§482h Coronado National Forest; Mining Rights

Summary

Starting on March 15, 1940, any mining claim made under U.S. law on land within 400 feet of the center line of the Catalina Highway in the Coronado National Forest only gives the claimant the right to use as much of the surface as is reasonably needed for prospecting and mining under the Forest’s rules. It does not allow taking anything other than mineral deposits or using the land for other purposes. The Catalina Highway begins at the south boundary of the forest near the southeast corner of section 7, township 13 south, range 16 east, Gila and Salt River base and meridian, and runs about twenty-five miles north to Soldier Camp. Any patent issued after March 15, 1940, for land within 400 feet of that center line transfers only the mineral deposits and the right to occupy the surface for prospecting and mining under forest rules. Valid claims that existed on March 15, 1940, and were properly maintained under the original laws and Arizona law may be completed under the laws they were started under.