The Daily Alaska empire., 1939-03-13
RULES ISSUED
 FOR OFF5H0RE GOLD MINING
General Land Office Is to Regulate Dredging
 Alaska Shoresn

the shores, bays and inlets of Alaska were drawn up for the first time last week by the General Land ! Office at Washington. !. George A. Parks. District Cadas- tral Engineer of the Public Survey 4 Office here, has, received a copy of the new regulations, which were is sued under authority of an act passed by Congress May 31, 1888.
 The act extended to all waters of Alaska the Land Offices right to lay l down rules for sub-tidal exploration and mining, which previously had ! been confined to the shores, bays and inlets of Boring Sea. An Act of June 6, 1900, already governed gold mining between low, and mean high tide.
 I New Regulations
 The new regulations, signed by Fred w. Johnson. Commissioner of the General Land Office, are as fol- lows: ,..s. .s.-,..
 ] Any citizen of the United States or person who has legally declared his intention to become such, or any association thereof, desiring to dredge and mine for gold and other precious metals in the waters below low tide along the shores, bays and inlets in Alaska shall. before com mencing any actual operations, file with the district land office having jurisdiction over the adjacent shore lands a notice of intention to carry on such dredging and mining opera tions. Such notice should give the 1 names and addresses and citizenship of each, description of the place where the dredge will be initially located or the mining operations | commenced, such place to be con- | nected where practicable by course and distance to corner of the public land survey on the shore, or if there are no surveyed lands in the vicinity, with some geographical or topograpical point which can easily be found.
 Priority of Location
 Priority of location must be re-; spected as a matter of equal right to all, and to prevent possible con- flict or interference, any dredge having located in accordance with the privilege conferred shall not be interfered with by other offshore dredging or mining operations with ina space of 200 feet in all direc- tions. The 20O-foot limit shall be indicated by buoys properly placed.
 No dredge or other structure shall be placed in a position so as to interfere with the free passage of small boats along the shore line, or interfere with the landing at any public wharf, or with other author ized means for the landing of stores and supplies, nor nearer to the shore than 100 feet below low tide within the limits of frontage law fully occupied by any town, mission or trading company. No dredge will be permitted to connect lines or cables with the shore or to place other obstructions within the 100- foot limit along the frontage named above in such manner as to, inter fere with, the passage of small boats along the shore line. Such dredge and structure shall be lighted at the expense of the operator thereof for the safety of navigation as may be required by the regulations of any department of the Government having jurisdiction in such matters.
 Private Rights Protected
 Nothing herein contained shall be construed to authorize any injury to private property pr invasion of private rights or any, infringement ,f Federal, Territorial or local laws or regulations for the protection and preservation of the ,shofes, bays and inlets. <as te..s.. ,,ge,s..s :.
 Nothing in these regulations shall authorize any infringement of the laws enacted by. Congress for the protection and preservation of the navigable waters of the United States, and miners must conform to any applicable requirements of the War Department.
 These regulations are made sub jet to any valid existing rights here tofore acquired. but any persons claiming such rights shall comply herewith within 90 days from date hereof.'