Prospectors Research Tools

[Clay Diggins]

Prospector's Research Tools

I haven't been around much this summer and with the desert prospecting season just starting it's a good time to show off what I did this long hot summer. I have been working with a few friends on a new non-profit organization to give you a single place for all your land research.

The result is MyLandMatters.Org. This is the gateway to your land information repository. Maps, books, tutorials, community resources and quality, easy-to-access information about the land around you.

No ads, No memberships, No log-in required.

This past spring while sitting around with some friends we came to the conclusion that most of the important and useful things that we want to know about the land around us was difficult to locate and tough to understand. Despite the many sources of information there was no single place to find the information available.

We decided we could do something about that. We agreed to put our time and energy into creating a single place that anyone could find the answers to questions about the land.

It's a big project. It has taken a lot of work, learning and resources to get things started. But after six months of long days, and more than a few nights, the Land Matters repository is ready for you to use.

Land Matters is all about the land. You can find Land Status Maps, Active Mining Claims Maps (with live direct links into the current LR2000 claims database), A great collection of mining books, Land Laws, Geology books and maps, Forest Travel Plans and a whole lot more.

Land Matters is for land users. Our collections are guided by community input. That's you. Let us know what kind of material you would like to find in our Library or a particular map you would like to see. Help us build Land Matters to best serve the community.

We've already got a lot of things that prospectors have been asking for - the claims maps alone were almost universally requested. Land Matters isn't just for prospectors and miners. But you can help prioritize our efforts and drive the content of Land Matters. Prospectors now have a unique opportunity to help guide and build an information resource designed by prospectors and for prospectors.

We are just getting started filling the Library but there will be hundreds of books, maps and items added in the next few weeks. We've even got a Newsletter so you can get regular updates about new additions to the Land Matters repository.

Check it out and let me know what you think. Here are a few good places to start:

Tutorials - the current focus is on understanding Land Status.
Maps - We all like maps and we've got some you will love.
Library - search for something.

Heavy Pans
Barry & Leigh

 

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[goldenIrishman]

Hey Clay,

Before I head out Sunday to start my big adventure, I wanted to thank you and the rest of the land matters team for all that you've done for not only myself but everyone else. Without the resources you've made available to all of us, I'd have been hard pressed to be as far along as I am. So thank you all and please keep up the great work!!!

 

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[BurntBear]

Thank YOU for everything!

Caution:

Use of LandMatters maps can cause bewildered looks of astonishment from other prospectors...

 

[Clay Diggins]

Hey Clay,

Before I head out Sunday to start my big adventure, I wanted to thank you and the rest of the land matters team for all that you've done for not only myself but everyone else. Without the resources you've made available to all of us, I'd have been hard pressed to be as far along as I am. So thank you all and please keep up the great work!!!

You are welcome Jeff. We are wishing you well on your new adventure, go get some gold, our thoughts are with you.

We're going to miss your feedback and support. You've been an asset to the Land Matters team since the beginning. I hope you can catch a connection once in a while and keep us updated on your new life.

Heavy Pans and Happy Trails

Barry

 

[goldenIrishman]

LOL. You don't really think you're getting rid of me that easy do you? I upgraded to a smart phone and will be able to access the web with it. Just keeping my fingers crossed that I can get signal in that area.

 

[Clay Diggins]

Historical Coastal Survey Topos!

Yep we've just added another 7,776 new Topo maps. That brings the total of Topo Maps to 283,642!

These are the Historical Coastal Surveys. As the name suggests these are old topo maps made of the coastal area.

Although these are only useful in a few areas for gold prospectors they should be a big help to all those treasure hunters out there. Many of these maps go back as far as 1880! If you live near the coast you will really want to check out all the changes. Many of these show every little shack and dirt road and they are a lot more accurate than other old maps.

Just like the other Topo Maps you can download these maps with just a few clicks on the Topo Search Map at Land Matters.

Heavy Pans

 

[Clay Diggins]

Connecticut, Delaware and Florida Geology Maps!

As promised there are three new additions to the State Geology Maps collection.

The Connecticut, Delaware and Florida Geology Maps are just the beginning. We've still got a bunch more States to add and many of them will be ready this week.

