Office of The Secretary Contact: John Wright

For Immediate Release: December 4, 1996 202/208-6416

Babbitt Signs Five More Patents Under Antiquated Mining Law

The 1872 Mining Law privatizes valuable federal mineral deposits

for a couple of bucks per acre

Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt today announced the signing of five patents as required under the 124 year old law that regulates the mining of gold, silver, platinum, copper, and other hardrock minerals on public lands. Under the 1872 Mining Law, Babbitt signed deeds to 374 acres of public land with recoverable resources worth more than $17 million for a meager $978.42.

The 1872 Mining Law, signed by President Ulysses S. Grant and effective today, allows patents for hardrock minerals on public lands to be mined for $2.50 or $5 per acre. “This antiquated law is severely outdated,” said Babbitt. “Congress can, and should work to bring the 1872 law in line with current fiscal, environmental and technological realities.”

The five patents are small in comparison to others Babbitt was forced to sign that gave international mining companies the authority to mine billions of dollars of America’s mineral resources for only $2.50 per acre. The patents signed today are for six sodium bentonite associational placer claims totaling 340 acres of federal land in Colorado, one placer gold claim totaling 16.46 acres of federal land in Oregon, and one gold and silver lode claim totaling 17.45 acres of federal land in California.

The three patents for sodium bentonite issued in Carter County, Colorado, contain a gross value of recoverable resources estimated at about $13 million. The federal government was paid $850 for the rights to mine the 340 acre tract.

The patent issued in Willowa-Whitman National Forest, Baker County, Oregon, contains a gross value of gold estimated at about $200,000. The funds received by the federal government for the 16.46 acre tract is $41.15.

The patent for gold and silver deposits in the Toiyabe National Forest, Mono County, California, contains a gross value of recoverable resources estimated at $4.4 million. The funds received by the federal government for the 17.454 acre tract is $87.27.

Most mineral resources extracted on public lands, such as natural gas, oil, and coal, require miners to pay a royalty based upon production. Gold, silver, copper, and other hardrock

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minerals are exempted by the 1872 Mining Law. “I am not anti-mining, but I am against this 124 year old law that has outlived it usefulness,” Babbitt said. “It is time to end the outlandish giveaways under the 1872 law.”

Since taking office in January 1993, the Mining Law has required Secretary Babbitt to sign 32 mining patents deeding away publicly owned resources valued at over $15.3 billion, for a total payment to the federal taxpayers of a few thousand dollars.

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