Annual maintenance fees for mining claims due Sept. 1
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PORTLAND, Ore - Bureau of Land Management (BLM) officials remind mining claimants that annual maintenance fees are due on Thursday, September 1, 2022. The fee is required for claimants who hold unpatented mining claims or sites on Federal lands and wish to retain those claims on public lands through the 2023 assessment year. If a claimant is unable to pay the fee, they can file a Maintenance Fee Waiver Certification (Small Miner’s Waiver) by the same date. If the BLM does not receive a payment or waiver certification postmarked on or before Sept. 1, the mining claim will be declared forfeit and void.
A mining claim is a parcel of land for which the claimant has asserted a right of possession and the right to develop and extract a discovered, valuable, mineral deposit. This right does not include exclusive surface rights (see Public Law 84-167). Generally, claimants are required to do annual assessment work on a mining claim. Paying the maintenance fee replaces this requirement, while ensuring the claimant is still invested in the claim.
"Mineral development is an important land use within the BLM's multiple-use mandate,” said Todd Curtis, the BLM Deputy State Director for Resources, Lands and Minerals. “In communities across the country, mining provides jobs, economic activity and important commodities that are essential to maintain a high quality of life."
This year, the BLM posted the annual reminder packet online at: https://www.blm.gov/programs/energy-and-minerals/mining-and-minerals/about/oregon-washington. It was not sent out in a hard copy.
Therefore, we encourage submission of mining claim filings by mail or online through the Mineral and Land Records System (MLRS) at https://mlrs.blm.gov/s/. Most mining claim filings and payments may be submitted in MLRS except for the Maintenance Fee Waiver Certification. Waiver certifications must be mailed to the office.
The BLM Oregon/Washington State Office is available to assist by phone at 503-808-6001 (option 2), or by email at BLM_OR_SO_Land_Office_Mail@blm.gov.
You can send the original copy of Maintenance Fee Waiver Certification and/or other filings and payments to the Oregon/Washington State Office:
Bureau of Land Management
Attn: Mining Claims
1220 S.W. 3rd Avenue
Portland, OR 97204
The Oregon/Washington State Office public room in Portland remains temporarily closed to in-person visits. However, the mail is being regularly checked and processed in order of receipt.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.