Prospecting, Government definitions Options

[CP]

For those of you wondering exactly what "prospecting" would be defined as..............

Here is Colorado state gov's definition.

34-32-117 (2).
(12) "Prospecting" means the act of searching for or investigating a mineral deposit.
"Prospecting" includes, but is not limited to, sinking shafts, tunneling, drilling core and bore
holes and digging pits or cuts and other works for the purpose of extracting samples prior
to commencement of development or extraction operations, and the building of roads, access
ways, and other facilities related to such work. The term does not include those activities
which cause no or very little surface disturbance, such as airborne surveys and photographs,
use of instruments or devices which are hand carried or otherwise transported over the
surface to make magnetic, radioactive, or other tests and measurements, boundary or claim
surveying, location work, or other work which causes no greater land disturbance than is
caused by ordinary lawful use of the land by persons not prospecting. The term also does
not include any single activity which results in the disturbance of a single block of land
totaling one thousand six hundred square feet or less of the land's surface, not to exceed two such disturbances per acre; except that the cumulative total of such disturbances will not
exceed five acres statewide in any prospecting operation extending over twenty-four
consecutive months.

CP

This post has been edited by ColoradoProspector: Jan 4 2007, 04:41 PM

[CP]

Hi Scratch,

The FS is not even authorized to regulate mining (see 36cfr scope) and on the Arkansas headwater recreational area those rules are specific only to that area which has been withdrawn from mineral entry. The rest of the states BLM land does not have those special rules like Cache Creek and the Arkansas river do.
Here is a thread about Colorado dredging and highbanking that I've explained a bit more about the Arkansas headwater rec area's special designation.

The FS officials will often say or even put out print or website information that is completely false and many times illegal according to the actual law.
Even though I've heard absurd things from the very same office's volunteer staff like......if you don't see any fences you should be able to prospect.
But yes I've challenged rangers in that office (including the past head ranger) as well as other district head rangers and backed them off their personal opinions to find the law.
Do they go by the laws I've showed them in the past? .......... Who knows?!

Good job digging in for the right information , I think you've got wind of how the FS officials will "help" find the right stuff.