These regulations control all activities within units of the National Park System resulting from the exercise of valid existing mineral rights on patented or unpatented mining claims without regard to the means or route by which the operator gains access to the claim. The purpose of these regulations is to insure that such activities are conducted in a manner consistent with the purposes for which the National Park System and each unit thereof were created, to prevent or minimize damage to the environment or other resource values, and to insure that the pristine beauty of the units is preserved for the benefit of present and future generations. These regulations apply to all operations, as defined herein, conducted within the boundaries of any unit of the National Park System.

The terms used in this part shall have the following meanings:

(a) Secretary. The Secretary of the Interior.

(b) Operations. All functions, work and activities in connection with mining on claims, including: prospecting, exploration, surveying, development and extraction; dumping mine wastes and stockpiling ore; transport or processing of mineral commodities; reclamation of the surface disturbed by such activities; and all activities and uses reasonably incident thereto, including construction or use of roads or other means of access on National Park System lands, regardless of whether such activities and uses take place on Federal, State, or private lands.

(c) Operator. A person conducting or proposing to conduct operations.

(d) Person. Any individual, partnership, corporation, association, or other entity.

(e) Superintendent. The Superintendent, or his designee, of the unit of the National Park System containing claims subject to these regulations.

(f) Surface mining. Mining in surface excavations, including placer mining, mining in open glory-holes or mining pits, mining and removing ore from open cuts, and the removal of capping or overburden to uncover ore.

(g) The Act. The Act of September 28, 1976, 90 Stat. 1342, 16 U.S.C. 1901 et seq.

(h) Commercial vehicle. Any motorized equipment used for transporting the product being mined or excavated, or for transporting heavy equipment used in mining operations.

(i) Unit. Any National Park System area containing a claim or claims subject to these regulations.

(j) Claimant. The owner, or his legal representative, of any claim lying within the boundaries of a unit.

(k) Claim. Any valid, patented or unpatented mining claim, mill site, or tunnel site.

(l) Significantly disturbed for purposes of mineral extraction. Land will be considered significantly disturbed for purposes of mineral extraction when there has been surface extraction of commercial amounts of a mineral, or significant amounts of overburden or spoil have been displaced due to the extraction of commercial amounts of a mineral. Extraction of commercial amounts is defined as the removal of ore from a claim in the normal course of business of extraction for processing or marketing. It does not encompass the removal of ore for purposes of testing, experimentation, examination or preproduction activities.

(m) Designated roads. Those existing roads determined by the Superintendent in accordance with 36 CFR 1.5 to be open for the use of the public or an operator.

(n) Production. Number of tons of a marketable mineral extracted from a given operation.

(a) All special use or other permits dealing with access to and from claims within any unit are automatically revoked 120 days after January 26, 1977. All operators seeking new or continued access to and from a claim after that date must file for new access permits in accordance with these regulations, unless access to a mining claim is by pack animal or foot. (See § 9.7 for restrictions on assessment work and § 9.9(d) and § 9.10(g) for extensions of permits.)

(b) Prior to the issuance of a permit for access to any claim or claims, the operator must file with the Superintendent a plan of operations pursuant to § 9.9. No permit shall be issued until the plan of operations has been approved in accordance with § 9.10.

(c) No access to claims outside a unit will be permitted across unit lands unless such access is by foot, pack animal, or designated road. Persons using such roads for access to such claims must comply with the terms of § 9.15 where applicable.

(d) In units of the National Park System in Alaska, regulations at 43 CFR part 36 govern access to claims, and the provisions of 36 CFR 9.3 (a), (b) and (c) are inapplicable.

(a) For a period of four years after September 28, 1976, no operator of a claim located within the boundaries of Death Valley National Monument, Mount McKinley National Park, or Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument (see also claims subject to § 9.10(a)(3)) shall disturb for purposes of mineral exploration or development the surface of any lands which had not been significantly disturbed for purposes of mineral extraction prior to February 29, 1976, except as provided in this section. However, where a claim is subject, for a peroid of four years after September 28, 1976, to this section solely by virtue of § 9.10(a)(3), the date before which there must have been significant disturbance for purposes of mineral extraction is January 26, 1977.

