondido, CA 92025. Click Here for a map.

Main Points of Discussion

Speaker: Gary Eckert will be talking about coils for metal detectors.

Finds of the Month: Bring in your Finds of the Month. This is what you have ‘found’ during the last month and falls into three categories.

• Gems and Minerals
• Gold
• Metal Detecting

Show off what you have done in the last month and there is a prize for winner of each category.

Items available for purchase at the meeting:

• TSS Claim Guides – $20.00 per guide with proof of your TSS membership card.
• TSS Dowsing Rods – $20.00 per set.
• TSS Bags of Gold Dirt - $10.00 per bag – or 4 bags for $35.00!  Save on the cost of gasoline and still get some practice time in! ** One in every 10 bags will have a ‘little’ something extra in it.  You just never know what you are going to get!**

Monthly Opportunity Drawings at the meeting:

• Door Prize Drawing (Free ticket for coming)
• 50/50 Drawing ($1.00 per ticket)
• Gold Nugget Drawing ($1.00 per ticket)
• Table Drawing ($1.00 per ticket)

Quarterly Grand Prize drawing:

• Handmade Puffer Drywasher ($1.00 per ticket)

Upcoming Outings & Events

TSS Board Meeting: All are welcome.  Thursday, October 6th at 1:00 pm at Madrid Manor Mobile Home Park, back clubhouse, 1401 El Norte Parkway, San Marcos, CA 92069. Click Here for a map.

Metal Detecting Outing: Sunday, October 9th at 7:00 am — Oceanside Harbor. Gloating & Whining over finds @ 10:00 am.

Mid-Week Metal Detecting: Thursday, October 13th at 8:00 am – Oceanside Pier (South side). And as always you can keep all you find and we/I will help you with your new Detector to find all those rings and some coins that are just waiting to be found. See you there. Big”C” Charlie.

Gold Prospecting Outing: October 15th & 16th — New Cargo claims. Wagonmaste: Lee. More details at the meeting. ** Cancelled due to weather (too hot).

I finally got the chance to prospect up north off of the Yuba River.  I was up there for two weeks.  Beautiful, green and lots of fresh air.    We were up where miners in the old days tore away huge cliffs by hydraulic mining.  Their mining techniques were somewhat primitive, so a lot of gold slipped through and prospectors in the modern age are still getting rich on their leftovers.  We didn’t get rich, but we did find gold and had a lot of fun.  We highbanked, sluiced, metal detected and just gold panned.  Found a couple of gold with quartz specimens.

We have lost our rights to dredge for another five years.  There was a lot of hard work put into getting our dredging right back, but the environmentalist, along with Governor Brown, and our previous governor, got their way.  Some say, we could have done more, but many didn’t think that this would go as far as it did.  I have to quote portions of an open letter to miners from the Western Mining Alliance.

“We lost round one because we didn’t see it coming.  If Birkenstock wearing, cafe latte sipping environmentalists who’ve never humped a dredge into a canyon can beat us then we deserve to be beaten.  When smug lawyers with bad haircuts can stand in front of a room and tell a group of miners that ‘we offered to settle’ and think we’re willing to trade full rights for something they’re willing to concede to us – then they deserve to be beaten.”  “Rights, once taken by the government are not given back – they are taken back by the people.”

I’m sure we haven’t heard the last of this fight, but it has begun to be a more uphill battle.  We have to keep a watchful eye out because the same type of environmentalists are working on taking away our rights to be in the deserts too.

The government hasn’t taken our rights away to sluice up on the East Fork of the San Gabriel River and that is where our next outing is scheduled.  The only problem with this outing is that is is on the  weekend.  That is when everyone else will be there.  Families playing in the water and the prospectors.  Jim and Sue Jeffrey schedule outings there on some Wednesdays, and this can be a better time if it fits your days off.  When you find your way to the Oaks Picnic Grounds, look across the road on the river side.  There is a bathroom building with ample off road parking.  Find yourself a spot.  Pack lightly and find the path down to the river while heading towards the bridge upstream.  Cross the river and the washed out banks on the other  side are your best bet.

Won’t be long until we get packed up to go out to our new claims in the Cargo Mountains.  I believe we are scheduled to go in October, weather permitting.  We are going to put up our corner markers, do some other maintenance and look for gold and other minerals.  This should be a good place to do some metal detecting.  One thing to keep in mind is that it can unexpectedly become very windy.  I hear that there may be a tour of all the new claims.

