The Board of Directors voted unanimously to take up and fund the defense of John Godfrey in the Ninth Circuit Court on the two remaining charges brought against him by the Department of Agriculture for mining with hand tools on his mining claim. PLP Northern Director Clark Pearson has been working with the federal defenders office from the beginning of this case. To date, three of the five charges brought against Mr. Godfrey have been reversed. PLP admires Mr. Godfrey’s willingness to stand firm on his rights and not cave to an oppressive agency that often abuses the authority given to it by the people. The two charges left are:
Count #3 36 C.F.R. 261.9 (a) Damaging any natural feature or property of the United States.
Count #4 36 C.F.R. 261 which prohibits “constructing, placing, or maintaining any kind of road, trail, structure, fence, enclosure, communication equipment, significant surface disturbance, or other improvement on National Forest System lands or facilities
without a special-use authorization, contract, or approved operating plan when such authorization is required.”
Public Lands for the People is honored to take up this case on behalf of Mr. Godfrey and the mining community at large. Please consider taking ownership of this fight with us and the many PLP supporters across the United States. Many, many of you have stood with us in the legal fights for your rights over the past 25 years, and we sincerely appreciate that (as do your fellow miners and public land users)! We can’t do what we do without you doing what you do.
To become a PLP member, make a tax deductible donation, or find other news of interest, please go to:
http://www.publiclandsforthepeople.org
Public Lands for the People
20209 Ventura Bl. Ste. 47-466
Woodland Hills CA 91364
And remember- “Let’s take it back and KEEP IT!”
Walt Wegner
President, Public Lands for the People