(b) An operator of a claim in one of these units seeking to enlarge an existing excavation or otherwise disturb the surface for purposes of mineral exploration or development shall file with the Superintendent an application stating his need to disturb additional surface in order to maintain production at an annual rate not to exceed an average annual production level of said operations for the three calendar years 1973, 1974, and 1975. Accompanying the application shall be a plan of operations which complies with § 9.9 and verified copies of production records for the years 1973, 1974, and 1975.

(c) If the Regional Director finds that the submitted plan of operations complies with § 9.9, that enlargement of the existing excavation of an individual mining operation is necessary in order to make feasible continued production therefrom at an annual rate not to exceed the average annual production level of said operation for the three calendar years 1973, 1974, and 1975, and that the plan of operations meets the applicable standard of approval of § 9.10(a)(1), he shall issue a permit allowing the disturbance of the surface of the lands contiguous to the existing excavation to the minimum extent necessary to effect such enlargement. For the purpose of this section “lands contiguous to the existing excavation” shall include land which actually adjoins the existing excavation or which could logically become an extension of the excavation; for example, drilling to determine the extent and direction to which the existing excavation should be extended may be permitted at a site which does not actually adjoin the excavating.

(d) The appropriate reclamation standard to be applied will be determined by the nature of the claim. (See §§ 9.11(a)(1) and (a)(2).)

(e) Operations conducted under a permit pursuant to this section shall be subject to all the limitations imposed by this part.

(f) For the purposes of this section, each separate mining excavation shall be treated as an individual mining operation.

(a) Any unpatented mining claim in a unit in existence on September 28, 1976, which was not recorded on or before September 28, 1977, in accordance with the Notice of October 20, 1976 (41 FR 46357) or 36 CFR 9.5 as promulgated on January 26, 1977, is, pursuant to section 8 of the Act, conclusively presumed to be abandoned and shall be void.

(b) Any unpatented mining claim in a unit established after September 28, 1976, or in an area added to an existing unit after that date, shall be recorded with the Bureau of Land Management in accordance with the provisions of section 314 of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA), 90 Stat. 2769, 43 U.S.C. 1744,and.1).

(c) A claimant of an unpatented mining claim in any unit must file annually with the Bureau of Land Management a notice of intention to hold a claim or evidence of annual assessment work required by section 314 of FLPMA, as implemented by 43 CFR 3833.2. A copy of each such filing will be provided to the Superintendent of the appropriate unit by the Bureau of Land Management.

(d) The effect of failure to file the instruments required by paragraphs (b) and (c) of this section shall be controlled by 43 CFR 3833.4. Recordation or filing under this section shall not render any claim valid which would not otherwise be valid under applicable law and shall not give the claimant any rights to which he is not otherwise entitled by law.

(a) Whenever a claimant who has recorded his unpatented claim(s) with the Superintendent pursuant to the requirements of § 9.5 sells, assigns, bequeaths, or otherwise conveys all or any part of his interest in his claim(s), the Superintendent shall be notified within 60 days after completion of the transfer of: The name of the claim(s) involved; the name and legal address of the person to whom an interest has been sold, assigned, bequeathed, or otherwise transferred; and a description of the interest conveyed or received. Copies of the transfer documents will be provided by the Superintendent to the Bureau of Land Management. Failure to so notify the Superintendent shall render any existing access permit void.

(b) If the transfer occurs within the period of 12 months from the effective date of the Act and the prior owner has not recorded the unpatented claim with the Superintendent in accordance with these regulations, the holder by transfer shall have the remainder of the 12-month period to record the unpatented claim. Failure to record shall be governed by the provisions of § 9.5(c).

(a) An access permit and approved plan of operations must be obtained by a claimant prior to the performance of any assessment work required by Revised Statute 2324 (30 U.S.C. 28) on a claim in a unit.

(b) Permits will be issued in accordance with the following:

(1) In units subject to the surface disturbance moratorium of section 4 of the Act and § 9.4, no access permits will be granted for the purpose of performing assessment work.

