Prospectors Research Tools

[Clay Diggins]

Prospector's Research Tools

I haven't been around much this summer and with the desert prospecting season just starting it's a good time to show off what I did this long hot summer. I have been working with a few friends on a new non-profit organization to give you a single place for all your land research.

The result is MyLandMatters.Org. This is the gateway to your land information repository. Maps, books, tutorials, community resources and quality, easy-to-access information about the land around you.

No ads, No memberships, No log-in required.

This past spring while sitting around with some friends we came to the conclusion that most of the important and useful things that we want to know about the land around us was difficult to locate and tough to understand. Despite the many sources of information there was no single place to find the information available.

We decided we could do something about that. We agreed to put our time and energy into creating a single place that anyone could find the answers to questions about the land.

It's a big project. It has taken a lot of work, learning and resources to get things started. But after six months of long days, and more than a few nights, the Land Matters repository is ready for you to use.

Land Matters is all about the land. You can find Land Status Maps, Active Mining Claims Maps (with live direct links into the current LR2000 claims database), A great collection of mining books, Land Laws, Geology books and maps, Forest Travel Plans and a whole lot more.

Land Matters is for land users. Our collections are guided by community input. That's you. Let us know what kind of material you would like to find in our Library or a particular map you would like to see. Help us build Land Matters to best serve the community.

We've already got a lot of things that prospectors have been asking for - the claims maps alone were almost universally requested. Land Matters isn't just for prospectors and miners. But you can help prioritize our efforts and drive the content of Land Matters. Prospectors now have a unique opportunity to help guide and build an information resource designed by prospectors and for prospectors.

We are just getting started filling the Library but there will be hundreds of books, maps and items added in the next few weeks. We've even got a Newsletter so you can get regular updates about new additions to the Land Matters repository.

Check it out and let me know what you think. Here are a few good places to start:

Tutorials - the current focus is on understanding Land Status.
Maps - We all like maps and we've got some you will love.
Library - search for something.

Heavy Pans
Barry & Leigh

 

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[Clay Diggins]

Clay I love the new fast zoom feature. Will be doing a lot of sampling and hopefully filling on some more good ground.

Thanks okbasspro. I guess the new "Map Tips" are working? The zoom box feature has been there all along but from the comments I'm getting most people never knew.

Maybe I'll see you this fall?

Heavy Pans

 

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[Clay Diggins]

Mining Claims Map updates delayed

I know a lot of you are waiting for the new updated Land Matters Mining Claims Maps. They should have been available on Monday but the BLM is having some technical difficulties with its Secure Transfer Server and we have been unable to update the active mining claims information on our maps.

Our contact at the BLM says the problem has been identified and should be corrected tonight. We should be able to access the data in the morning.

I know this is a critical map update for a lot of our users. I'll post here as soon as the maps are updated.

Heavy Pans

 

[Clay Diggins]

Mining Claims Maps Updated to October 15

The Land Matters Mining Claims Maps have been updated to October 15 ...finally!

The BLM Secure Transfer Server was finally repaired late last night. We got the download after midnight. You now have access to the most up to date mining claims maps available.

Thanks go to Kathy Ferguson​ for her assistance at the BLM Denver Applications Support Section, National Operations Center. There are good BLM employees and Kathy has always been responsive and helpful

There are about 1,000 acres of claims being opened up in Northern Washington State around where the Kinross gold mine is operating. This is a big deal in a small mining State. Washington State prospectors are going to have fun exploring those new areas.

California is still working on mining claim case files from two mining years ago. As usual Utah State BLM is doing their job very professionally and are progressing with their updates in a timely manner. Two different worlds in those two BLM offices alone. Thanks go out to Utah BLM for taking mining case files currency seriously.

Heavy Pans

 

[oidium45]

@ Clay Diggins,
LOVE the site! I have been using it for maybe a year now based on a recommendation from a fellow member here in the forum. Lots of good info there!

 

[Clay Diggins]

Mining Claims Maps Updated to November 1

It's been a struggle this past month to keep these claims maps updated. 2 weeks ago the BLM had difficulty preparing the information for the public and this month they change over the LR2000 system on the same day they update their database. You can read more about that here.

We still managed to get the Land Matters Mining Claim Maps updated to November 1.

This report period we've seen very little action on getting the September 1 filings updated. California is still trying to get through the case backlog from two mining years ago but have finished a few cases from last year this report period. Arizona closed no case files, this is a very different from the usual activity during this time of year. We are seeing what appears to be a general reluctance in most BLM offices to complete last years claim case work. Utah is the exception as they are normally very prompt about updating their case files. We will see if this work slow down is just a blip or an actual trend over the next few reports.

