The Lincoln times., 1955-02-07
Report From
Washington
BY REPRESENTATIVE C. r. JONAS
of the 10th North Carolina
Congressional District
Lincoln n-Catawba-Rurke-
Mecklenburg- Avery
Mitchell Counties

ing west 10 PICK humps OF pure SOlQ
out of Mr.. Suffers creek bottom.
The present-day version OF the
49er is a uranium hunter armed
with a Gei9er counter instead of a
pick.
MINING CLAIMS
If the information reaching my
office is any indication of things
to come, Western North Carolina
will soon rival Utah and Colorado,
ping for ping. and click for click,
Reports from my scouts indicate
that mining claims are already
Checkerboarded like wheat fields
all through our mountains.
Most of the land being explored
seems to be in the national for
eStS. Since there is apparently
some confusion over filing claims
for prospecting and mining rights
on government property. I went
over to the Department of the In
terror foy question -and-anSwer
session with the legal staff in the
Bureau of Land MANAGEMENT. In
the hope of helping to avoid such
mistakes as claim jumping. l will
pass the results of this meeting
along to my readers
The Federal Government has
obtained title to land under two
entirely different sets Of circum-
stances. There are separate laws
Governing mining. oil-Well drilling,
etc. on each type
of government land.
The original thirteen colonies
that united to form the United
States owned all of the land with
in their respective borders, They
had been states before the forma-
ton of the central government.
and acquired title to their land
through grants from kings, pur-
chase from Indians, or through
ceSSion of some sort. Such land as
the Federal Government now owns
inside these states is the result OF
q later purchase by some govern
ment agency. This land is known
in government circles as acquired
land and the states in which such
land is located are called nom
public land states.
PUBLIC LAND STATES
Most OF the other states. eSpe-
cially those west of the MisSissip-
ri. were created out OF territory
that the United States Govern
ment bought from France and
Mexico, or otherwise acquired III
the name of the United States af-
ter the Union had been formed. AS
states were created out Of this
western territory, the Government
continued to hold its title 10 such
land within these state boundaries
which had not already been home
steaded. given in land grants to
the railroads, or sold to indivl-
duals. The lard that remains still
belongs to the United States and
is known as part of the public
domain. The states within which
such land is located are known as
public land states.
North Carolina is one of the or
ieinal thirteen states. so We need
concern ourselves only with the
laws applicable to acquired land,
as DISTINGUISHED from public do
nain land
Prior to the end of World War
II the Department of Agriculture
had control over national forests.
4 reorganiza ion plan, which be-
came effective on July 16, 1916.
transferred the mineral leasing
authority from the Agriculture De-
partment to the Interior Depart
ment.
Prospective uranium millionalres
C?p therefore should file applica-
tions for permits to prospect or
mine in two ways; the first is to
ask for the official application
form from the Director of Land
MANAGEMENT. Department of the
interior. Washington IS, D, c.; the
second is to put the necessary in
formation in a letter and send it
TO the same address. If letter is
used. it must contain the name,
age. address. and citizenship sta
tus of the applicant. 1t must also
contain statement indicating any
other permit to prospect or mine
on Federal land held in North
Carolina. the type of mineral to be
sought or mined, and map with
a full description of the land for
which the lease or permit is de-
sired
APPLICATION FEE
At the present time no appllca-
ton fee is required. but the law
provides that no mining or pros
pecting claim shall be for more
than twenty years duration, and
that there shall be an annual
rental, payable in advance. OF not
less than CSC an acre
asked the Bureau about pros
pecting in national parks. having
in mind the extensive prospecting
that is going on right now in some
of the park areas in the Tenth
District, and was told that under
certain circumstances, which are
determined by the type of mineral
being sought, permits to prospect
will be granted These permits may
be obtained through the Bureau of
Land Management; but in the case
of national parks, the Bureau of
Land MANAGEMENT acts only as
the agent for the National Park
Service. The applicant may there
fore, if he wishes, deal directly
with the National Park Service,
which is also under the Depart