(2) It has been determined that in all other units the Secretary will not challenge the validity of any unpatented claim within a unit for the failure to do assessment work during or after the assessment year commencing September 1, 1976. The Secretary expressly reserves, however, the existing right to contest claims for failure to do such work in the past. No access permits will be granted solely for the purpose of performing assessment work in these units except where claimant establishes the legal necessity for such permit in order to perform work necessary to take the claim to patent, and has filed and had approved a plan of operations as provided by these regulations. (For exploratory or development type work, see § 9.9.)

(a) No operator may use for operations any water from a point of diversion which is within the boundaries of any unit unless authorized in writing by the Regional Director. The Regional Director shall not approve a plan of operations requiring the use of water from such source unless the right to the water has been perfected under applicable State law, has a priority date prior to the establishment of the unit and there has been a continued beneficial use of that water right.

(b) If an operator whose operations will require the use of water from a point of diversion within the boundaries of the unit can show that he has a perfected State water right junior to the reserved water right of the United States and can demonstrate that the exercise of that State water right will not diminish the Federal right, which is that amount of water necessary for the purposes for which the unit was established, he will be authorized to use water from that source for operations, if he has complied with all other provisions of these regulations.

(a) No operations shall be conducted within any unit until a plan of operations has been submitted by the operator to the Superintendent and approved by the Regional Director. All operations within any unit shall be conducted in accordance with an approved plan of operations.

(b) The proposed plan of operations shall relate, as appropriate, to the proposed operations (e.g. exploratory, developmental or extraction work) and shall include but is not limited to:

(1) The names and legal addresses of the following persons: The operator, the claimant if he is not the operator, and any lessee, assignee, or designee thereof;

(2) A map or maps showing the proposed area of operations; existing roads or proposed routes to and from the area of operations; areas of proposed mining; location and description of surface facilities, including dumps;

(3) A description of the mode of transport and major equipment to be used in the operations;

(4) A description of the proposed operations and an estimated timetable for each phase of operations and the completion of operations;

(5) The nature and extent of the known deposit to be mined. When the claim is located in a National Monument in Alaska and is unpatented, a completed Supplemental Claim Information Statement shall be submitted describing the quantity, quality, and any previous production of the deposit;

(6) A mining reclamation plan demonstrating compliance with the requirements of § 9.11;

(7) All steps taken to comply with any applicable Federal, State, and local laws or regulations, including the applicable regulations in 36 CFR, chapter I;

(8) In units subject to the surface disturbance moratorium of section 4 of the Act and § 9.4, proof satisfactory to the Regional Director that the surface of the area on which the operation is to occur was significantly disturbed for purposes of mineral extraction prior to February 29, 1976, or if the area was not so disturbed, proof, including production records for the years 1973, 1974, and 1975, that new disturbance is necessary to maintain an average annual rate of production not to exceed that of the years 1973, 1974, and 1975;

(9) An environmental report analyzing the following:

(i) The environment to be affected by the operations,

(ii) The impacts of the operations on the unit's environment,

(iii) Steps to be taken to insure minimum surface disturbance,

(iv) Methods for disposal of all rubbish and other solid and liquid wastes,

(v) Alternative methods of extraction and the environmental effects of each,

(vi) The impacts of the steps to be taken to comply with the reclamation plan, and

(10) Any additional information that is required to enable the Regional Director to effectively analyze the effects that the operations will have on the preservation, management and public use of the unit, and to make a decision regarding approval or disapproval of the plan of operations and issuance or denial of the access permit.

(c) In all cases the plan must consider and discuss the unit's Statement for Management and other planning documents, and activities to control, minimize or prevent damage to the recreational, biological, scientific, cultural, and scenic resources of the unit.

(d) Any person conducting operations on January 26, 1977, shall be required to submit a plan of operations to the Superintendent. If otherwise authorized, operations in progress on January 26, 1977, may continue for 120 days from that date without having an approved plan. After 120 days from January 26, 1977, no such operations shall be conducted without a plan approved by the Regional Director, unless access is extended under the existing permit by the Regional Director. (See § 9.10(g).)

