ooh, ooh, oooh - I can answer that one -but you may not like it.
From the BLM site:
Mineral Material Sales
How to Obtain Sand, Gravel and other Mineral Materials from BLM Administered Federal Lands
The Department of the Interior's, Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is a multiple-use land management agency responsible for administering 270 million acres of public land located in the Western United States, including Alaska. The BLM manages many resource programs such as minerals, forestry, wilderness, recreation, fish and wildlife, wild horses and burros, archaeology, and rangeland.
This article provides general information on the mineral materials program. Mineral materials include common varieties of sand, stone, gravel, pumice, pumicite, clay, rock, and petrified wood. The major Federal law governing mineral materials is the Materials Act of 1947 (July 31, 1947), as amended (30 U.S. Code 601 et seq.). This law authorizes the BLM to sell mineral materials at fair market value and to grant free use permits for mineral materials to Government agencies. It also allows the BLM to issue free use permits for a limited amount of material to nonprofit organizations.
The code:
The Secretary, under such rules and regulations as he may
prescribe, may dispose of mineral materials (including but not
limited to common varieties of the following: sand, stone, gravel,
pumice, pumicite, cinders, and clay) and vegetative materials
(including but not limited to yucca, manzanita, mesquite, cactus,
and timber or other forest products) on public lands of the United
States, including, for the purposes of this subchapter, land
described in subchapter V of chapter 28 of title 43, if the
disposal of such mineral or vegetative materials (1) is not
otherwise expressly authorized by law, including, but not limited
to, subchapter I of chapter 8A of title 43, and the United States
mining laws, and (2) is not expressly prohibited by laws of the
United States, and (3) would not be detrimental to the public
interest. Such materials may be disposed of only in accordance with
the provisions of this subchapter and upon the payment of adequate
compensation therefor, to be determined by the Secretary: Provided,
however, That, to the extent not otherwise authorized by law, the
Secretary is authorized in his discretion to permit any Federal,
State, or Territorial agency, unit or subdivision, including
municipalities, or any association or corporation not organized for
profit, to take and remove, without charge, materials and resources
subject to this subchapter, for use other than for commercial or
industrial purposes or resale. Where the lands have been withdrawn
in aid of a function of a Federal department or agency other than
the department headed by the Secretary or of a State, Territory,
county, municipality, water district or other local governmental
subdivision or agency, the Secretary may make disposals under this
subchapter only with the consent of such other Federal department
or agency or of such State, Territory, or local governmental unit.
Nothing in this subchapter shall be construed to apply to lands in
any national park, or national monument or to any Indian lands, or
lands set aside or held for the use or benefit of Indians,
including lands over which jurisdiction has been transferred to the
Department of the Interior by Executive order for the use of
Indians. As used in this subchapter, the word "Secretary" means the
Secretary of the Interior except that it means the Secretary of
Agriculture where the lands involved are administered by him for
national forest purposes or for the purposes of title III of the
Bankhead-Jones Farm Tenant Act [7 U.S.C. 1010 et seq.] or where
withdrawn for the purpose of any other function of the Department
of Agriculture.
Do you see the "treasure" in that law?
Beth
