Wyoming Administrative Code › Agency 020 - Environmental Quality, Dept. of › Sub-Agency 0007 - Land Quality - Non Coal › Chapter 5 - EXPLORATION BY DOZING › Section 5-1 - Exploration by Dozing for Operations that Affect Three Acres or Less

Current through July 13, 2024
(a) Any person
				proposing exploration activities of three acres or less for the removal of
				gold, silver, jade, opal, agate, diamond or titanium shall be exempt from the
				requirements of Sections
				2 through
				5 of this Chapter. Operators shall notify
				the Administrator of their intent to conduct mineral exploration activities by
				submitting an application for a license to explore on the form furnished by the
				Administrator at least thirty days prior to the commencement of operations. The
				operator shall also notify the Inspector of Mines within the Department of
				Workforce Services of the location of the land to be mined and the postal
				address of the operator at least thirty days prior to commencing
				operations.
(b) A bond in the
				amount of $2,500.00 per acre shall be submitted to and approved by the
				Administrator prior to commencing mineral exploration activities. Any
				exploration activities one acre or less in size shall be subject to a minimum
				bond in the amount of $2,500.00. Within ninety days after receiving an
				application, a renewal report or a notice of increased affected acreage, the
				administrator may require the operator to post an additional bond per acre of
				affected land if he determines that such amount is necessary to ensure
				reclamation. The operator shall post the additional bond not later than thirty
				days after receipt of such notification.
(c) An exploration and reclamation plan shall
				be submitted with the required application for exploration on the form
				furnished by the Administrator. The exploration plan for the proposed
				disturbance shall include a plan for topsoil removal, stockpiling, a timetable
				for initiation and completion of reclamation. The reclamation plan shall
				include a plan for backfilling all pits and trenches, removal of any excess
				material not used for backfilling (stockpiles), highwall reduction to no
				greater than 3:1 slope, contouring and grading to prevent erosion,
				re-establishment of pre-existing drainages, replacement of topsoil, and seeding
				with an approved native seed mixture. All areas disturbed by the exploration
				activities shall be reclaimed so as to return the disturbance area to its
				pre-exploration conditions prior to bond release.
(d) A license to explore will be issued for
				one year, but the operator may file a renewal request and renewal report within
				thirty days before the expiration of the exploration license term on the form
				furnished by the Administrator. In no case shall the Administrator grant more
				than two successive renewals after the initial license period.
(e) Any time the total affected acres exceeds
				the acres estimated in the application or renewal report, the operator shall,
				within thirty days notify the Administrator of the increase in affected
				acres.
(f) Minerals discovered
				during exploration activities may be processed and sold at the discretion of
				the operator including assay material or material with an unknown market
				valuation, subject to any restrictions on sale by the surface and mineral
				owner. Any material sold must be reported at the conclusion of operations or on
				a renewal report form. All requests for confidentiality shall be in accordance
				with Section
				2(d).
(g) The license to explore shall be
				terminated if the operator does not commence operations within one
				year.
(h) For an active exploration
				operation with affected area that has not submitted a renewal notification in
				accordance with section (d), the operator shall initiate reclamation
				immediately and a renewal shall not be issued.
(i) The bond will be released upon completion
				of successful reclamation, and termination of the license.