What are the rules for prospecting for gold and staking claims in the National Forest?
Prospecting on National Forest system land is allowed. Be aware that there is a 14 day camping limit on the forest per year. You should check with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Office in Sacramento on Cottage Way to ensure you are not prospecting on someone else’s claim. To stake a claim, you need to follow BLM guidelines as they are the lead agency in filing mining claims. The Forest Service becomes involved when a claimant wants to actually start an operation on an existing claim. This will require a Notice of Intent or a Plan of Operations depending on the scope of the proposed operations. The Forest Service manages the minerals in accordance with the Code of Federal Regulations, Title 36, part 228.
