thts the main reason I joined GPAA, avoid the involvement of claim ownership
and the fact that I can visit many claims and not stuck on one
and your right, chances are if you own your own, your probably not a GPAAer
Just guessing at this

Bill

Find a good claim and save it for yourself, you are responsible for actions on the claim. If you wish to allow the GPAA to lease it from you, you are still responsible for upkeep but you get to make the rules on what can be done on the claim, and maintaining it is your responsibility. I recommend everybody gets two claims, one for themselves and one for the GPAA. I recently found a huge hole on my private claim which is almost impossible to access and had I caught the jerk that did not fill it in 911 doesn't work where this claim is at. That being said I have leased out another claim and I go down on a regular basis to make sure it is being maintained correctly. The biggest problems are campers leaving trash everywhere, not prospectors.

I am partners with our chapter president on two claims that are GPAA in our area. Walter notified us that they had been closed to to paperwork issues. We managed to get them refiled and saved for the Association.

I also am in partnership with a chapter member on our own 40 acre claim. Likewise, we find campers and trash the biggest issue.

The GPAA claims do tend to get more use as they are on a paved road, and we do check to see if users are members if we see prospecting equipment in the campsites.  Depending on the user's attitudes and what time they are there, we might let them finish the day, and invite them to chapter meetings.  It is also well understood that it is a one time exception, and if we find them there again and not members they will be turned in to the local law enforcement agency.

The other GPAA claim in our area is not owned by us, so we can't extend that offer there, but we tell them where the public area is, and still invite them to a meeting. We have gotten a couple of members by those actions.

We have adopted all three claims, so are up there often checking for use, damage, litter, etc.