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Five acres or less of surface disturbance usually <br />requires a notice. The notice must describe the <br />proposed activities, the location on the ground, <br />the start-update, road access and construction, if <br />any, and reclamation measures. Receipt and <br />review of a notice is not a Federal action; there- <br />fore, there is no requirement for the preparation <br />of an EA or EIS. Approval by BLM is not <br />required for a notice. <br />There is no requirement for notifying the BLM of <br />casual use activities. Casual use activities are <br />those that cause oNy negligible disturbance of <br />the public lands and resources, For example, <br />activities that do not involve the use of earth- <br />moving equipment of explosives may be consid- <br />eredcasual use. <br />Exploration and mining activities in BLM <br />wildemess study areas (WSA's) are subject to <br />regulations in 43 CFR 3802. The BLM Interim <br />Management Policy and Guidelines for Lands <br />Under Wilderness Review (BLM Handbook <br />8550-1; November 10, 1987) also gives ntles <br />concerning mineral activities in WSA's. The <br />rules require a plan of operations for all activities <br />other than what could be considered casual use <br />(see 43 CFR 3802.1-2). Reclamation is a re- <br />quirementforall surface-disturbing activities in <br />WSA's. Where required, reclamation must be <br />completed to the point that mining activities are <br />substantially unnoticeable by the 6me the Secre- <br />tary of the Interior makes rewmmendations for <br />wildemess designation to the President. There- <br />fore, each BLM State Director has set a date for <br />completion of reclamation in WSA's in that <br />State. All recommendations of the Secretary of <br />the Interior to the President on BLM-adminis- <br />tered lands are to be made on or before October <br />20, 1991. However, not all States are involved in <br />the wIldemess study program. <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 1/2 NE 1/4 <br />NE 1/4, Section 2, Township 10 South, Range 21 <br />East, Mount Diablo Meridian). 'i7te 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 cotpora- <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 />24 9 <br />