The Staking Report: March 2026

Thornbrush Properties LLC staked 416 claims covering 8,595 acres in Beaver, UT during March 2026. This single acquisition accounted for 10.1% of all new federal mineral rights recorded nationwide. The Bureau of Land Management processed a total of 4,107 new locations across the country, adding 84,727 acres to the public registry.

The national volume represents a clear increase from February 2026, when miners located 3,392 claims. Activity had been declining steadily since October 2025, which saw 7,389 new filings. The downward trajectory continued through November 2025 with 5,445 claims and December 2025 with 5,934 claims. The slide persisted into the new year, dropping to 3,880 locations in January 2026 before hitting the recent low in February 2026. The rebound in March 2026 pushed the active nationwide inventory to 573,118 claims.

Who Staked the Most Ground

Murray Gold Belt, LLC followed the leader by securing 253 claims across 5,227 acres in Shoshone, ID. This position captured 6.2% of the monthly total. CBMI USA INC took the next position on the registry, registering 220 claims spanning 4,545 acres in Gila, AZ, representing 5.4% of the national volume.

Stream Metals LLC spread its locations across multiple jurisdictions, filing 169 claims over 3,492 acres in Churchill, NV; Elko, NV; Esmeralda, NV to secure 4.1% of the market. Turquoise Canyon Corp focused entirely on Lander, NV, matching the previous market share exactly with 4.1% by recording 168 claims across 3,471 acres.

Kilroy Metal INC added 156 claims covering 3,149 acres in Yavapai, AZ, taking 3.8% of the total. Frank Bain and Cumoquest Resources Arizona LLC recorded identical acquisition sizes, though they targeted different states. Frank Bain located 145 claims over 2,996 acres in Hidalgo, NM, while Cumoquest Resources Arizona LLC filed 145 claims across 2,996 acres in Yavapai, AZ. Each operator claimed 3.5% and 3.5% of the monthly activity, respectively.

Manhattan Metals US Corp. secured 119 claims spanning 2,456 acres in Pershing, NV, equating to 2.9% of the national total. Freeport McMoRan rounded out the major operators by filing 112 claims over 2,152 acres in Grant, NM; Greenlee, AZ, capturing 2.7% of the recorded volume.

Where the Ground Rush Went

The geographic distribution of new mineral rights revealed distinct areas of concentration across the western states. Beaver, UT attracted the highest volume of activity, with 3 operators recording 515 claims. Yavapai, AZ saw broader participation from the mining sector, drawing 19 operators who filed 405 locations.

Moving across the region, Lander, NV hosted 5 operators registering 283 claims. Shoshone, ID experienced similar operator interest, with 5 miners locating 263 claims. In Gila, AZ, 4 operators secured 254 claims.

The registry in Pershing, NV recorded 167 claims from 8 operators. Mohave, AZ followed closely behind, with 9 operators filing 152 locations. Finally, Hidalgo, NM saw 3 operators register 150 claims to round out the most active jurisdictions.

Ground Opening Up

The Bureau of Land Management processed 416 claim closures nationwide across all jurisdictions. By coincidence, this total closure figure exactly matches the number of new claims filed by the month's leading operator, though the two metrics track entirely different administrative actions. When factoring in these relinquished rights against the new locations, the national registry saw a net expansion of 3,691 active claims.

The highest concentration of relinquished ground occurred in Pinal, AZ, which lost 216 claims from the active rolls. Yavapai, AZ recorded the next highest contraction, with operators dropping 53 claims. Further north, Lake, OR saw 17 claims expire or terminate. Jackson, OR followed with 13 closed claims, returning that acreage to the public domain.

Top stakers of the period

Methodology: figures reflect unpatented mining claims with a March 2026 location date per BLM MLRS public records as of 7/11/2026. Claim counts reflect unpatented mining-claim filings recorded by BLM for which claimant attribution is available; subsidiary holdings are attributed to parent companies where public records establish the relationship. Data: ClaimWatch. Acreage totals exclude 1 record(s) with implausible source acreage.

The Staking Report is built from BLM MLRS public records by ClaimWatch, ChoraQuest's mining claims intelligence platform: 573,118 active unpatented claims tracked across 12 BLM states, 4,472,988 claim records, updated on BLM refresh cycles (data as of 7/6/2026). ClaimWatch produces leadfile examinations, due-diligence area reports, and claim monitoring for the mining industry. Learn more at claimwatch.io.