The Daily Alaska empire., 1930-07-24
MINING CLAIMS IN NATIONAL
 FORESTS.

The Engineering and Mining Journal has broac casted an alarm over the movement further to regl late mining operations in the National Forests. Tn is a matter that is important in Alaska as well elsewhere in the country. As the great mlnlr publication intimates Federal regulation is one the things that would scarce capital out of minir areas
 recent Engineering and Mining Journal ed torial on this subject said
 Probably the cause of the movement to restrict the rights of locators of mining claims and the owners of patents thereon within the National Forests, as expressed in Senate Bill S-3774, which has passed the United States Senate and has been referred to the House of Representatives, may be found in a decision by the District Court of Idaho N. D., of February H. 1928, which fully confirmed the rights of the To- cators of mining claims, as allocated by the existing mining laws, as covering the loca- tions within the National Forests.
 Since then a movement to curta those rights within the National Forests has started, and the United States has passed Bill S-3774, above mentioned, restricting those rights very severely in South Dakota; and we understand that a similar bill, cur tang the rights of mineral locators within the National Forests of the State of Cali fornia will be introduced in Congress, at
  a decided opposition by the mining interests of California should prevent this action
 Senate Bill 3774 places the owners of mining locations and of patented mining locations within the National Forest at the mercy of the Forest Service. Rights are controlled by the term reasonable" For in- stance ". the right to occupy and use the surface as may be reasonably neces- sary to carry mining mo of the surface of the claim or the resources therefrom not reasonably required for rying mining shall be allowed" It is re- peatedly stipulated that operations shall be under the National Forest rules and regu- lations. As no provision is made in the law stipulating what authority is to decide what the term reasonably" covers, this de- csion is in fact left entirely to the rangers, who are not competent judges of the re- quisites of mining operations.
 When starting the development of a min ing project it is impossible to foresee what resources of the surface will have to be used. In nearly all instances water is required. According to the wording of the law under consideration, the locator is at the mercy of the Forest Service in respect to this important resource.
 The application of the rules and regula- tions stipulated by this law will prevent any practical mining from starting mining operations within the limits of the National Forests, thus stopping the development of mineral resources within these re- serves The mineral products of the coun- try are of far greater value than the forest products. Their development, as a general rule, will only slightly impair the development of forest products.
 Apparently the sponsors of this bill in- tend to introduce it's system through the entire United States. It is most important for those vitally interested in mining &C., tivity to take steps to prevent if possible any further to curtail the rights of the locators of mining claims.