The Bee's editorial regarding the five-year moratorium on gold mining is misinformed and misguided. The temporary ban, and the budget trick that would make it permanent, are clear examples of government overreach and violations of private property rights. 

Contrary to the editorial's assertion about mercury in the water as a result of gold mining, actually mercury is naturally attracted to the gold that is lifted from the riverbeds during the dredging process. Gold mining can only remove mercury from the water. And while the one- or two-man operations do stir up river bottoms a bit, the runoff from this winter's massive snowpack will dislodge and move around more sand, gravel and silt than the few thousand miners will move in a lifetime. 

Webmaster Note: Hats off to Senator Gaines for being the first California leader in YEARS to realize that mining is a property right!

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