This pamphlet provides information on activities that fall under the Mining Law of 1872, as amended.
The five elements of the Mining Law of 1872, as amended, are described in this pamphlet:
1. Discovery of a valuable mineral deposit
2. Location of mining claims and sites
3. Recordation of mining claims and sites
4. Annual maintenance (annual assessment work or annual fees) for mining claims and sites
5. Mineral patents
This pamphlet also provides a brief introduction of the BLM Mining Law Administration Program’s responsibilities on federal lands administered by the BLM. The program involves mining claim recordation, annual maintenance (annual assessment work or annual fees), mineral patents, and surface management. The last section provides additional sources for more information on the following topics:
- Geology and mineral resources of a particular area
- Surface management regulations
- Other federal and state legal requirements
ITEM AVAILABLE DATE 01/04/17.
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Explanation of “Discovery” . . . . . . . 3
Locatable Minerals . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Discovery of a Valuable Mineral Deposit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Explanation of “Location” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Mining Claims and Sites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Federal Lands Open to Mining . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Staking a Mining Claim or Site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Recording a Mining Claim or Site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Maintenance of a Mining Claim or Site . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Annual Assessment Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Surface Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Mineral Patents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
BLM Land and Mineral Records . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
More Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Sources of Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Geology and Minerals, Topographic Maps, and Mining Technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Bureau of Land Management State Offices . . . . . . . 33
U.S. Forest Service Regional Offices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Scientists, geologists, miners, and others interested in mineral resources may be interested in this pamphlet.