New claims are booming. 4,478 new claims in the last two weeks alone. Nevada lead the mining states with 3,349 new claims, surprisingly all but 493 of those new claims were placer claims. Arizona and Utah both gained more than 400 new claims cases during the last two weeks. Turn on the "New Claims" layer on your Mining Claims maps to see where those new claims are being located.

Heavy Pans

 

[Golden_Crab]

It's been a struggle this past month to keep these claims maps updated. 2 weeks ago the BLM had difficulty preparing the information for the public and this month they change over the LR2000 system on the same day they update their database. You can read more about that here.

We still managed to get the Land Matters Mining Claim Maps updated to November 1.

This report period we've seen very little action on getting the September 1 filings updated. California is still trying to get through the case backlog from two mining years ago but have finished a few cases from last year this report period. Arizona closed no case files, this is a very different from the usual activity during this time of year. We are seeing what appears to be a general reluctance in most BLM offices to complete last years claim case work. Utah is the exception as they are normally very prompt about updating their case files. We will see if this work slow down is just a blip or an actual trend over the next few reports.

New claims are booming. 4,478 new claims in the last two weeks alone. Nevada lead the mining states with 3,349 new claims, surprisingly all but 493 of those new claims were placer claims. Arizona and Utah both gained more than 400 new claims cases during the last two weeks. Turn on the "New Claims" layer on your Mining Claims maps to see where those new claims are being located.

Heavy Pans

I wonder how much represents real mining interest and how much represent club activities (mine the miners mentality)

 

[Clay Diggins]

I wonder how much represents real mining interest and how much represent club activities (mine the miners mentality)

Virtually all of those claims, percentage wise, are made by real mining exploration companies or big mining company operations. A lot of the new claims are for the desert Lithium deposits. It's the hottest field for new mining opportunities.

If you had gotten in on the Lithium rush a year ago you could have been leasing your claims to a junior mining or exploration company. That's what most of those new claims are, large areas of hundreds of lode claims made by professional geologists in hopes of making a profit from the sale or leasing of the minerals. The profits can be good, I have several friends that have leased a few claims for as much as $20,000 per year - that will go way up if the company leasing the claims decide to actually mine them.

There are approx 305,000 lode claims in the United States and about 60,000 placer claims. I haven't run the numbers but I would be really surprised if Prospecting Clubs accounted for more than 2 thousand placer claims and a few hundred lode claims. That's less than 1% of all mining claims.

Mining is big business in the U.S. We are the third largest mining country in the world. We may well have more untapped mineral resources than any other country. There are about 250,000 full time professional miners in the United States. Mining Clubs are a really tiny part of the mineral claim system when you look at the bigger picture. If you are looking for a mineral deposit to claim I think you will find that prospecting clubs are no obstacle to doing that.

Heavy Pans

 

[arizau]

Virtually all of those claims, percentage wise, are made by real mining exploration companies or big mining company operations. A lot of the new claims are for the desert Lithium deposits. It's the hottest field for new mining opportunities.

If you had gotten in on the Lithium rush a year ago you could have been leasing your claims to a junior mining or exploration company. That's what most of those new claims are, large areas of hundreds of lode claims made by professional geologists in hopes of making a profit from the sale or leasing of the minerals. The profits can be good, I have several friends that have leased a few claims for as much as $20,000 per year - that will go way up if the company leasing the claims decide to actually mine them.

There are approx 305,000 lode claims in the United States and about 60,000 placer claims. I haven't run the numbers but I would be really surprised if Prospecting Clubs accounted for more than 2 thousand placer claims and a few hundred lode claims. That's less than 1% of all mining claims.

Mining is big business in the U.S. We are the third largest mining country in the world. We may well have more untapped mineral resources than any other country. There are about 250,000 full time professional miners in the United States. Mining Clubs are a really tiny part of the mineral claim system when you look at the bigger picture. If you are looking for a mineral deposit to claim I think you will find that prospecting clubs are no obstacle to doing that.

Heavy Pans

There in lies the main reason that the government must NOT lock up public lands by forming or expanding National Monuments and Parks without proper mineral assessment. Uranium comes to mind in the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument and there are others with strategic minerals too. Like it or not, nuclear power is in our future IMO.

 

[Clay Diggins]

The Land Matters Mining Claims Maps were updated yesterday.

Land Matters Mining Claim Maps are the only claims maps at any price that give you a live link to the current BLM LR2000 Status page. Other maps update that information every month or two. With Land Matters you can see up to the minute information any time you want right from the map.

