Newsletter
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE
July 2026 President’s Message:
The Sun is out adventure awaits!
1. The season is upon us. Grab your pans and let’s go because gold is $4134/oz.
2. June’s outing was a lot of fun for several many us. It was fantastic seeing esteemed members at our Oregon Claims outing. We found some bits of gold and even quite a few flakes. Mr. Big Black Bear said hello and left as he didn’t like my singing voice. Clark and Karla seemed to pull the largest pickers of the trip. Joshua and his boys were getting the gold and staying cool in a swimming hole. All in all it was great fun and had about 10 people all get gold.
3. Our July 11th meeting will be a Potluck outing at 1100am at the Belfair State Park in Belfair, Wa. DISCOVER PASS REQUIRED. If you would like to camp there that weekend there may still be spots available. Come on out for a fun new location for the potluck meeting. Bring your chairs, pans, smiles, and shared food.
4. Our July outing will be the weekend of July 18th at Fort Flagler for metal detecting 1100am. Please be sure to download a copy of the park map here: https://parks.wa.gov/.../Fort-Flagler-Metal-Detecting.pdf . Additionally, you will also need to fill out a metal detecting form here: https://parks.wa.gov/.../metal.../metal-detecting-form . Previously spoke with Ranger Jeremy Karabatsos for special permission.
5. Don’t forget our upcoming August meeting will be the FIRST SATURDAY August 1st to support a double outing month with the wetted perimeter at Yellowjacket on Aug 8th and Freedom/Redbird Aug 15th.
6.Our new schedule of 2026 events is out. Posted on our FB page as well as here.
7.Please see our Membership Coordinator to update your 2026 waiver and receive your 2026 dashboard pass.
8. The newest version of the Gold and Fish book is on WDFW’s web site for download here: https://wdfw.wa.gov/publications/02150.
9. Reminder to all the claims are still open and turn your claims work forms into our claims manager. Happy diggings.
As always we are small scale miners.
Stay healthy,
Eric
WE ARE SMALL SCALE MINERS
Membership
You don’t have to be a member of GPAA to be a member of our chapter. You are welcome to mine on the claims that the chapter owns, provided you adhere to mining policies, rules and procedures. No dues are collected. Chapter funds are raised through bake sales, raffles and various other activities. Meeting minutes and By-Laws available for review at chapter meetings.
Please note: Only GPAA members can become chapter officers. Also, non-GPAA members must be with a GPAA member to use GPAA claims.
Claim Passes & Chapter Emergency Contact Info. Rodger and Karla Benson have the 2026 year claims passes available and will have them at meeting upon review of your emergency contact information.
If you no longer want to receive email notifications or to be a member of WWGPAA please notify Rodger or Karla at the meeting. Thanks.
The new version of the Gold and Fish book is on WDFW’s web site for download here: https://wdfw.wa.gov/publications/02150 . All the claims are still open and turn your claims work forms into our claims manager. Happy diggings.