*MINING CLAIM MAINTENANCE & ASSESSMENT WORK

The BLM may grant a temporary deferment of assessment work to owners of ten claims or less under certain conditions (see 43 CFR 3852. 1).

These conditions concern denial of legal access to a mining claim or other legal impediments.

The claimant must, therefore, initiate actions to gain access. Such a deferment may not exceed one year, but may be renewed for an additional year upon request.

There is no particular form for a petition for deferment of assessment work. The petition can be a letter to the BLM signed by at least one of the owners of the claim. It must fully explain the actions taken to initiate access and the legal obstacles preventing access.

A copy of the notice to the public recorded with the county must accompany the petition. The petition should include the BLM mining claim serial number(s) and the assessment year to be deferred.

County: Each State has its own deadline for filing an affidavit of assessment work or notice of intent to hold. Most States require filing within 30 to 90 days after the end of the assessment year (September 1).

Therefore, it is important to check the State requirements for filing periods in the State in which the claim(s) is located.