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i <br /> At this time,we are not planning to do any commercial mining. As rockhounds,we are interested in <br /> finding rocks to add to our own collections and to share with family and friends. Whenever we have <br /> done any rockhounding on public lands(BLM or Forest Service in several states)we have tried to <br /> observe all regulations such as using only hand tools,observing limits on the amount of material <br /> collected,avoiding unnecessary disturbance of the land, refilling any holes we may have dug, and using <br /> the materials only for personal use rather than commercial use. Our activities on our mining claims are <br /> similar to our other rockhounding,and are what the BLM and Forest Service consider"Casual Use"and <br /> "Low Impact". Our plans for our mining claims still are limited to: 1)use of hand tools only,2)shallow <br /> depth of excavation,3) no removal of live trees,4)limited amount of man-hours on the claim each year, <br /> 5)no milling or processing on site, 6)no road construction or grading operations,7)disturbing less than <br /> 1600 square feet of area at any given time,8)reclamation of any disturbed areas afterward by filling <br /> and reseeding the area, and 9)collecting material only for personal, non-commercial use. After our <br /> discussions with the BLM,the Forest Service and more experienced local mine claimants,we were under <br /> the impression that our current"Casual Use"and "Limited Impact"operations would not require filing <br /> a plan of action or getting a reclamation bond. We also understood that if we were to find later that we <br /> wanted to use any materials from these claims for commercial use, or if we want to use mechanized <br /> equipment,we would need to file a plan of action with the state and post a reclamatWas this a <br /> misunderstanding back in 2011,when we filed our first claim, or did the regulations change in 2014? <br /> Our first mining claim (the Options Lode)was filed with the BLM in June,2011. During 2011,we found <br /> several collapsed pockets of amazonite and smoky quartz on this claim,and we put them in our rock <br /> collection at home. In March, 2012,however,the BLM informed us that the Options Lode claim was <br /> void because most of the land for this claim was on land reserved by the Forest Service in 1906 for FS <br /> administrative use,and was closed to mineral activities. The part of the claim we were most interested <br /> in exploring, however,was not on that reserved parcel of land,so,we filed a new claim (Options Too) <br /> north of the original Options Lode location and including the area we had been exploring. We collected <br /> some materials in from the original Options Lode in 2010,but have not found worthwhile materials <br /> since then. We are still exploring the Options Too and our other claims such as the New Pursuits(filed <br /> in 2011.) We bring some pieces home so that we can clean them and evaluate them for color,quality, <br /> weathering and general friability. Although we have found some promising signs from time to time,we <br /> have not yet found any additional pockets of good quality materials that we would want to collect. <br /> Consequently,we have not filed a plan of action or a reclamation bond. <br /> Rumors of Impending Doom for Rockhounds. During the past year or so,we have heard rumors that <br /> the State of Colorado wants to make rockhounding and recreational mining illegal,or require permits <br /> costing outrageous hundreds of dollars if a person (child or adult)wants to pick up and take home even <br /> one pebble. Needless to say,that has been a terrifying prospect for avid rock and gem enthusiasts like <br /> us. And the letter we received from the Bureau of Reclamation suggests that the rumors may be true. <br /> What that letter from the Bureau of Reclamation does not tell us are the following: <br /> 1) The activities we would like to pursue at our claims fits the BLM description of"Casual Use" and <br /> "Limited Impact". Is there an affordable way that we can do this type of mining and actually collect <br /> materials for personal use? <br /> 2) If we should ever find materials that would be worth actually mining rather than just prospecting, is <br /> any different or additional permit required for Casual Use, Limited Impact mining? Such mining would <br />