43 CFR § 3809.11 - When do I have to submit a plan of operations?

---
identifier: "/us/cfr/t43/s3809.11"
source: "ecfr"
legal_status: "authoritative_unofficial"
title: "43 CFR § 3809.11 - When do I have to submit a plan of operations?"
title_number: 43
title_name: "Public Lands: Interior"
section_number: "3809.11"
section_name: "When do I have to submit a plan of operations?"
chapter_name: "BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR"
subchapter_number: "C"
subchapter_name: "MINERALS MANAGEMENT (3000)"
part_number: "3800"
part_name: "MINING CLAIMS UNDER THE GENERAL MINING LAWS"
positive_law: false
currency: "2026-03-24"
last_updated: "2026-03-24"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
authority: "16 U.S.C. 3101  30 U.S.C. 22-42, 181  301-306, 351-359, and 601  31 U.S.C. 9701; 40 U.S.C. 471  42 U.S.C. 6508; 43 U.S.C. 1701  and Pub. L. No. 97-35, 95 Stat. 357."
regulatory_source: "45 FR 13974, Mar. 3, 1980, unless otherwise noted."
cfr_part: "3800"
---


# 3809.11 When do I have to submit a plan of operations?

(a) You must submit a plan of operations and obtain BLM's approval before beginning operations greater than casual use, except as described in § 3809.21. Also see §§ 3809.31 and 3809.400 through 3809.434.

(b) You must submit a plan of operations for any bulk sampling in which you will remove 1,000 tons or more of presumed ore for testing.

(c) You must submit a plan of operations for any operations causing surface disturbance greater than casual use in the following special status areas where § 3809.21 does not apply:

(1) Lands in the California Desert Conservation Area (CDCA) designated by the CDCA plan as “controlled” or “limited” use areas;

(2) Areas in the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System, and areas designated for potential addition to the system;

(3) Designated Areas of Critical Environmental Concern;

(4) Areas designated as part of the National Wilderness Preservation System and administered by BLM;

(5) Areas designated as “closed” to off-road vehicle use, as defined in § 8340.0-5 of this title;

(6) Any lands or waters known to contain Federally proposed or listed threatened or endangered species or their proposed or designated critical habitat, unless BLM allows for other action under a formal land-use plan or threatened or endangered species recovery plan; and

(7) National Monuments and National Conservation Areas administered by BLM.