BLM land is generally open to mineral exploration and the filing of claims on it under the 1872 mining law. While they remove and add units of land from being open to claiming in general west of the Mississippi you can file a claim for surface (placer) and subsurface (lode) minerals and they’re yours until you let the claim lapse.
Now, under Clinton, there was a moratorium placed on patenting claims after 7 years. Prior to that you could patent a claim and own the land outright for ~$7.50/acre. It was a way many used to get small plots out in the sticks. The moratorium was placed ostensibly to keep long term claims that ended up being worth millions from being patented but they all ended up getting grandfathered. I want that lifted because it’s one of the only ways to get more private land in circulation in western states.
Breaking: Explosion at the amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard.