Member areas and equipment allowed Options

[stan in colo]

Hi all,I have a few questions regarding membership.
1. If I am a member,can I take a friend to one of your prospecting sites,or does the friend have to be a member also.And what about family?
2. Do you allow powered equipment on your sites.or just sluicing.
3.Distance is a factor in my prospecting,in generality (I dont want an exact location,)can you give
an approximate location,of the member sites. It is at least a 3 hour drive to get to Fairplay.
any further would require,for me,a 2 day trip.Especially to get any good digs in.
I have been up to Fairplay,and have had some good digs and some bad ones as well.Just thinking
of joining your club,probably will in very near future...thanks all Stan

[CP]

Hi Stan,

Welcome to the forums and thank you for considering the ColoradoProspector club as your choice to join. We would all be honored to have you and your families participation.

As a club member, you would have access to our compiled research on areas that are located in NF or BLM lands. These are not claims though.
Our research determines that the ground is open to prospecting and did not have mining claims filed on them at the time we finished researching each. You'll also get information and details about easily reverifying our findings at anytime for these areas, and you could also apply this same technique of research verification to any lands you've been wanting to check on in any of the 19 states we as citizens can still file mining claims in.
We as a club can not dictate who can go on FS or BLM lands, we all have that right and we wouldn't tell you someone can't go with you. Our research is what the membership pays for and club members keep this information for their own personal use as per the membership agreement.

The club doesn't dictate what equipment is used, being these lands are BLM or FS lands, then the 1872 mining law applies to any bonafide prospector/miner exploring for mineral and gem deposits within those lands. You as the prospector/miner have to make the call as to what equipment best suits your needs for the situation at that time to sample and process those samples you are attempting to test.

As far as distance, I'm not sure where you are located but we have several areas researched in Park, Summit, Clear creek, Chaffee and Rio Grande counties at this time. Hopefully some of those are within the 2 hour drive for you.

Hope this answers your questions Stan and feel free to post up any more if needed.

CP-Dan

[stan in colo]

Dan
Thanks for the informative reply.I guess I was under the impression that the club,had claims
that the members,could work. I live in Brush,and enjoy going up the mountains,to do a little
digging for the elusive gold.Been up to the Fairplay area several times.All have been good
outings.
I thot that if you were on Fs or Blm,no powered equipment was allowed,just a sluice,and
maybe a battery powered recirculatng minihigh banker.Or metal detector.I have a small
trammel that I built,and use.2.5 hp water pump,w 1 1/2 inlet and outlet.It would be nice to go
and use it,while on FS or Blm. Thanks again for the reply, I'll be in touch....Stan

[Coalbunny]

Cool! My dad was hatched in Brush. I have heard of folks talk about some of the first gold strikes in Colorado back when it was split between Utah and Kansas territories. One site is the South Platte and the other was the Arkansas. And that was when your part of the state was western Kansas territory. I see no reason why you shouldn't find some fine/ultra fine gold on the South Platte.

You can operate powered equipment on both BLM and USFS lands. But Dan is the expert on that.

[CP]

Hi Stan and you are very welcome.
The one thing the Colorado Prospector club does not have is any location claims held for members use, we just won't do that.
However, we will show club members who would like to know, how to duplicate and reuse not only the researched information we have compiled, but also how to compile your own on any specific spot you'd like to research on FS or BLM lands....... That could be any of the 19 states where we can still file mining claims in. In Colorado alone there are millions of acres that do not have mining claims on them at this time..........what's there? is it a viable deposit? Great questions and we all as citizens have the right to explore and develop those deposits.

Motorized equipment is fine on FS and BLM lands, there is no law saying you can not use those. As a matter of fact the FS manual even states that "any hand carried prospecting equipment needs no special authorization".
Not that the FS can regulate mining anyway, (they can not), but they can and do regulate recreational surface uses.

I think the confusion comes from the over exposure the Arkansas headwater recreational area gets, or clubs own restrictions on club claims.
The Arkansas river headwater specially designated area (by congress) has been withdrawn and does have many extra regulations in place like no motors without permits and only in specific places. Those extra regulations are only for that specific area on and adjacent to the river though and do not apply to FS or BLM lands outside of the recreational headwater area's actual withdrawls.

To add to the confusion, there are also claimants filing all over the area (many even over filing each other) and some aren't even marked/staked in the field when filed but yet come up listed for sale within 6 months. Not sure how a claim is filed and listed for sale without markers being placed on site? But then again, claim owners who don't mark their claims for 2 years after filing wonder how they got over filed on too.

So you have multiple uses in a recreational area that is withdrawn from claiming, along with claiming going on anyway while the recreational regulations both prospecting related and other uses are all thrown in a soup and this is what we get out of it.
That's also why we have never concentrated on this area for research, there are too many other places we can all prospect out there.

Pick your spot everyone, let's dig in! It's YOUR right!

CP

[stan in colo]

Motorized equipment is fine on FS and BLM lands, there is no law saying you can not use those. As a matter of fact the FS manual even states that "any hand carried prospecting equipment needs no special authorization".
Not that the FS can regulate mining anyway, (they can not), but they can and do regulate recreational surface uses.

