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exposure. It is used to show the extent of the <br />discovery on the claim(s), but cannot be: used <br />alone. <br />EXPLANATION OF'~L.OCATION" <br />Mining Claims and Sites <br />Anyone who is a citizen of the <br />United States or has declared an <br />intention to become a citizen <br />may locate a mining claim. A <br />corporation organized under <br />State laws may also locate a <br />mining claim. The Government <br />considers wrporations to have the samt: standing <br />as a citizen. A claim held by an alien i:t voidable <br />only by the U.S. Government, not another <br />individual. There is no limit to the number of <br />claims and sites that may be held by a t:laimant <br />A mining claim is a particulaz pazcel of Federal <br />land, valuable for a specific mineral depositor <br />deposits. It is a parcel for which an individual <br />has asserted a right of possession. The right is <br />restricted to the extraction and development of a <br />mineral deposit. The rights granted by a mining <br />claim are valid against a challenge by the United <br />States and other claimants only after the discov- <br />ery of a valuable mineral deposit. There are two <br />types of mining claims; lode and placer. There <br />aze two other types of mineral entries, rnill sites <br />and tunnel sites. <br />Lode Claims: Deposits subject to lode; claims <br />include classic veins or lodes having well-defined <br />boundaries. They also include other rock in- <br />place bearing valuable minerals and m;ay be <br />broad zones of mineralized rock. Exaznples <br />include quartz or other veins bearing gold or <br />other metallic minerals and large volume, but <br />low-grade disseminated metallic deposits. Lode <br />claims aze usually described as pazallelograms <br />with the longer side lines parallel to the vein or <br />lode (see Figure 1). Descriptions are by metes <br />and bounds surveys (giving length and direction <br />of each boundary line). Federal statute limits <br />their size to a maximum of 1,500 feet in length <br />along the vein or lode. Their width is a maxi- <br />mum of 600 feet. 300 feet on either side of the <br />centerline of the vein or lode. The end lines of <br />the lode claim must be parallel to qualify for <br />underground extralateral rights. Extralateral <br />rights involve the rights to minerals that extend at <br />depth beyond the vertical boundaries of the <br />claim. <br />Placer Claims; Mineral deposits subject to <br />placer claims include all those deposits not <br />subject to lode claims. Originally, these included <br />only deposits of unconsolidated materials, such <br />as sand and gravel, containing free gold or other <br />minerals. By Congressional acts and judicial <br />interpretations, many nonmetallic bedded or <br />layered deposits, such as gypsum and high <br />calcium limestone, are also considered placer <br />deposits. <br />Placer claims, where practicable, are located by <br />legal subdivision (for example: the E 1R NE 1/4 <br />NE 1/4, Section 2, Township ] 0 South, Range 21 <br />East, Mount Diablo Meridian).'17re maximum <br />size of a placer claim is 20 acres per locator (see <br />Figure 2). An association of two locators may <br />locate 40 acres, and three may locate 60 acres, <br />etc. The maximum area of an association placer <br />claim is 160 acres for eight or more persons. <br />However, the maximum size of an association <br />placer claim in Alaska is limited to 40 acres <br />under State law. <br />The maximum size of a placer claim for corpora- <br />tions is 20 acres per claim. Corporations may not <br />locate association placer claims unless they are in <br />association with other private individuals or other <br />corporations as co-locators. <br />