[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 36, Volume 2]
[Revised as of July 1, 2007]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 36CFR292.62]

[Page 360-361]
 
              TITLE 36--PARKS, FORESTS, AND PUBLIC PROPERTY
 
          CHAPTER II--FOREST SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
 
PART 292_NATIONAL RECREATION AREAS--Table of Contents
 
             Subpart G_Smith River National Recreation Area
 
Sec.  292.62  Valid existing rights.

    (a) Definition. For the purposes of this subpart, valid existing 
rights are defined as follows:
    (1) For certain ``Wild'' River segments. The rights associated with 
all mining claims on National Forest System lands within the SRNRA in 
``wild'' segments of the Wild and Scenic Smith River, Middle Fork Smith 
River, North Fork Smith River, Siskiyou Fork Smith River, South Fork 
Smith River, and their designated tributaries, except Peridotite Creek, 
Harrington Creek, and the lower 2.5 miles of Myrtle Creek, which:
    (i) Were properly located prior to January 19, 1981;
    (ii) Were properly maintained thereafter under the applicable law;
    (iii) Were supported by a discovery of a valuable mineral deposit 
within the meaning of the United States mining laws prior to January 19, 
1981, which discovery has been continuously maintained since that date; 
and
    (iv) Continue to be valid.
    (2) For Siskiyou Wilderness. The rights associated with all mining 
claims on National Forest System lands within the SRNRA in the Siskiyou 
Wilderness except, those within the Gasquet-Orleans Corridor addition or 
those rights covered by paragraph (a)(1) of this section which:
    (i) Were properly located prior to September 26, 1984;
    (ii) Were properly maintained thereafter under the applicable law;
    (iii) Were supported by a discovery of a valuable mineral deposit 
within the meaning of the United States mining laws prior to September 
26, 1984, which discovery has been continuously maintained since that 
date; and
    (iv) Continue to be valid.
    (3) For all other lands. The rights associated with all mining 
claims on National Forest System lands in that portion of the SRNRA not 
covered by paragraph (a)(1) or (a)(2) of this section which:
    (i) Were properly located prior to November 16, 1990;
    (ii) Were properly maintained thereafter under the applicable law;
    (iii) Were supported by a discovery of a valuable mineral deposit 
within the meaning of the United States mining laws prior to November 
16, 1990, which discovery has been continuously maintained since that 
date; and
    (iv) Continue to be valid.
    (b) Operations to confirm discovery. The authorized officer shall 
authorize those mineral operations that may be necessary for the purpose 
of gathering information to confirm or otherwise demonstrate the 
discovery of a valuable mineral deposit consistent with the definition 
in paragraph (a) of this section or to obtain evidence for a contest 
hearing regarding the claim's validity, upon receipt of a proposed plan 
of operations as defined in Sec.  292.63 of this subpart to conduct such 
operations and of sufficient information from the operator to show an 
exposure of valuable minerals on a claim that predates the withdrawal of 
the federal land from the operation of the United States mining laws. 
The authorized officer shall authorize only those operations that may be 
necessary to confirm or demonstrate the discovery of a valuable mineral 
deposit prior to the date of withdrawal of the federal land on which the 
claim is situated. Pursuant to this paragraph, the authorized officer 
shall not authorize any operations which would constitute prospecting, 
exploration, or otherwise uncovering or discovering a valuable mineral 
deposit.

[[Page 361]]

                           Locatable Minerals