Alt. Energy Generation to Trump New Mining Claims

To reduce conflict between mining claims and the development of wind and solar energy generation on public lands, the Bureau of Land Management plans to prohibit new mining claims on land proposed for these developments. Under current public land laws, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) can not segregate land identified in alternative energy development right-of-way applications from new mining claims. The BLM is afraid that speculators will file mining claims in areas covered by an alternative energy right-of-way application to extort payment from wind and solar energy developers to drop the claim. The proposed rule would not affect existing rights in mining claims located before the rule is adopted and would affect mining claims on right-of-way applications for uses other than wind or solar energy facilties...more