(a) The Regional Director shall not approve a plan of operations:

(1) For existing or new operations if the claim was patented without surface use restriction, where the operations would constitute a nuisance in the vicinity of the operation, or would significantly injure or adversely affect federally owned lands; or

(2) For operations which had not significantly disturbed the surface of the claim for purposes of mineral extraction prior to January 26, 1977, if the claim has not been patented, or if the patent is subject to surface use restrictions, where the operations would preclude management for the purpose of preserving the pristine beauty of the unit for present and future generations, or would adversely affect or significantly injure the ecological or cultural resources of the unit. No new surface mining will be permitted under this paragraph except under this standard; or

(3) For operations which had significantly disturbed the surface of the claim for purposes of mineral extraction prior to January 26, 1977, if the claim has not been taken to patent, or the patent is subject to surface use restrictions, where the operations would constitute a nuisance in the vicinity of the operation, or would significantly injure or adversely affect federally owned lands. Provided, however, operations under this paragraph shall be limited by the provisions of § 9.4, notwithstanding the limitation of that section's applicability to the three enumerated units;

(4) Where the claim, regardless of when it was located, has not been patented and the operations would result in the destruction of surface resources, such as trees, vegetation, soil, water resources, or loss of wildlife habitat, not required for development of the claim; or

(5) Where the operations would constitute a violation of the surface disturbance moratorium of section 4 of the Act; or

(6) Where the plan does not satisfy each of the requirements of § 9.9.

(b) Within 60 days of the receipt of a proposed plan of operations, the Regional Director shall make an environmental analysis of such plan, and

(1) Notify the operator that he has approved or rejected the plan of operations; or

(2) Notify the operator of any changes in, or additions to the plan of operations which are necessary before such plan will be approved; or

(3) Notify the operator that the plan is being reviewed, but that more time, not to exceed an additional 30 days, is necessary to complete such review, and setting forth the reasons why additional time is required; Provided, however, That days during which the area of operations is inaccessible for such reasons as inclement weather, natural catastrophy, etc., for inspection shall not be included when computing either this time period, or that in paragraph (b) of this section; or

(4) Notify the operator that the plan cannot be considered for approval until forty-five (45) days after a final environmental impact statement, if required, has been prepared and filed with the Council on Environmental Quality.

(c) Failure of the Regional Director to act on a proposed plan of operations and related permits within the time period specified shall constitute an approval of the plan and related permits for a period of three (3) years.

(d) The Regional Director's analysis may include:

(1) An examination of the environmental report filed by the operator;

(2) An evaluation of measures and timing required to comply with reclamation requirements;

(3) An evaluation of necessary conditions and amount of the bond or security deposit to cover estimated reclamation costs;

(4) An evaluation of the need for any additional requirements in access permit; and

(5) A determination regarding the impact of this operation and the cumulative impact of all operations on the management of the unit.

(e) Prior to approval of a plan of operations, the Regional Director shall determine whether any properties included in, or eligible for inclusion in, the National Register of Historic Places or National Registry of Natural Landmarks may be affected by the proposed activity. This determination will require the acquisition of adequate information, such as that resulting from field surveys, in order to properly determine the presence of and significance of cultural resources within the area to be affected by mining operations. Whenever National Register properties or properties eligible for inclusion in the National Register would be affected by mining operations, the Regional Director shall comply with section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 as implemented by 36 CFR part 800.

(1) The operator shall not injure, alter, destroy, or collect any site, structure, object, or other value of historical, archeological, or other cultural scientific importance. Failure to comply with this requirement shall constitute a violation of the Antiquities Act (16 U.S.C. 431-433) (see 43 CFR part 3).

(2) The operator shall immediately bring to the attention of the Superintendent any cultural and/or scientific resource that might be altered or destroyed by his operation and shall leave such discovery intact until told to proceed by the Superintendent. The Superintendent will evaluate the discoveries brought to his attention, and will determine within ten (10) working days what action will be taken with respect to such discoveries.

(3) The responsibility for, and cost of investigations and salvage of such values that are discovered during operations will be that of the operator, where the claim is unpatented.

(f) The operator shall protect all survey monuments, witness corners, reference monuments and bearing trees against destruction, obliteration, or damage from mining operations, and shall be responsible for the reestablishment, restoration, or referencing of any monuments, corners and bearing trees which are destroyed, obliterated, or damaged by such mining operations.

