Jackson v. Robertson

SETH, Circuit Judge.

This is an appeal from the trial court’s order fixing ownership interests in mining claims on federal land. Appellants, defendants below, raise two questions of federal statutory interpretation. They urge that *1179provisions of 43 U.S.C. § 1744 (The 1976 Land Act) operate to void the interests of all appellees. Appellants also contend that many of the appellees forfeited any ownership interest in the claims by failing to contribute their share of the cost of the annual assessment work under 30 U.S.C. § 28 when appellants sought to “publish them out.” Additionally appellants…