ABSTRACT

Originally published in 1987, John D. Leshy presents this scholarly study of the 1872 Mining Law as a legal treatise and history of mining in the West from the point of view of mineral exploration and production. This mining law governed the United States mining practice yet had never been changed. The Mining Law attempts to highlight the role of policy and government as well as the more obscure elements of the law which complicated mining practice in the eighties. This title will be of interest to students of Environmental Studies and policy makers.

chapter 1|8 pages

Introduction

chapter 2|8 pages

Origins

chapter 3|7 pages

The Mining Law: An Overview

chapter 4|24 pages

Free Access: A History of Its Decline

chapter 7|32 pages

Evolution of the Law of Discovery

chapter 11|14 pages

The Special Problem of Wilderness

chapter 14|26 pages

Reforming the Mining Law: A Brief History

chapter 17|24 pages

The Mining Law Today: Prospects for Change