Description:
Recent statutory and regulatory changes that affect Federal mining claims have made portions of
Special Report 12, Laws and Regulations Governing Mineral Rights in Arizona, 9th Edition inaccurate.
Pending the completion of the rewriting of Special Report 12 this circular attempts to briefly describe
statutory and agency policy changes in mining claim procedures. These changes are especially pertinent
for the information on Federal filing requirements, maintenance of title, surface management regulations,
and patenting of claims on pages 28 to 45.
Department circulars that describe previous changes are:
Arizona Mining Law Change – 1989 (Circular 30)
Arizona Recordation Law Change, 1991 (Circular 36)
Annual Assessment Work Requirements Under Arizona Statue, 1994 (Circular 56)
These circulars, included in Special Report 11, should also be reviewed.
It is important for claimants to keep informed as Congress or managing agencies make additional
changes to mining law or regulatory procedures.