We've got lot's of new additions to both the Land Matters Maps and Library sections coming up soon.

Heavy Pans

 

[Clay Diggins]

Mining Claims Maps UPdated!

All of the Land Matters BLM LR2000 Mining Claims Maps have been updated! Claims displayed are current as of March 18th 2015.

We built a completely new database for these claims maps over the last month. They will be much faster to display and query. The huge Nevada Claims map is now displaying more than 5 times faster. Thanks to Chris Ralph for the suggestion!

More new maps coming up this weekend.

Heavy Pans

 

[okbasspro]

Who hoo mine showed up thanx to Clay and LANDMATTERS I have a rare dredging claim in Az thanx Clay

 

[Clay Diggins]

You are welcome okbasspro. You are right about dredging claims being rare in the desert.
I'm hoping to see some good gold from your dredging this fall.

Jeff has been a big supporter of Land Matters he's also the sponsor of the Oklahoma Geology Map.

We could use a lot more supporters like Jeff. Land Matters is still struggling to meet their funding goals but we keep bringing you more resources in large part thanks to our many supporters like Jeff.

Several members of TNet have become regular contributors to Land Matters and a few members have also been donating their time and talents to doing research for upcoming projects. I'm reluctant to name any names here because we keep all donor information private but our TNet map sponsors are public and I'd like to thank a few of them here for their support.

Our newest sponsor from TNet is Steve Herschbach. Many of you know him for his years of honest and knowledgeable metal detector evaluations and reviews. He's a really nice guy to boot. We are proud that Steve has sponsored the United States Land Management Map.

Our own BurntBear, Luke from Tennessee, is the sponsor of the Tennessee Geology Map and prospects for gold and gems. Check out the link to his One Time Collectables at the top of that map and see some of the beautiful gems he discovers in his travels. As a long time gem hunter myself I'm always fascinated to see the beautiful gems that come from that area. Thanks Luke!

Donations are great and they help pay the bills at Land Matters. Donations of any size are very much appreciated, each dollar helps add to the growing collection at Land Matters. We've got several projects being assembled that could really use your support right now. Please consider what you can do to help support Land Matters.

Heavy Pans

 

[Clay Diggins]

More State Geology Maps!

Next up we've finished the Land Matters State Geology base maps for:

• Iowa
  [*]Illinois
  [*]Indiana
  [*]Kansas
  [*]Nebraska

That's looking distinctly mid-western isn't it?

There are several more State Geology Maps coming soon. I'm hoping to get all of the states ready by the end of the month so if your state is missing you should see it soon.

Heavy Pans

 

[Clay Diggins]

Wisconsin State Geology Map!

The Wisconsin Geology Map is now available from Land Matters.

Let us know what you would like to see next. Contact Land Matters

More Geology coming soon and...

Heavy Pans

 

[Bejay]

I don't think anyone can disclaim the huge amount of information being provided on Land Matters. The amount of effort and work by Barry and his wife can not be overstated. I simply can't believe it has not hit the $3,000.00 contribution mark. If someone would have told me we would still be seeking the $3,000.00 goal I would have countered with "no way". It is the 1st of the month and April Fools Day. If I may be so bold to say "Lets Quit Foolin Around" and hit that goal. It doesn't take much from each user to get there: The number of visits to Land Matters are astonishing. But more astonishing is the lack of monetary contributor support. If users simply gave $5.00 each we would have endless funds at this point.

There is absolutely no reason to go out and buy a claim. All the info is provided on Land Matters to make discovery and locate ones own claim. If you can find it within your ability to help reach the $$$ goal please do. Lets get er done. A BIG thanks to all who have given, and please help spread the word. Thank You So Much.

Bejay

 

[SLNugget]

I agree with Bejay about being shocked the donation goal has not been reached yet. Come on guys and gals give up your latte's for one day and donate the funds saved to MyLandsMatter. There is a wealth of information provided on the site and well worth making a donation.

I somewhat disagree with his statement about there being no reason to go out and buy a claim. But I will leave that polarizing discussion for another time and place.

 

[fowledup]

Done deal, chip in folks this is without a doubt the most valuble prospecting tool on the web. Buy another pan later and support these guys, it is a resource we don't wan't to lose. Thank you L, B, and B, you have yet to be unable to answer a question or query!

