Leadership

Our advocacy includes both the preservation and the promotion of our industry. Previous legislative sessions have made it clear that the mineral industries of Nevada are, and will continue to be, directly in the crosshairs of both the legislative and executive branches of state government. We maintain an active oversight of legislative and regulatory actions and work diligently to intercept bad ideas before they gain momentum.

Recent proposals have included increases on county claim and filing fees, taxing of preproduction resources, taxing of unpatented mining claims, increased taxes on mineral proceeds, and proposals to amend the Nevada Constitution as it relates to mining. All of which directly impact the mineral exploration industry of Nevada and the image of Nevada as a place to explore and invest. At the federal level the major threats would limit or deny access to public lands. The amount of land being withdrawn from mineral entry in Nevada has expanded exponentially in recent years and numerous government and non-government organizations are aggressively seeking further large withdrawals.

Legislators and Regulators must be educated to understand the difference between the high-risk business of mineral exploration and income-generating mineral production. The lobbying process to communicate with and inform legislators is costly and requires extensive, long-term, relationship building.

Fifty dollars of your membership is earmarked to a fund to donate to causes and candidates who support the mineral exploration industry irrespective of party affiliation. These candidates are identified by NMEC’s lobbyist based on personal interactions, voting records, and leadership position. Political campaigns are very expensive. Providing modest campaign contributions to select candidates helps us build relationships and trust with policy makers and gives us the opportunity to help industry-friendly candidates win or retain their seats. All potential donations are reviewed by the NMEC management committee

This effort requires membership numbers. To this end, we will continue the category of "Employee of NMEC Member Company". We encourage management of NMEC corporate members to ask their employees to become members. NMEC acknowledges these are tough financial times for everybody, and companies may decide to eliminate superfluous spending. If you purchase an explorer or service provider membership, we have provided you with an option to purchase memberships for your employees at the same time using our membership form.

Please - do not consider NMEC superfluous. Join at the level you are comfortable with. Membership provides numbers and minimal financial support, but we rely on additional patronage donations for the required funds to maintain and possibly expand our current level of activity. NMEC therefore encourages patronage contributions at the highest level you can manage. NMEC will recognize such contributors, except those who wish to remain anonymous, on our website and other printed communications.