For thousands of years, humans have been mining resources for one reason or another. To begin with, it was simply to produce rocks for buildings and fortifications. Eventually, though, humans began to discover that the ground contained various metals and minerals, such as gold and various ores. As these resources became more popular, small scale mines started to appear all over the place. Take the gold rush in the western US in the 1800’s, thousands of people from around the world flocked to the area to lay claim to locations where they would mine. Towns like Rhyolite, near Death Valley, sprung up almost overnight.
Although most people think of mining as being something done by big industry, in reality, it is the small mines that supply a decent percentage of the resources that we all use on a daily basis. Anyone can open up a mine, but it has to be remembered that someone likely owns the land. So, before even putting a shovel in the ground, it is essential to have permission to start mining, whether it will be a tunnel or open cast. There are two ways that define the permission to be able to mine. They are known as patented mining claims, and unpatented mining claimswich are available at MinesInvest.com.
Each of these have their own advantages and disadvantages. When it comes to unpatented mining claims, one of the major downsides is that the area that will be mined is only leased from the owner, and this means that no solid structures are usually allowed. In simple terms, this means that no fixed building can be built. This is why unpatented mining claims are usually littered with the likes of tents and mobile homes. Sometimes,there may be buildings already on the land or nearby, and it may be possible to lease these from the landowner, this can make life and work at the mine much more pleasant. One major benefit of this type of mine is that the landowner is responsible for public liability.
Patented mining claims means that the land on which the mining will take place is owned by the claim holder, and therefore they can do whatever they like on the claim. This can include the building of solid structures and roads. It also means that the mine owner takes all the profit from any resources that come out of the ground, unlike an unpatented one, were a percentage may go to the landowner. The claim owner is responsible for all public and employee liability, and therefore they need not only full insurance cover, but the site must be fenced off and made as safe as possible.
From an environmental point of view, patented mine owner is responsible for keeping the mine clean, and keeping anyenvironmental impact to a minimum. It also means that when the mine closes, it is cleaned up and made safe. For those people who are looking to start out in mining, then the best option is usually an unpatented mining claim.
