Claim Equipment Legality Question Options

[swizz]

I'm contemplating a new piece of equipment to move material faster at my claim. The claim is a 20 acre individual placer (unpatented) location claim (on BLM)
This is the type of equipment I am considering: Towable Ride-On Trencher
The one I linked is on sale for $3K... they were recently offering an additional 20% off that for a total of $2400 (+$89 shipping) but now it's backordered (of course)... anyway, something like that (even used) for under $3K would help my operation tremendously and costs about as much as a good banker, dredge, or other typical small-scale production mining equip. I could easily tow this puppy with my Jeep and navigate my 4X4 access road... as well as my mining terrain. I'd love to get a larger scale backhoe but cannot afford that yet and my Jeep is limited on towing capacity. Something this size would suit my needs for now if I could swing it.


My question is: Can I put equip like this into operation at my mine without any further legal protocol (ei undisclosed monetary bond or NOI to BLM or other) if my surface disturbance remains under 1600SF?
Dan and I discussed this a little bit while prospecting a week or so ago and from what I recall of that discussion, I think I'm good-to-go if I pick one up, tow it out there, and start digging. Correct?
If I find one this inexpensive again I just might get it.

Thanks in advance.

[CP]

Yep Swizz that's right, if you want the officials to decide whether or not your activities will create a "significant surface resource disturbance" then file an NOI......I recommend against that as the miners/claim owner should be the one who determines how and when that actual threshold is crossed (there is a definition for the term in quotes) and that's exactly the right attitude to have Swizz, you never ask them, it's much better to know the limits/thresholds and state so to the officials. Otherwise the officiald will many times (most) tell you their personal opinions rather than the facts of the law.
If changes are needed (in their eyes) to mitigate some "adverse conditions" that might arise from your operations, they can "request" you make changes to your POO....but they must approve them!

Great advice, skip filing NOI's and when the thresholds will be crossed like (using mechanized earth moving equipment such as bull dozers or back hoes).....file the POO and dig in!!
When that time does come Swizz, I'll be happy to give some tips on writing up the POO as well. Hopefully that's very soon too, heck I might have to spend the summer up there with ya' if you have some yellar gettin yard irons! Wouldn't want ya' to get over worked!