Which claims are you referring to? You don’t need a habitat stamp to use GPAA claims that I have ever heard of and I’ve been prospecting here for over 20 years. There are really no GPAA claims in south central Colorado. There are some located near Florissant Colorado which is more toward the center of the state and some over in the south western part of the state around Silverton and Telluride and Ouray.

There is also a claim north of buena vista on the Arkansas river. The water was running fast the last time I was there about a week ago.

I just bought a gold claim on Quartz Creek near Pitkin CO and I'm wondering if I can use a small dredge in that area

Yes the one by silverton or gateway. I'm hopping its still warm around there when things slow down for me. Thank I needed to check I don't know how closely game and fish and blm are tied together. What does it take to get a mining permit. I'm just planning on panning. Will it take 30 days like the guide suggests? Or is that just a general estimate for the u.s. How long is a permit valid? I have an unpredictable work scheduled. It is difficult to plan more than a week out.

Charles, you don't need a mining permit for casual use (panning, sluicing, etc.) in Colorado. You also don't need any type of fish or wildlife permits. If GPAA claims, you are free to visit/use those claims as a member. The only real limitation is if you are camping on the claims and within BLM-managed areas, you may be restricted to 14-days but you can check with the BLM office managing that area if needed.

Dale, Colorado allows dredging but there may be a limitation on the nozzle size. Assuming you are in a BLM area, check their web site or give them a call to verify if any restrictions exist for that claimed area.

Colo does not require a permit. Depending on the river you can use up to a 4 inch dredge. Gpaa claims are open to members. You need to have your membership card with you when on them

I'm new to this as well. So if we go to a GPAA area, where do we get the permit for the GPAA property?

Bring your card and the mining book.
And you're golden.