The Office of Administrative Law (OAL) approved an emergency regulation proposed by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) that changes the definition of “suction dredging” and the “use of any vacuum or suction dredge equipment” for purposes of Fish and Game Code section 5653.
With OAL approval and related filing with the California Secretary of State, the new regulation is now in effect.
Under the new regulation, the use of any vacuum or suction dredge equipment is defined as the use of a suction system to vacuum material from a river, stream or lake for the extraction of minerals.
Consistent with related statute, the new regulation does not prohibit or restrict nonmotorized recreational mining activities.
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Press Release, July 1, 2013