Tuesday, 22nd April 2008 (541 views)

High gold prices have brought an increase in prospectors and a revival in gold panning in a county of Washington state in north-west America, according to reports.

Heraldnet.com states that a "wealth" of gold hunters have descended on Snohomish County in the state since gold prices started hitting highs on stock exchanges around the world.

The local Boeing Employee Prospecting Society has seen its membership double in the past year, the group's treasurer told the site, while the ranks of the Washington Prospectors' Mining Association (WPMA) have grown from 456 to 496 between March 2007 and March 2008.

WPMA owns 23 claims in Washington, eight in neighbouring Oregon and a further three in California.

Chuck Cox, a member of the Seattle-based association, told the site that although prospecting had increased with gold prices, most people pan for gold for the enjoyment and outdoor exercise.

Fellow WPMA member David Eason told the site that a good day's prospecting can yield up to $50 (£25) but, as Cox noted, panning is the "not your way to get rich".

Yet, he added, although most people know the chances of striking it rich while gold prospecting are remote, the "mystique" of hunting for the yellow metal often hooks people.

"Under the next rock you move, you never know," he said.

Snohomish County is located on Puget Sound, south of Skagit County and north of Seattle.

 

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