The fight for mining rights on public lands in the western Mojave Desert is heating up once again.
In an alleged attempt to illegally block small-scale gold miners from accessing their mining claims, the Bureau of Land Management has erected "ROUTE CLOSED" signs near Barstow, Calif.
Two Southern California gold prospecting clubs, the Route 66 Gold Miners and the Temecula Valley Prospectors began planning an outing on two Route 66 mining claims near Barstow last June. The event was announced at the end of August and set for mid-October.
But near the end of September, the American Mining Rights Association received word that the Bureau of Land Management had posted signs blocking access to the mining claims.