Blanket... and not of snow!

 

 

        I think it was a year ago or a little more, when we cautioned those interested in placer claims to get them now!  We talked about a new gold rush to the Black Hills and the fact that once a company or two figured out that Homestake didn’t get all the gold, lode claims would again blanket the Black Hills like blizzard snow cover.

        So here’s what we’ve heard reported recently… 600 lode claims filed in Pennington County from Rochford to Keystone. Just so there’s better comprehension of that impact, that totals 12,000 acres. We’ve already heard from multiple parties on this that they are overstaking placer claims and private property… the intent to work all that out later.

        So what is the impact to placer mining, you ask?

        Well, existing placer claims are still in place but we caution anyone holding a placer claim in these areas to maintain it!  Paperwork comes due twice a year, with maintenance waiver or fees by the end of August. Affidavit of assessment deadline is approaching Dec. 31. Do not, and we cannot stress this enough, allow any deadlines to pass or you have forfeited your claim. The only choice then is to re-locate, which gives your claim a new location date.

        So where does that leave the greenhorn prospector, looking for their first placer claim?  We get mixed reviews on this… the old placer over lode, lode over placer discussion.  The bottom line is that either way, you have to prove your case in a court of law. The county and BLM are happy to file your location certificate but it comes back to you to prove ownership!

        We’ve spent many, many hours finding placer acreages that were previously blanket claimed by Homestake and became available these past few years. We’ve also got lucky and found some gaps between existing claims. Now we see history repeating itself and we hope these lodes will be developed, because it’s leaving the recreational prospector in the dust as far as available acreage.