§501 Mining Claims Located Between July 31, 1939, and January 1, 1953

Summary

Treat mining claims staked on federal land between July 31, 1939, and January 1, 1953 as covered by this chapter when, at the time they were filed, the land was either inside a mineral lease or lease application, or known to have minerals that would be leased. This is true as long as the other rules in the chapter apply and any valid later rights under U.S. law are respected. Work or improvements done after the claim was first filed count the same as they would for claims not covered by this rule. If the government later withdraws or reserves land that includes one of these claims, that withdrawal or reservation is changed so it affects the claim the same way it would affect land that was open to location after July 31, 1939 but before the withdrawal.