 

[Bejay]

I agree with Bejay about being shocked the donation goal has not been reached yet. Come on guys and gals give up your latte's for one day and donate the funds saved to MyLandsMatter. There is a wealth of information provided on the site and well worth making a donation.

I somewhat disagree with his statement about there being no reason to go out and buy a claim. But I will leave that polarizing discussion for another time and place.

I have many claims that I located after researching the old way (courthouse records) and then making discovery. But the reason I said that about buying a claim is that I got on Land Matters a number of times lately and I could use it to locate well over 70 claims. I have found USFS and BLM lands that are wide open for discovery and location. Heck I found miles upon miles of a major gold bearing river, that I thought was private timber land, but is USFS administered land. On top of that all the info; as to how to lay out a claim, and do ALL the paperwork/filings/fees is on Land Matters as well.

Plus the Geology Maps will take you to highly mineralized zones. I don't need any more claims but I can easily locate and make discovery all over the place. I guess if I wanted a proved up claim I would be interested in buying one, but a discovery with potential of good things to come are/is all over the place.

A mining friend of mine was working a major river in Oregon and was getting an oz of nuggets a week dredging part time. Yet he did not know who owned the river banks and adjacent land. He went to the State Hwy Dept and asked if they mind if he dredged alongside the road. Someone there voiced up "WE DON'T CARE" so he started dredging. Low and behold when searching the location on Land Matters I found that it was USFS admin land open to mineral entry. I can do this kind of stuff all day long on Land Matters. Many, many instances of finding good claimable land.

Guess I fail to NOT Understand. But we can start another thread and discuss this in great depth. But if you are in Az you need Barry's "Footprint" Claim mapping program. If that don't hit the bulls eye then nothing will.

Bejay

 

[AzViper]

BeJay funds sent. Although I am not getting out to prospect like I would like but Land Matters is a huge tool for everyone to use. Everyone think how many $$$ you waste in a month eating out, buying something you really don't need, etc. I am not in the forums as much as I use too due to personal and family issues but we can all donate $5, $10, $20 or more to help offset the cost of maintaining this HUGE DATABASE. Most if not all have a PayPal account with funds in it waiting for you to spend the money. PayPal is using these funds to invest just like any other bank, why let PayPal invest your funds when you can invest in something that is of GREAT use. Take a few minutes and release some of your PayPal funds, I just DID, how about YOU... Keith

 

[Asmbandits]

Clay, I have a question for ya or anyone else who may be able to help.. Im looking at a section that shows one placer claim, my issue is that the river only goes through about 20 acres of land in that section in the very SE quad, the claim is said to be in the SE quad, yet both the sections directly east and south show not to have any claims yet the claim is a 80 acre claim. The river only runs through about 20 acre of the corner so I know this claim if it is a 80 acre must run into the south and east sections following the river, did this person not file correctly and should have included all sections his claim is in when filing or can you just pick a section that the heart of the claim is in and use just that when filling? It irritates me as I have an area that I want to claim and have not seen a single claim notice or boundary marker anywhere yet somewhere right there is an 80 acre claim. Ive even talked to blm about the purposed area and was given the green light yet Im pretty sure this 80 acre claim has to be in the east and south section judging by its size and am thinking something about the way this person filled is being overlooked even by blm because of the way they filed. With no markers and a filling as such its almost like they could say there claim is wherever they want whenever they want, is this legitimate?

 

[fowledup]

Clay, I have a question for ya or anyone else who may be able to help.. Im looking at a section that shows one placer claim, my issue is that the river only goes through about 20 acres of land in that section in the very SE quad, the claim is said to be in the SE quad, yet both the sections directly east and south show not to have any claims yet the claim is a 80 acre claim. The river only runs through about 20 acre of the corner so I know this claim if it is a 80 acre must run into the south and east sections following the river, did this person not file correctly and should have included all sections his claim is in when filing or can you just pick a section that the heart of the claim is in and use just that when filling? It irritates me as I have an area that I want to claim and have not seen a single claim notice or boundary marker anywhere yet somewhere right there is an 80 acre claim. Ive even talked to blm about the purposed area and was given the green light yet Im pretty sure this 80 acre claim has to be in the east and south section judging by its size and am thinking something about the way this person filled is being overlooked even by blm because of the way they filed. With no markers and a filling as such its almost like they could say there claim is wherever they want whenever they want, is this legitimate?

