PORTLAND, Ore- Bureau of Land Management (BLM) officials remind mining claimants that annual maintenance fees are due on Thursday, September 1, 2022. The fee is required for claimants who hold unpatented mining claims or sites on Federal lands and wish to retain those claims on public lands through the 2023 assessment year. If a claimant is unable to pay the fee, they can file a Maintenance Fee Waiver Certification (Small Miner’s Waiver) by the same date. If the BLM does not receive a payment or waiver certification postmarked on or before Sept. 1, the mining claim will be declared forfeit and void.

A mining claim is a parcel of land for which the claimant has asserted a right of possession and the right to develop and extract a discovered, valuable, mineral deposit. This right does not include exclusive surface rights (see Public Law 84-167).  Generally, claimants are required to do annual assessment work on a mining claim.  Paying the maintenance fee replaces this requirement, while ensuring the claimant is still invested in the claim.  

“Mineral development is an important land use within the BLM's multiple-use mandate,” said Todd Curtis, the BLM Deputy State Director for Resources, Lands and Minerals. “In communities across the country, mining provides jobs, economic activity and important commodities that are essential to maintain a high quality of life.”

This year, the BLM posted the annual reminder packet online at: Oregon-Washington - Mining and Minerals | Bureau of Land Management (blm.gov). It was not sent out in a hard copy.

Therefore, we encourage submission of mining claim filings by mail or online through the Mineral and Land Records System (MLRS) at https://mlrs.blm.gov/s/.  Most mining claim filings and payments may be submitted in MLRS except for the Maintenance Fee Waiver Certification. Waiver certifications must be mailed to the office .

The BLM Oregon/Washington State Office is available to assist by phone at (503) 808-6001 (option 2), or by email at BLM_OR_SO_Land_Office_Mail@blm.gov.  

You can send the original copy of Maintenance Fee Waiver Certification and/or other filings and payments to the Oregon/Washington State Office:

By USPS at:

Bureau of Land Management

Attn: Mining Claims  

PO Box 2965

Portland, OR 97208

For packets sent by FedEx or UPS, the street address is

Bureau of Land Management

Attn: Mining Claims 

1220 S.W. 3rd Avenue

Portland, OR 97204

The Oregon/Washington State Office public room in Portland remains temporarily closed to in-person visits.  However, the mail is being regularly checked and processed in order of receipt. 

-BLM- 

The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. 

Northwest Association for Blind Athletes (NWABA) is partnering with Washington State Department of Services for the Blind (DSB) to offer a kayaking and paddleboarding event to adult students through their Orientation and Training Center (OTC), located in Seattle’s Columbia City neighborhood. OTC provides students, who come from throughout the state of Washington, comprehensive and intensive training in the adaptive skills of blindness to adults interested in employment.

OTC events encourage students to participate in and help organize recreational and community activities called Challenge Activities, which provides opportunities to explore a variety of recreational activities, build self-esteem, interact with the public and gain greater self-esteem. OTC Challenge Activities take place throughout the year and provides activities such as bicycle riding, water skiing, museum visits and community volunteering.

NWABA’s participation in this Challenge Activity will offer students the ability to learn to kayak and paddleboard wearing eyeshades with the help of NWABA team members and volunteers. NWABA’s mission is to provide life-changing opportunities through sports and physical activity to individuals who are blind and visually impaired. In partnering with the OTC, NWABA will be able to provide an opportunity for adults to learn something new or re-engage with activities that they already know and love. For some students, this will be their first time participating in an event like this. NWABA hopes to instill confidence and independence while fostering community engagement. The athletes that join our events not only get to participate in fun sports and recreation events, but they also learn new skills and connect with other people in the community that may have similar life experiences. NWABA strives to create a safe space to empower people and break down barriers to participating in recreational activities.

This water sports event will be held on Wednesday, August 17, 2022, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at West Green Lake, 5900 West Green Lake Way N, Seattle, WA 98103.

About NWABA: 
The mission of Northwest Association for Blind Athletes (NWABA) is to provide life-changing opportunities through sports and physical activity to individuals who are blind and visually impaired. A group of students who were visually impaired formed the association in 2007 to ensure that people who are blind were participating in sports and physical activity. Today, NWABA is a rapidly expanding 501(c)(3) charitable organization that provides more than 1,900 children, youth, adults and military veterans with visual impairments tailored programming which improves self-confidence and self-esteem, promotes independence, creates an inclusive community of supporters, and builds the skills necessary to succeed in all areas of