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Mill site

A specific area of public land needed by a mining operation for activities like waste disposal (e.g., waste rock or tailings) or other supporting tasks related to mineral development, but not for directly extracting minerals.

Hardrock mining

Mining that extracts metallic minerals (like gold, silver, copper) or non-metallic minerals (like gypsum, asbestos) from solid rock, often using underground or open-pit methods, distinct from coal or oil and gas extraction.

Plan of operations

A detailed proposal submitted by a mining company to a federal agency (like the Department of the Interior or Agriculture) that describes how they plan to conduct their mining activities, which must be approved before work can begin.

Public land

Land owned by the United States government that is open for various uses, including certain types of mineral development, according to federal laws.

Lode or placer claim

A type of legal claim made by an individual or company on public land to gain the right to explore for and extract valuable minerals. 'Lode' refers to minerals in veins within rock, while 'placer' refers to loose minerals in gravel or sand.

Patent

In the context of mining, a legal process where a claimant can gain full private ownership of public land that was originally subject to a mining claim, by demonstrating a valuable mineral discovery and meeting other requirements.