Gold, silver and lithium mining on federal land doesn’t bring in any royalties to the US Treasury – because of an 1872 law
- Written by Sam Kalen, Associate Dean and Professor of Law, University of Wyoming
Aerial view of the Pinto Valley copper mine, located on private and U.S. national forest lands in Gila County, Ariz.Wild Horizon/Universal Images Group via Getty ImagesWhen Congress opened U.S. public lands for mining in 1872, the nation was less than a century old. Miners used picks, shovels and pressurized water hoses to pry loose valuable...