Oregon Public Broadcasting

The U.S. Forest Service wants new restrictions on mining on the Chetco River in southwest Oregon. It has asked the Bureau of Land Management to place a stretch of the Chetco under temporary protection for two years. That gives Congress time to consider a piece of legislation that would permanently limit mining on the river. 

Lee Webb / USFS

Chetco River

But the temporary measure wouldn't block existing mining claims, only new ones. The same is true of the legislation.

Seattle developer Dave Rutan already owns claims to about half the length of the Chetco. He has used suction dredging to mine the riverbed for gold. 

Robert Fujimoto is a mining expert with the Forest Service. He says if the temporary protection goes into effect, Rutan will only be able to mine if the Forest Service finds his proposals reasonable. 

Robert Fujimoto: "What we're charged with doing is determining the cost of mining and determining how much gold there may be there. And looking at it in terms of, would a prudent person take the time and money to develop this mining prospect."

Rutan is already in the process of proving three of his claims viable. Now he'll have to do the same for his other six.