Introduction
This report and accompanying map (plate 1) presents information on the Defense
Minerals Administration (DMA), Defense Minerals Exploration Administration
(DMEA), and Office of Minerals Exploration (OME) mineral exploration programs in
Montana. Under these programs, the federal government participated in the exploration costs for certain strategic and critical minerals. Federal funds for mineral exploration under the programs were available from 1950 to 1974, although limited funds for OME administrative work were continued until 1979. Federal consideration for exploration at a particular property was initiated by submittal of an application for financial assistance by the owner or operator of the property. Each application received was assigned a docket number and all subsequent correspondence and information resulting from the application was filed under that docket number.
The report reviews the three programs and some of the associated regulations and
procedures. It also describes the various types of information generated by the programs, presents information on mining properties in Montana that were involved in the exploration programs, and advises on location of compiled mineral exploration information that resulted from the work.