A lot of our members are interested in metal detecting and coin shooting.  I have now been out at the beaches and am beginning to like this.  Early to me is on the beach at seven am and off around ten or eleven.  Works for me.  Also, metal detecting in the parks has turned into fun.  All this during the week is much better without the crowds.  I have been doing much better with each outing.  It’s great that some of our new officers are more interested in this part of our program.

Well, that’s all for now.  May your pans and drywashers become golden, may your scoops be filled with rings and coins and may your metal detector find enough relics to make you happy.

Sourdough Chet

Treasure Seekers of San Diego (TSS) will hold their monthly chapter meeting on Wednesday, September 7th at 6:30 pm at the Joslyn Senior Center in Escondido, CA 92025. Click Here for a map.

Main Points of Discussion

Speaker: Dwight Reed will be talking about Metal Detecting techniques.

Finds of the Month: Bring in your Finds of the Month. This is what you have ‘found’ during the last month and falls into three categories.

• Gems and Minerals
• Gold
• Metal Detecting

Show off what you have done in the last month and there is a prize for winner of each category.

Items available for purchase at the meeting:

• TSS Claim Guides – $20.00 per guide with proof of your TSS membership card.
• TSS Dowsing Rods – $20.00 per set.
• TSS Bags of Gold Dirt - $10.00 per bag – or 4 bags for $35.00!  Save on the cost of gasoline and still get some practice time in! ** One in every 10 bags will have a ‘little’ something extra in it.  You just never know what you are going to get!**

Monthly Opportunity Drawings at the meeting:

• Door Prize Drawing (Free ticket for coming)
• 50/50 Drawing ($1.00 per ticket)
• Gold Nugget Drawing ($1.00 per ticket)
• Table Drawing ($1.00 per ticket)

Quarterly Grand Prize drawing:

• Handmade Puffer Drywasher ($1.00 per ticket)

Upcoming Outings & Events

TSS Board Meeting: All are welcome.  Thursday, September 8th at 1:00 pm at Madrid Manor Mobile Home Park, back clubhouse, 1401 El Norte Parkway, San Marcos, CA 92069. Click Here for a map.

Metal Detecting Outing: Sunday, September 11th at 7:00 am — La Jolla Shores. Gloating & Whining over finds @ 10:00 am.

Mid-Week Metal Detecting: Tuesday, September 13th at 8:00 am – Bonita Cove at Misson Beach (across the street from the roller coaster). Changed to Oceanside Harbor south end near the Jetty. And as always you can keep all you find and we/I will help you with your new Detector to find all those rings and some coins that are just waiting to be found. See you there. Big”C” Charlie.

Gold Prospecting Outing: September 17th & 18th — East Fork San Gabriel River. More details at the meeting.

Treasure Seekers of San Diego (TSS) will hold their monthly chapter meeting on Wednesday, August 3rd at 6:30 pm at the Joslyn Senior Center in Escondido, CA 92025. Click Here for a map.

Main Points of Discussion

Speaker: TBA

Finds of the Month: Bring in your Finds of the Month. This is what you have ‘found’ during the last month and falls into three categories.

• Gems and Minerals
• Gold
• Metal Detecting

Show off what you have done in the last month and there is a prize for winner of each category.

Items available for purchase at the meeting:

• TSS Claim Guides – $20.00 per guide with proof of your TSS membership card.
• TSS Dowsing Rods – $20.00 per set.
• TSS Bags of Gold Dirt - $8.00 per bag – or 4 bags for $30.00!  Save on the cost of gasoline and still get some practice time in! ** One in every 10 bags will have a ‘little’ something extra in it.  You just never know what you are going to get!**

Monthly Opportunity Drawings at the meeting:

• Door Prize Drawing (Free ticket for coming)
• 50/50 Drawing ($1.00 per ticket)
• Gold Nugget Drawing ($1.00 per ticket)
• Table Drawing ($1.00 per ticket)

Quarterly Grand Prize drawing:

• Handmade Puffer Drywasher ($1.00 per ticket)

Upcoming Outings & Events

Metal Detecting Outing: Sunday, August 7th at 7:00 am — Oceanside Harbor at the jetty. This is the first parking lot
when you get to the harbor. It’s south of the harbor itself. Parking is $1/hr, 5$ all day. Meter is in the lot across the street.

Mid-Week Metal Detecting: Thursday, August 11th at 8:30 am — South side of the Oceanside pier. And as always you can keep all you find and we/I will help you with your new Detector to find all those rings and some coins that are just waiting to be found. See you there. Big”C” Charlie.