(g) Pending approval of the plan of operations, the Regional Director may approve, on a temporary basis, the continuation of existing operations if necessary to enable timely compliance with these regulations and with Federal, State, or local laws, or if a halt to existing operations would result in an unreasonable economic burden or injury to the operator. Such work must be conducted in accordance with all applicable laws, and in a manner prescribed by the Regional Director and designed to minimize or prevent significant environmental effects.

(h) Approval of each plan of operations is expressly conditioned upon the Superintendent having such reasonable access to the claim as is necessary to properly monitor and insure compliance with the plan of operations.

(a) As contemporaneously as possible with the operations, but in no case later than six (6) months after completion of operations and within the time specified in an approved mining reclamation plan, unless a longer period is authorized in writing by the Regional Director, each operator shall initiate reclamation as follows:

(1) Where the claim was patented without surface use restriction, the operator shall at a minimum:

(i) Remove all above ground structures, equipment, and other manmade debris used for operations; and

(ii) Rehabilitate the area of operations to a condition which would not constitute a nuisance; or would not adversely affect, injure or damage, federally owned lands.

(2) On any claim which was patented with surface use restrictions or is unpatented, each operator must take steps to restore natural conditions and processes, which steps shall include, but are not limited to:

(i) Removing all above ground structures, equipment and other manmade debris;

(ii) Providing for the prevention of surface subsidence;

(iii) Replacing overburden and spoil, wherever economically and technologically practicable;

(iv) Grading to reasonably conform the contour of the area of operations to a contour similar to that which existed prior to the initiation of operations, where such grading will not jeopardize reclamation;

(v) Replacing the natural topsoil necessary for vegetative restoration; and

(vi) Reestablishing native vegetative communities.

(b) Reclamation under paragraph (a)(2) of this section is unacceptable unless it provides for the safe movement of native wildlife, the reestablishment of native vegetative communities, the normal flow of surface and reasonable flow of subsurface waters, the return of the area to a condition which does not jeopardize visitor safety or public use of the unit, and return of the area to a condition equivalent to its pristine beauty.

(c) Reclamation required by this section shall apply to operations authorized under this part, except that all terms relating to reclamation of previously issued special use permits revoked by this part for operations to be continued under an approved plan of operations shall be incorporated into the operator's reclamation plans.

(a) An approved plan of operations may require reasonable revision or supplementation to adjust the plan to changed conditions or to correct oversights.

(1) The Regional Director may initiate an alteration by notifying the operator in writing of the proposed alteration and the justification therefor. The operator shall have thirty (30) days to comment on the proposal.

(2) The operator may initiate an alteration by submitting to the Superintendent a written statement of the proposal, and the justification therefor.

(b) Any proposal initiated under paragraph (a) of this section by either party shall be reviewed and decided by the Regional Director in accordance with § 9.10. Where the operator believes he has been aggrieved by a decision under this paragraph, he may appeal the decision pursuant to § 9.14.

(a) Upon approval of a plan of operations the operator shall be required to file a suitable performance bond with satisfactory surety, payable to the Secretary or his designee. The bond shall be conditioned upon faithful compliance with applicable regulations, the terms and conditions of the permit, lease, or contract, and the plan of operations as approved, revised or supplemented.

(b) In lieu of a performance bond, an operator may elect to deposit with the Secretary, or his designee, cash or negotiable bonds of the U.S. Government. The cash deposit or the market value of such securities shall be at least equal to the required sum of the bond.

(c) The bond or security deposit shall be in an amount equal to the estimated cost of completion of reclamation requirements either in their entirety or in a phased schedule for their completion as set forth in the approved, supplemented or revised plan of operations.

(d) In the event that an approved plan of operations is revised or supplemented in accordance with § 9.12, the Superintendent may adjust the amount of the bond or security deposit to conform to the plan of operations as modified.

(e) The operator's and his surety's responsibility and liability under the bond or security deposit shall continue until such time as the Superintendent determines that successful reclamation of the area of operations has occurred.

