Get ready for a big debate over suction-dredge mining in the next session of the Oregon legislature.
Gold miners are fond of using suction dredges in streams; conservation groups, working to protect water quality and fish, do not like them.
And a task force recommends banning suction dredging on key streams in Western Oregon, including the Rogue River.
Rogue Riverkeeper Program Director Forrest English helped write the task force report.
He and a rep from the Waldo Mining District explain their positions.