Mineral Development Act

Mineral Development Act - Title I: - States that it is the purpose of this Act to assist in carrying out the policy of the Minerals Policy Act by establising a system to provide for and encourage the development of mineral resources of the public lands of the United States.

Title II: Existing Mining Claims and Mill Sites - Requires holders of unpatented mining claims to make application for a patent or a declaration of interest within 3 years of the effective date of this Act. Specifies characteristics of the claim to be included in the declaration of interest.

Allows 5 years from the effective date of this Act for the perfection (discovery of a valuable mineral deposit) of mining claims for which application for a patent as a declaration of interest is made pursuant to this Act.

Title III: Provisions for New Claims - Provides that all mineral deposits covered by this Act in lands available for mineral location shall be open for exploration, development, mining, production, disposition, and patent, and such lands shall be open to ingress, egress, occupation, and use for mineral purposes, and to patent by citizens of the United States and those who have declared their intention to become such.

Provides that rights to possession and use of mining claims located after the effective date of this Act shall be exclusive, subject to specified conditions.

Details the procedures for establishing and locating the exterior boundaries of a mining claim.

Prescribes minimum amounts to be expended per acre per work year for each acre of land available for mineral location and contained within a mining claim which is held pursuant to the provisions of this Act for labor, materials, surveys, improvements, and activity of any kind which would tend to discover or tend to facilitate the development, mining, or processing of mineral deposits within the claim.

Authorizes anyone having an interest in any mining claim or claims, in lieu of performing annual labor to pay into the Treasury of the United States an amount equal to all or any portion of such annual labor not actually performed.

Provides that the performance of annual labor and payment in lieu of labor required to be made each year under this Act may be exempted or deferred by the Secretary of the Interior upon a showing that legal impediments exist which effect the right of the claimant to enter upon the surface of a mining claim or to gain access to the boundaries of such a claim.

Provides that a plan of development may cover a mining claim or claims and specifies the characteristics of the claim to be indicated in the plan, including quantities and grades of mineral reserves, equipment to be used, estimate of total investment, location of excavations, tunnels, and facilities, and the manner in which compliance with Federal State, and local environmental laws will be effectuated.

States the procedure to be followed for obtaining a patent for a mining claim under this Act.

States that there shall be paid to the United States a royalty of 2 percent of the mine value (defined in this Act) of minerals, up to a maximum of 5 percent of the net mining income for such year allocable to the mineral for which the royalty is payable.

Provides that nothing in this Act shall be deemed to exempt the owner of a mining claim from applicable Federal, State, and local laws relating to protection of the environment.

Title IV: Bureau of Land Management Records - Requires the Secretary of the Interior to maintain in the public files of each local land office of the Bureau of Land Management the documents required with respect to claims within the jurisdiction of such office.

Title V: Acquisition of Lands - Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to sell any land upon a showing that the applicant holds a mineral right in such land or that the land is reasonably necessary to mining or processing operations with respect to such mineral deposits or uses reasonably incident thereto.

Title VI: Provides that any person who prospects for, develops, mines, or removes any minerals on lands patented with mineral reserves to the United States shall be liable for any damages thereon.