About Our Program

The BLM Colorado solid minerals program consists of locatable minerals, solid leasable minerals, and mineral materials.

Rockhounding and recreational gold panning are generally considered recreational activities. Colorado's Locatable Minerals program has 10,380 active mining claims, 31 authorized mining plans of operations, and 33 authorized exploration notices for gold, silver, uranium, and other uncommon minerals.

Federal Unpatented Mining Claims or Sites are located to extract federally owned locatable minerals. The surface management agency is different depending on the location of the mineral deposit.   

Colorado's Non-Energy Leasable Mineral Materials program has eight sodium leases and one oil shale research, development and demonstration lease. Colorado's Salable Mineral Materials program produced 346,406 cubic yards of mineral materials such as sand, gravel, and stone with a value of $370,856 in fiscal year 2015.

For forms and information about mining in a specific Colorado field office, please click on the tabs below.