I guess I am still a little cloudy on the above matter.I was looking at filing on a claim,by Leadville,
so I called the BLM.And they told me no motorized equipment.While "prospecting a new claim" They told me a sluice box,or metal detector,or possibly if small enough a mini highbanker (recirculating type).To cover all holes dug.And be sure to mark the discovery point.
Did I miss something??? Confused Stan

[stan in colo]

Hi Coalbunny.Is the nest still here?:) I have a friend that went north of town.to the Platte,and tried to find gold.Said he dug down 2 or 3 feet and found all kinds of black sand,but no gold.

[Coalbunny]

Hi Coalbunny.Is the nest still here?:) I have a friend that went north of town.to the Platte,and tried to find gold.Said he dug down 2 or 3 feet and found all kinds of black sand,but no gold.

Nah Stan, last family member over that way was my grandmother on my dad's side, and she died back in 1988. I never had a chance to meet her.

No telling about the gold on the S. Platte, I've been itchin' to head over that way for a few days and see what's there.

[CP]

I guess I am still a little cloudy on the above matter.I was looking at filing on a claim,by Leadville,
so I called the BLM.And they told me no motorized equipment.While "prospecting a new claim" They told me a sluice box,or metal detector,or possibly if small enough a mini highbanker (recirculating type).To cover all holes dug.And be sure to mark the discovery point.
Did I miss something??? Confused Stan

Hi Stan,

Actually I believe the BLM officer who answered the phone may have missed something.
Remember, they have to deal with the recreational area/visitors as well as address actual bonafide prospector and miners working the field outside the rec area but yet still in their field offices jurisdiction. Special rules (like the Ark river rec) are exclusively applied only to that designated area.....not the whole of that field offices jurisdiction/oversight acreage.

Let me see if I can break this down and explain....... Not sure which office you called but I'm guessing the Royal Gorge field office.
Here is a bit I pulled of the BLM's mining faqs page.

Casual use: No notification to the BLM is required but you must reclaim any casual use disturbance that you create. Casual use generally includes:

the collection of geo-chemical, rock, soil, or mineral specimens using hand tools
hand panning; or non-motorized sluicing

Casual use does not include:

use of mechanized earthmoving equipment
truck mounted drilling equipment
motorized vehicles in areas when designated as closed to "off road vehicles''
chemicals, or explosives
It also does not include "occupancy'' as defined in Sec. 3715.0-5 of this title or operations in areas where the cumulative effects of the activities result in more than negligible disturbance. In some field offices, suction dredging and high banking are not classified as casual use because of this reason. For information about dredging and recreational placer mining click here.

Notice Level: Generally notice level activity applies to exploration. Exploration means creating surface disturbance greater than casual use that includes sampling, drilling, or developing surface or underground workings to evaluate the type, extent, quantity, or quality of mineral values present. Exploration does not include activities where material is extracted for commercial use or sale. In the Royal Gorge Field Office, suction dredging and high banking are classified as notice level activities.

Notice level activity is generally categorized as prospecting under the State Division of Minerals and Geology.

Ok, the bolded parts we need to take note of.......
use of mechanized earthmoving equipment is as close as the "does not include" list gets to dredges and highbankers......are they earth moving equipment catagory or truck mounted? Not hardly.....by law that would state "such as bulldozers or backhoes".

Then further down we start to get the tid bit about only SOME FIELD OFFICES and the Royal Gorge office is one that does call dredging and highbanking "notice level" work. Again, the Arkansas headwater recreational area only does this apply, outside of the headwater rec area this is not the case on BLM lands.
In fact for other areas on BLM lands outside of that area, you'll see they refer to the Colorado state guidelines on dredging and you can find those here in the Colorado Prospector forums thread titled "state permits" in the laws, regulations, and guidelines section. I just updated the CDMG and the Arkansas river info in April so it's very up to date. Down load a copy for your references today everyone, it's good stuff to know! You'll be suprised at the threshold a permit to prospect is deemed required by CDMG.

Hope this helps clear things up a bit and I'd bet that there is land within the Royal Gorge field office that is not included in the "rec area" too, but most of the time they are asked these questions by folks who just want to head out for the weekend and find some color, not prospectors who wish to explore open lands.......Don't know why the BLM person on the phone would have answered that way if you had already stated that though.

CP

[JTW]

Regarding the BLM and USFS regulations, one has to use tact and diplomacy when dealing with gov personnel who dish out "knowledge" about what you can and can't do.

I have encountered people by phone and in person who either are poorly trained or just "wing it" when answering questions about claim filings, notice of intent, casual use, etc.

Just like in medicine, I'd get a second opinion. Call another BLM/USFS office in another part of the state where mining is an ongoing thing and see what they have to say but don't let on that you have received conflicting info from another office. AND ask questions of other miners and prospectors. I have learned that some gov employees are very sensitive and need their egos stroked and can suddenly become very easy to get along with after a bit of flattery and smoke blowing.

On the other hand I got into a situation once where a BLM guy made a mountain out of a mole hill for me and I had to call in all political favors I had squirreled away to get it resolved. Just remember that if you own a mining claim you do HAVE RIGHTS. Don't let anyone take them away from you.

[CP]

Hi JTW,

Welcome to the ColoradoProspector forums. We all look forward to your future participation.

Just remember that if you own a mining claim you do HAVE RIGHTS. Don't let anyone take them away from you.

Great advice to everyone, we feel the same way and you'll fit in the Colorado Prospector community well.

CP