I share in part this info asked of me and addressed to a member of another forum on claim filings.
Most forms that are filed have problems.
And each is different.
What you are filing is a Notice of Location.
What you have to avoid in the Notice is accepting obligations that are not part of the grant or anticipate entry under the 1976 FLPMA phrases such as "subject to state law" are tell-tale problems because there is no such requirement under the grant. There are state statutes but those must conform to the "laws of the United Sates". The 1866 act is a law of the United States and congressional land disposal act and no state or agency can intefere. That is not so for administrative entries such as for common materials. The current "book store" forms appear inadequate to Me for the purpose.
You are not just making a "mineral claim". You are claiming a mineral deposit. There is a big difference, even though they all go through the formal requirements for claim under the 1872 Act.
The Notice of Location is a Notice of exclusive Claim of a mineral deposit which enjoys "as patent" rights. As such by this you can readily see any obligation you volunteer in your Notice gives the Notice that you will accept a lesser estate subject to external or state or federal statutes or rules. Such a claim is not "as patent" and is subject to state and federal regulation, such as environmental impositions, bonds and reclamation.
You could take a Book store form as a model and then cut out all the servitudes, then add a couple lines accepting your mineral deposit located and granted in the Act of July 26, 1866. That's what I did initially.
You can get a copy of the 1866 Act at
http://www.grantedright.com and look at The Law page. Print out HR 365 and the Hicks case for reference material to carry with you. The first paragraph of HR 365 has most of what you need for a Notice of Location statement. You'll need to add the Legal description to the notice. ..and the other requirements.
I don't want to make it sound complicated because it really isn't. The requirement though to stay true to the act of 1866 is required. It is a simple act but it had far-reaching consequences which we enjoy today. Such as RIGHT of way access in Section 8. This means, if you are prospecting you have right to be in the public land and on the roads. Read the Hicks case for clarification. Notice he was on a "closed" road and had right to be there.
There is an open invitation every First Friday to the SWOMA meeting. One is on for this Friday. We always go over a lot of stuff and people can get help too. A lot of help is on the fly but it seems to work out.
MEG