Mojave National Preserve Mining Claims

Rail Dawg

Sr. Member
Oct 11, 2015
491
890
Northern Nevada
Detector(s) used
MineLab GPZ 7000
Garrett ATX Pro
Primary Interest:
Prospecting
Spent some prospecting time in the Mojave National Preserve last week.

On mylandmatters.org (who I wholeheartedly support and recommend donating to) there are active mining claims within this Preserve.

Please school me on how mining claims can be in this protected area. I'm glad to see them there but thought all mining was disallowed in such an area.

Thanks!

Chuck
 

Upvote 0

Goldwasher

Gold Member
May 26, 2009
6,077
13,222
Sailor Flat, Ca.
🥇 Banner finds
1
Detector(s) used
SDC2300, Gold Bug 2 Burlap, fish oil, .35 gallons of water per minute.
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Spent some prospecting time in the Mojave National Preserve last week.

On mylandmatters.org (who I wholeheartedly support and recommend donating to) there are active mining claims within this Preserve.

Please school me on how mining claims can be in this protected area. I'm glad to see them there but thought all mining was disallowed in such an area.

Thanks!

Chuck

They were there before the withdrawl and passed validity?:dontknow:
 

OP
OP
Rail Dawg

Rail Dawg

Sr. Member
Oct 11, 2015
491
890
Northern Nevada
Detector(s) used
MineLab GPZ 7000
Garrett ATX Pro
Primary Interest:
Prospecting
They were there before the withdrawl and passed validity?:dontknow:

I was thinking the grandfathered thing too...

Am curious if the only way to obtain a claim there is to buy one from a current owner? If an owner lets a claim lapse can that claim be relocated?
 

Clay Diggins

Silver Member
Nov 14, 2010
4,862
14,183
The Great Southwest
Primary Interest:
Prospecting
Simple answer Dawg. The preserve was created in 1994. Check the location dates on Land Matters and you will see those claims were located before 1994. All the mining claims were there before the preserve was established by Congress.

Valid mining claims are grandfathered in when there is a withdrawal. There are mining claims in National Parks, National Monuments and Wilderness because a valid mining claim has rights that precede the withdrawal creation.

Another good reason to perfect your claim as soon as possible. You never know when those Congresscritters will bring down the hammer in your mining area.

Heavy Pans
 

Clay Diggins

Silver Member
Nov 14, 2010
4,862
14,183
The Great Southwest
Primary Interest:
Prospecting
I was thinking the grandfathered thing too...

Am curious if the only way to obtain a claim there is to buy one from a current owner? If an owner lets a claim lapse can that claim be relocated?

If you can make a deal you can own one of these claims. It's the claim that is grandfathered - not the owner of the claim.

A lapsed claim can not be relocated in a withdrawn area. A relocation is a new claim and no new claims are allowed after the withdrawal notice.

Heavy Pans
 

galenrog

Bronze Member
Feb 19, 2006
2,013
2,192
The entire Mojave National Preserve was withdrawn from mineral exploration and mineral claim. Only claims that existed prior to that action, and have been maintained, are valid. Any claim that has lapsed for any reason becomes invalid and no longer available for mineral claim. While there are a variety of minor exceptions to this, a dedicated attorney would likely be needed to wade through the mountain of rules and regulations that are all but guaranteed to make the task impossible.
 

OP
OP
Rail Dawg

Rail Dawg

Sr. Member
Oct 11, 2015
491
890
Northern Nevada
Detector(s) used
MineLab GPZ 7000
Garrett ATX Pro
Primary Interest:
Prospecting
Great answers and another lesson for the books lol.

Thanks you guys as always!

Chuck
 

Top Member Reactions

Users who are viewing this thread

Top