Heavy Pans

 

[Clay Diggins]

Been running hard the last week but I thought I would pop in and let you know.

Land Matters Mining Claim Maps were updated last Friday the 1st of December.

Twice a month like clockwork!

Heavy Pans

 

[Clay Diggins]

Mining Claims Maps Updated to December 15

The Land Matters Mining Claims Maps were updated yesterday afternoon.

In the last two weeks 440 claims were closed and 1,801 new claims were located.

The BLM was very late getting their database updated on Friday so we worked Saturday to make sure you would have updated claims maps before the Holidays.

Heavy Pans

 

[Clay Diggins]

Mining Claims Maps Updated to January 1

As they do twice a month Land Matters updated their free Mining Claims Maps. That information is current as of January 1st.

The mining year is four months along. In the last 4 months there were 6,479 mining claims closed and 14,854 new claims located as of January 1, 2018.

That's a net gain of 8,375 new mining claims in the first third of the 2018 mining year!

As of January 1, 2018 there were 391,907 active mining claims in the BLM database.

That's a big number but it represents less than 1% of all the public lands open to location.

It's still out there. Go get u sum!

Heavy Pans

 

[Clay Diggins]

Mining Claims Maps Updated to January 15

The BLM was closed on Monday 15th so the Mining Claims Maps were updated on the 16th this round. I've been on the road or I would have posted the update before now.

The only big claims activity this half month was the large number of claim closures in Arizona and Nevada.

Be sure to check out the "New Claims" map layer to see where new activity is. That layer updates twice a month just like the rest of the claims mapping.

Heavy Pans

 

[arthos]

Clay I would LOVE to have the historical mining claims map feature expanded to have the more information button "i" pull up at least claim names so we could further research specific historical claims. Maybe a list of the years where claims were active on said site. Sorry if this isn't the place to make such a request! Thanks for all you guys do!

 

[et1955]

Hi Clay, is it possible or could it be a feature to be able to save the map of the area I am searching on " My Land Matters " for printing.

 

[winners58]

any plans on simple drawing tools? not too big a deal I usually do the Alt key and Print screen key at the same time.
to save what I have on the screen then Paste into the Paint program. It would be nice though...

 

[Clay Diggins]

Mining Claims Maps Updated and Updated again to February 15

The Land Matters Mining Claims Maps were updated yesterday February 15th.

I just noticed it's been a month since I updated this thread - my bad. The mining claims maps were also updated on February 1. I just got busy and missed posting the update.

I've got more to share with you, lots of updates and new features going into Land Matters right now. I'll try to get some of that updated tomorrow but in the meantime enjoy the map updates and...

Heavy Pans

 

[Clay Diggins]

Mining Claims Maps Updated to March 1

Land Matters has updated their Mining Claims Maps to March 1. Several interesting changes this time, including some long claimed areas opening up on one of the best gold rivers in California.

The much requested Historical Mining Claims layer is working again.

The maps are running much faster now that the "tuning" is almost complete. I've been working on making the load smaller for those researchers with limited connections. All in all you should have a better and faster mapping experience now.

So far this mining year 16,714 mining claims have been closed and 20,212 new claims have been located for a net gain of 3,498 more active mining claims. Who said mining was dead?

It's still out there, go get u sum!

Heavy Pans

 

[Clay Diggins]

Mining Claims Maps Updated to March 15

Land Matters updated their Mining Claim Maps to March 15th - on March 15th.

Land Matters has the most up to date Mining Claims Maps available to the public at any price.

There have been 21,794 new claims located this mining year and we are only half way through! Here's the totals from the most recent Land Matters Claims Advantage Report:


Click on the picture to get a more readable version.

There have been more than 22 million acres of public lands reopened to prospecting and claim in the last year. The claims season is just getting started in most of the west.

If you ever intend to find a good claimable deposit this year is the best opportunity to come along in a long time. Do your research now and have a golden summer. Land Matters provides the tools you need but it's up to you to use them and find your own bonanza.

It's still out there! Go get u sum.

Heavy Pans

 

[Clay Diggins]

Mining Claims Maps Updated to April 1

The Land Matters Mining Claim Maps were updated yesterday afternoon.

With the faster mapping and new features Mining Claim maps use has doubled in the last month.

Still the most up to date and accurate mining claims maps available on the internet at any price. Land Matters maps are free to the user but we rely entirely on donations and sponsorship.

Click on the map sponsors name at the top of the free map and let the sponsor know you appreciate their support. Several of the map sponsors are members here.

Heavy Pans