Lets address some of your concerns.
1.HPA's. HPA's are applied for and reviewed and NOT issued to people who wish to dredge during times reds are in the river.
2. Moving debirs. the river moves more debris every high water than 1000 dredgers in the same area.Suction dredging also clean areas so fish have extra habitat to spawn. They wont spawn in silt.
3.Enforcement. Game wardens do enforcement and know exactly were the miners are. Miners cant hide in the woods they have to be in the scour Zone so they are easily seen.
4. It is a fact that fishermen kill more salmon than dredgers do so why are they not going after fishermen and women??
5. Fact congress granted 1872 mining act that allows for the collection of valuable minerals,

Extreme enviro's are the ones that try and make laws for every little thing they can to stop the good people like you, me and our kids from enjoying the outdoors that is all of OURS.

I hope you can see both sides of the argument.

With that said I am a fisherman at heart but do enjoy mining from time to time with my family. I have applied for and have several HPA's and I have been denied HPA's.