To: President Donald Trump, The United States House of Representatives, and The United States Senate
Abolish the General Mining Law of 1872
We the signers wish to abolish or make current the General Mining Law of 1872, which is a modern dinosaur. It is so outdated it gives away our public resources and public lands to companies and individuals all over the world.
Why is this important?
Thousands of acres of public land are being destroyed by gold miners along the Resurrection Creek in Hope, Alaska. When the moratorium on patents is lifted, the mining claim owner will attain the title to this land immediately. This law is archaic. We can no longer afford to give up land as in 1872, when land was plenty and development and settlement important.
This law is giving our land to miners (uranium, silver, gold, copper, etc.) across the country, and we are not only losing land to companies but the bonds they must put forth are not nearly enough to clean up the damage done. All of this is based on 1872 prices. There is only a temporary moratorium on patents (which gives miners title to public lands). This must be renewed every year through an addendum to the budget (i.e. no money can be spent on giving people patents.) The people are getting no benefit from the mining operations that devastate the land.
This law is giving our land to miners (uranium, silver, gold, copper, etc.) across the country, and we are not only losing land to companies but the bonds they must put forth are not nearly enough to clean up the damage done. All of this is based on 1872 prices. There is only a temporary moratorium on patents (which gives miners title to public lands). This must be renewed every year through an addendum to the budget (i.e. no money can be spent on giving people patents.) The people are getting no benefit from the mining operations that devastate the land.