Gold Mining Regulations

Currently, there are just a few laws and regulations concerning small scale operators. A small scale miner does not originate enough environmental impact so as to having to have an approved operations plan in combination with the Forest Service, at least not at the time of writing this.

In the state of California it is necessary to apply for a permit before the Fish and Game Department previous to beginning operations a suction hose of a dredge in a brook, creek or river.  When writing these lines, the permit cost $37.50 for California residents and around $147.25 for non-residents, and it only takes a few minutes to fill out a simple form in any of the offices of the Fish and Game Department of State.

The permit lasts until the beginning of the next year, time in which another permit has to be required, exactly the same as one does with fishing permits. The Fish and Game Department of California has certain limits for the size of dredges for use in some of the creeks and rivers, and likewise, it also limits the operation periods of the same in some of the streams of water. The reason is to prevent any damage that could have an impact in fish during certain sensitive periods.

When one applies for the permit and pays it for a one-year period, the Fish and Game Department will provide a list of the many restrictions including size of dredges and the operation periods in which these can be applied in brooks, creeks and rivers protected by the entity.

The regulation, which is strictly carried out, indicates that a US Forest Service approved spark arrester is required for any type of internal combustion engine used in the National Park.

It is true, the same system is used with electric saws, motorcycles and also, in small engines used as water pumps to pump water to the different mining gear. These spark arresters are almost always available at any shop that sells mining gear and equipment to extract gold.

The large areas of lands that are kept within the limits of National Parks are open to the incoming minerals. It is not strange to go to an area in which all the signs make believe it will be a good prospect in gold contents, and find that many of these specific areas have already been claimed by other people that arrived before. If this is the case, and one is interested in finding an unclaimed location for mining, and wishes to claim it for oneself, it will be necessary to address to the county’s clerk office and learn how to research about the area one is interested in if one wants to make a mining claim. This is generally not difficult to do, but it takes time and patience because it entirely depends on how many claims are there related to the area. The county clerk will help and show how to research. The Bureau of Land Management also keeps a database that can prove to be very helpful in determining what portions of public lands have active mining claims and which not. The database can also be accessed through the Internet.