The BLMs 2015 budget, and the Mining Law of 1872

[Maitland]

The BLM's 2015 budget, and the Mining Law of 1872

Has anyone read the BLM's budget proposal for 2015? From what I gather, it looks like they want to do away with some of the most important aspects of our Mining Law of 1872. Here's the scary part of the proposal that directly effects us as miners and prospectors:

The second legislative proposal institutes a leasing process under the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920 for certain minerals, gold, silver, lead, zinc, copper, uranium, and molybdenum, currently covered by the General Mining Law of 1872. After enactment, mining for these metals on Federal lands will be governed by the new leasing process and subject to annual rental payments and a royalty of not less than five percent of gross proceeds. Half of the receipts will be distributed to the States in which the leases are located and the remaining half will be deposited in the Treasury. Existing mining claims will be exempt from the change to a leasing system. The proposal also increases the annual maintenance fees under the General Mining Law of 1872 and eliminates the fee exemption for miners holding ten or fewer mining claims. These changes will discourage speculators from holding claims that they do not intend to develop. Holders of existing mining claims for these minerals could voluntarily convert their claims to leases. The Office of Natural Resources Revenue will collect, account for, and disburse the hardrock royalty receipts.

It also looks like they're going to try to pump more money into addressing abandoned mines and "land hazards", I'm sure this means destroying some of our important mining history that can be found in our National Forests and BLM areas.

Why does the government keep trying to push our buttons? Every time we get done fighting for our rights in one battle, two more battles we have to fight happen to pop up.

Write to your legislators and tell them "NO!" to making any changes to the Mining Law of 1872!

 

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[fowledup]

It used to be called the "Kings fifth". Eliminating the small miner exemption fee would do far less damage to speculators than it would to small scale miners. They are never going to stop trying to change or flat out get rid of mining law until it favors them and not the citizen.

 

[gold nuggets]

The whole Federal Government, it's designated agencies (BLM,NFS,DFW and many more) seem to have been on the path of total Federal control over EVERYTHING in our lives for a long time now. State Governments are following suit so they can keep getting the FED "money contributions" for the betterment of the citizens of this once proud and industrious country. The FEDs and STATE governments will not stop running our lives until all the environuts quit paying the Legislators to do their bidding...again for "the betterment of the general public". For some reason or another, the environausious types seem to have an unlimited expense account to buy the politicians they need to keep the battles raging. THOSE are the ones that need to be eliminated from power! The rest will settle down when those groups are gone and people can get back to the task of living their lives....their own way....without the FEDs or the States telling us what to do and how to do it better than us. JMHO...

 

[Aufish]

So they want us to pay a fee to keep the claim, then they want 5% of everything we take, then they want to take another 7-12% in taxes, and then pay sales tax on top. That's almost 20% off the top if you live in a tax heavy state... GOVERNMENT OF TONY BEETS...


Wake up guys, this is nazi stuff.

 

[russau]

Sounds like a little double taxation to me!

 

[fowledup]

So they want us to pay a fee to keep the claim, then they want 5% of everything we take, then they want to take another 7-12% in taxes, and then pay sales tax on top. That's almost 20% off the top if you live in a tax heavy state... GOVERNMENT OF TONY BEETS...


Wake up guys, this is nazi stuff.

You forgot property tax