California Mining-Rights Brief — September 14, 2026

No new prospecting law, court ruling, Forest Service mining regulation, or amendment to the 1872 Mining Law was finalized this week.

New: California geothermal lease sale

Confirmed lease offering—not a land closure. On September 11, BLM announced an October 27 auction of 19 geothermal parcels covering approximately 40,000 acres in Modoc, Sonoma, Lake, Mono, Inyo, and Imperial counties.

Leasing alone does not prohibit recreational prospecting or authorize construction. Exploration and development involving surface disturbance would require additional environmental review and site-specific approval. BLM announcement

Practical impact: Prospectors using these counties should examine the parcel maps once posted and monitor later exploration applications that could affect roads, camping, or access.

Upcoming dates

• The Ishi Pishi River-area restriction is scheduled to end September 15; confirm that the Forest Service removes or rescinds it before visiting.

• Comments on BLM’s proposed oil-and-gas parcels in Kern, Kings, Fresno, and San Luis Obispo counties close September 20. BLM proposal