Common Land Staking Questions

Although the perception of prospecting and mining can sometimes be cartooned as “old-fashioned,” the reality is that land staking and mining are alive and well. While during the late 1800s, mining focused primarily on gold, mining continues to adapt to fulfill new, modern needs. Minerals such as lithium, nickel, cobalt, and copper help to power electric vehicles, renewable energy, and more, with the need for mining resources growing.

WHAT IS STAKING LAND?

Staking land, or claim staking, is the legal process of gaining the rights to extract minerals from a designated area of public land. In most cases, staked land is on land managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) or the US Forest Service, although there are also possibilities for staking mining claims on private land.

CAN YOU STILL STAKE LAND?

Yes, you can still stake land for a mining claim in available areas. There are 19 U.S. states that contain federal land available for claim staking. Mining claims cannot be staked in areas that are closed to mineral entry or that already have a staked claim, but there are still millions of acres of public land open for claim staking.

WHICH STATES ALLOW LAND STAKING ON FEDERAL LANDS?

There are currently 19 U.S. states that contain federal lands open for claim staking:

• Alaska
• Arizona
• Arkansas
• California
• Colorado
• Florida
• Idaho
• Louisiana
• Mississippi
• Montana
• Nebraska
• Nevada
• New Mexico
• North Dakota
• Oregon
• South Dakota
• Utah
• Washington
• Wyoming

WHAT FEDERAL LANDS ARE NOT AVAILABLE TO CLAIM STAKING?

When considering where to stake land, keep in mind that some areas, such as national parks or wildlife protected areas, are not open to mineral entry. In general, the following areas are withdrawn from mining:

• National Parks
• Indian Reservations
• Military Reservations
• Wildlife Protected Areas
• National Monuments
• Reclaimed Lands
• Lands Set Aside for Scientific Purposes
• National Wilderness
• Designated Wild and Scenic Rivers

There are a variety of other reasons an area may be barred from mineral exploration, so it is important to discover the federal land status before seeking to make a land claim.

In addition, you must ensure there are no active claims on the land. This can typically be done by confirming with the local BLM or US Forest Service offices.

Staked lands are required to have markers and signage, including monuments such as stone mounds, wood posts, or metal posts, as well as proper signage. However, these monuments or signs can degrade, be stolen, or become hidden under overgrowth, so it’s best to check with the record-keeping authority before proceeding to stake a claim to avoid conflict.

HOW TO STAKE A MINING CLAIM

Learn more about how to stake a mining claim in our recent blog article: How to Stake a Mining Claim.

How Can We Help?

Would you like to learn more about claim staking services provided by Rangefront? Reach out today to speak with one of our experts.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

BRIAN GOSS

President, Rangefront Mining Services

Brian Goss brings over 20 years of experience in gold and mineral exploration. He is the founder and President of Rangefront, a premier geological services and mining consulting company that caters to a large spectrum of clients in the mining and minerals exploration industries. Brian is also a director of Lithium Corp. (OTCQB: LTUM), an exploration stage company specializing in energy storage minerals and from 2014 to 2017, he fulfilled the role of President and Director of Graphite Corp. (OTCQB: GRPH), an exploration stage that specialized in the development of graphite properties. Prior to founding Rangefront, Brian worked as a staff geologist for Centerra Gold on the REN project, as well as various exploration and development projects in the Western United States and Michigan. Brian Goss holds a Bachelor of Science Degree with a major in Geology from Wayne State University in Michigan.

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