(f) When all required reclamation requirements of an approved plan of operations are completed, the Superintendent shall notify the operator that performance under the bond or security deposit has been completed and that it is released.

(a) Any operator aggrieved by a decision of the Regional Director in connection with the regulations in this part may file with the Regional Director a written statement setting forth in detail the respects in which the decision is contrary to, or in conflict with, the facts, the law, these regulations, or is otherwise in error. No such appeal will be considered unless it is filed with the Regional Director within thirty (30) days after the date of notification to the operator of the action or decision complained of. Upon receipt of such written statement from the aggrieved operator, the Regional Director shall promptly review the action or decision and either reverse his original decision or prepare his own statement, explaining that decision and the reasons therefor, and forward the statement and record on appeal to the Director, National Park Service, for review and decision. Copies of the Regional Director's statement shall be furnished to the aggrieved operator, who shall have 20 days within which to file exceptions to the Regional Director's decision. The Department has the discretion to initiate a hearing before the Office of Hearing and Appeals in a particular case. (See 43 CFR 4.700.)

(b) The official files of the National Park Service on the proposed plan of operations and any testimony and documents submitted by the parties on which the decision of the Regional Director was based shall constitute the record on appeal. The Regional Director shall maintain the record under separate cover and shall certify that it is the record on which his decision was based at the time it is forwarded to the Director of the National Park Service. The National Park Service shall make the record available to the operator upon request.

(c) If the Director considers the record inadequate to support the decision on appeal, he may provide for the production of such additional evidence or information as may be appropriate, or may remand the case to the Regional Director, with appropriate instructions for further action.

(d) On or before the expiration of forty-five (45) days after his receipt of the exceptions to the Regional Director's decision, the Director shall make his decision in writing; Provided, however, That if more than forty-five (45) days are required for a decision after the exceptions are received, the Director shall notify the parties to the appeal and specify the reason(s) for delay. The decision of the Director shall include (1) a statement of facts, (2) conclusions, and (3) reasons upon which the conclusions are based. The decision of the Director shall be the final administrative action of the agency on a proposed plan of operations.

(e) A decision of the Regional Director from which an appeal is taken shall not be automatically stayed by the filing of a statement of appeal. A request for a stay may accompany the statement of appeal or may be directed to the Director. The Director shall promptly rule on requests for stays. A decision of the Director on request for a stay shall constitute a final administrative decision.

(a) After January 26, 1977, no commercial vehicle shall use roads administered by the National Park Service without first being registered with the Superintendent.

(1) A fee shall be charged for such registration based upon a posted fee schedule, computed on a ton-mile basis. The fee schedule posted shall be subject to change upon 60 days notice.

(2) An adjustment of the fee may be made at the discretion of the Superintendent where a cooperative maintenance agreement is entered into with the operator.

(b) No commercial vehicle which exceeds roadway load limits specified by the Superintendent shall be used on roads administered by the National Park Service unless authorized by written permit from the Superintendent.

(c) Should a commercial vehicle used in operations cause damage to roads or other facilities of the National Park Service, the operator shall be liable for all damages so caused.

Undertaking any operation within the boundaries of any unit in violation of this part shall be deemed a trespass against the United States, and the penalty provisions of 36 CFR part 1 are inapplicable to this part.

(a) Upon receipt of the plan of operations the Superintendent shall publish a notice in the Federal Register advising the availability of the plan for public review.

(b) Any document required to be submitted pursuant to the regulations in this part shall be made available for public inspection at the Office of Superintendent during normal business hours. The availability of such records for inspection shall be governed by the rules and regulations found at 43 CFR part 2.

(a) The regulations in 43 CFR 3826.2-5 and 3826.2-6, 3826.4-1(g) and 3826.4-1(h), and 3826.5-3 and 3826.5-4 will apply to any claimant who wishes to take his claim to patent in Olympic National Park, Glacier Bay National Monument or Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument.

(b) The additional provisions of 43 CFR subpart 3826 and 36 CFR 7.26 and 7.45(a) will continue to apply to existing permits until 120 days after January 26, 1977, unless extended by the Regional Director. (See § 9.10(g).