Prospecting & Detecting
Reminder: Annual Claim Filings Due
August 2019 by Scott Harn
Mining claimants who wish to retain their mining claims on Bureau of Land Management and Forest Service lands through the 2020 assessment year must pay a maintenance fee or file a maintenance fee waiver certificate on or before September 1, 2019, to prevent the mining claim from being forfeited.
The chart on the left shows the fees and timelines associated with filing and maintaining mining claims.
The maintenance fee for an existing lode claim, tunnel site, or mill site is $155 per claim/site. For placer mining claims only, the fees are $155 for every 20 acres of land or portion thereof. Miners who file a Small Miner’s Waiver on or before September 1 will be required to file an Affidavit of Assessment Work Form on or before December 30, 2019, including the $15 processing fee per claim.
Each payment must be accompanied by a written list of the claim names and BLM serial numbers for which the maintenance fee is being paid. You can find your state BLM office at www.blm.gov. (Click on the BLM website link, then choose "states" on the right hand side to find an office near you.)
Please note that new mining claims filed on or after September 1, 2019, will be subject to the new fee schedule.
We highly recommend you send your documents by registered mail or hand deliver them while retaining copies for your records.
Also, be sure to remember to file the appropriate paperwork with the County Recorder in the county where your claims are located.
You can view the chart at the left in a larger size on the Alaska BLM web page: https://www.blm.gov/programs/energy-and-minerals/mining-and-minerals/locatable-minerals/mining-claims/fees
How to Stake Your Own Mining Claims—Part II
I’d like to offer some practical comments about staking and maintaining mining claims. Owning your own claim is the dream of many prospectors. I’ve made good money off my mining claims, both from the minerals I have found on them as well as from leasing out some of my claims to larger mining and exploration companies.
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