Legislation & Regulation
Legislative and Regulatory Update
December 2013 by Scott Harn
• BLM claim fees riseBLM has again increased fees associated with mining claims. On September 1, 2013, BLM raised mining claim fees for new claims to $194 (up from $189) for the first 20 acres of a placer claim, mill site and/or tunnel site. Placer claims are still an additional $140 for each additional 20 acres.
The processing fee has also increased from $15 to $20.
• Critical minerals bill
A bill addressing critical minerals has been introduced in the US Senate. This would be a companion bill to HR 761, the National Strategic and Critical Minerals Production Act, which passed in the House on September 18, 2013.
China has “cornered the market” on many of the critical minerals and metals, and currently produces over 95% of the rare earth elements.
Like the House version, the Senate bill would seek to streamline permitting and remove some of the roadblocks to getting a mine up and running when the commodity being mined is deemed to be critical or strategic.
• Sage-grouse habitat
Draft Resource Management Plans have been released for managing sage-grouse habitat in the western states.
The BLM will be seeking restrictions on millions of acres of public land across many western states in an attempt to preserve sage-grouse habitat. Public comments on the plans are due by January 29, 2014.
Plans have been split into regions, and you can view all of them from a central location online at www.blm.gov/sagegrouse/
Scroll down the page to the bottom and look for “November” to find links to the regional Resource Management Plans. Public meetings are scheduled for late November, December and January. There are too many public meetings to list them all here—please visit the website listed above to find the meetings in your area.

© ICMJ's Prospecting and Mining Journal, CMJ Inc.
Next Article »« Previous Article
Additional articles that might interest you...
SB 838 and the Salem Witch Hunt
December 2015
In every sense, this was a witch hunt with a preconceived agenda to heavily restrict or outright prohibit most small-scale mining in Oregon.
In every sense, this was a witch hunt with a preconceived agenda to heavily restrict or outright prohibit most small-scale mining in Oregon.
Legislative and Regulatory Update
July 2011
• Battle continues in the "Golden State"
• California Water Board needs your comments
• Battle continues in the "Golden State"
• California Water Board needs your comments
Legislative and Regulatory Update
August 2014
• No Adventure Pass needed
• Supreme Court of Canada rules on aboriginal title claims
• No agreement reached in suction gold dredge permitting case
• No Adventure Pass needed
• Supreme Court of Canada rules on aboriginal title claims
• No agreement reached in suction gold dredge permitting case
Legislative and Regulatory Update
October 2015
• Anti-dredging bill SB 637 passes
• Anti-dredging bill SB 637 passes
Legislative and Regulatory Update
June 2012
• Partial win for miners
• California suction dredging
• Feds continue to push for more public lands
• Idaho suction dredging
• Partial win for miners
• California suction dredging
• Feds continue to push for more public lands
• Idaho suction dredging
Multiple Use Lands, Symbiotic Relations and Conflict Resolution
April 2016
The automatic discrimination and exclusion of man from nature, like his access and use of the land, presupposes man as a destructive force for change, absent a relative hard look at the natural forces of change. Setting aside lands for non-use does not encourage wise use symbiotic tenets, which man has traditionally formed in his coexistence with nature.
The automatic discrimination and exclusion of man from nature, like his access and use of the land, presupposes man as a destructive force for change, absent a relative hard look at the natural forces of change. Setting aside lands for non-use does not encourage wise use symbiotic tenets, which man has traditionally formed in his coexistence with nature.
Direct and Constructive Notice
June 2015
It's a proven civil remedy to put an end to harassment by notifying a person who is either overstepping their authority, or failing to act as required, that they will be sued personally for an act or omission.
It's a proven civil remedy to put an end to harassment by notifying a person who is either overstepping their authority, or failing to act as required, that they will be sued personally for an act or omission.
Subscription Required:
The Bawl Mill
• Ask the Experts
• Ask the Experts
• Ask the Experts
• Sierra County Gold—Part I
• ICMJ's Annual Index
• Ophir—Possibly the Best Kept Secret in Alaska—Part II
• Hunting for Hardrock: The Basics
• Gold in the San Francisco District Oatman, Mohave County, Arizona
• Heavy Glacial Rocks and Gold in the Midwest
• Strategic Metals—Part II
• The Amazing Mineral Tourmaline
• Melman on Gold & Silver
• Mining Stock Quotes and Mineral & Metal Prices
Free:
It's the Bottom of the Ninth—And Not Just for California
• Our 29-Troy-Ounce Golden Blessing








