Lode claim
A mining claim on federal land covering minerals in place in a vein or rock formation.
Lode claims are the standard form for hard-rock minerals — gold, silver, copper, lithium in hard rock. They are located by physical staking and recorded with the BLM and the county, and they must be maintained annually to remain valid.
A claim conveys the right to develop the minerals, not ownership of the surface. Claim validity depends on discovery and on continued maintenance, both of which are common points of failure in diligence.
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