I've seen it where the BLM lists the first section they see listed in the location filing and going no further listing the other sections the claim may touch. You'll see it only in the one section when you run the LR2000. You should be able to find out at the county by looking at the location filing. The fact that you don't see any filings in those others sections supports this.

 

[Clay Diggins]

Sorry I've been missing here. I've been doing the work it takes to make a living and the Land Matters stuff had to take a back seat for awhile.

I too have been surprised by the lack of support for Land Matters. We've got several strong supporters on TNet like AzViper, SLnugget, fowledup, Maitland, BurntBear, okbasspro, Bejay, delnorte and about a dozen other great folks. It's not just about money either, Chrisski has been doing some wonderful research work that will make some important information and maps possible in the near future. A big thank you to all the Land Matters supporters!

Despite a great group of supporters right here on TNet the numbers just don't add up. Last month was our busiest yet. Nearly a third of a million hits and 60 Gb of data were served. At any given time there are several people using the maps and library. Even at 2 am there are at least 4 people using the maps at the same time. We've got a lot of Land Matters users compared to the number of supporters.

As long as Land Matters has enough support to keep the servers online I'll be donating my time and money to bring more information to Land users. If we could just get a little bit more than what it takes to pay the bills we could bring you a lot more information. In an effort to bring you more information Land Matters is looking for enough funds for:

• Video software so we can create more tutorials. $100
• 4 more Terabytes of disk storage. (We've already maxed out the 4+ donated Terabytes we've got set aside for Land Matters) $180
• DVD master burner. $40
• A computer. Land Matters doesn't have it's own computer so it's been borrowing processing time from MinerDiggins computers. We just received a donation of a new 27" monitor (thanks Dylan!) but we need a computer to go with it. $650

If you can help out with a donation of money, equipment or time it would be greatly appreciated by myself, the folks at Land Matters and the million plus Land Matters users.

If you can't donate please feel free to continue to use Land Matters resources. The whole point of Land Matters is to give you free easy access to information about the land. Hopefully Land Matters will be there for future generations of Land users to rely on.

Heavy Pans
Barry

 

[Clay Diggins]

Clay, I have a question for ya or anyone else who may be able to help.. Im looking at a section that shows one placer claim, my issue is that the river only goes through about 20 acres of land in that section in the very SE quad, the claim is said to be in the SE quad, yet both the sections directly east and south show not to have any claims yet the claim is a 80 acre claim. The river only runs through about 20 acre of the corner so I know this claim if it is a 80 acre must run into the south and east sections following the river, did this person not file correctly and should have included all sections his claim is in when filing or can you just pick a section that the heart of the claim is in and use just that when filling? It irritates me as I have an area that I want to claim and have not seen a single claim notice or boundary marker anywhere yet somewhere right there is an 80 acre claim. Ive even talked to blm about the purposed area and was given the green light yet Im pretty sure this 80 acre claim has to be in the east and south section judging by its size and am thinking something about the way this person filled is being overlooked even by blm because of the way they filed. With no markers and a filling as such its almost like they could say there claim is wherever they want whenever they want, is this legitimate?

You are missing the most important piece Asmbandits. You need to get a copy of the original Location Notice and map from the County Recorders office. That should show where the 80 acres is located.

The BLM doesn't map claims nor do they care whether you claim over another valid claim. Any "green light" they give you is worth about the same as a "green light" from a random person on the street. The BLM is not responsible for the information they give you.

The Land Matters claim maps only show the nearest Section and the BLM LR2000 file notation only goes to the 1/4 Section. It's pretty unlikely you will find the corner markers by wandering around the 160 acres in that 1/4 section. The only real way to know where the claim is located is to get that copy of the Location Notice at the County Recorder's office.

As part of the information returned on the Land Matters map query there is a link to the County Recorder's office and, if supplied, the County book and page of the location notice. With that information, a phone call, and a few dollars you can usually have a copy of that Location Notice on it's way to your mailbox the same day.

Heavy Pans