having a claim for the land for mining shouldn't mean that they own the land. At least I don't think that's how it is in Canada... if it runs the same way as logging. the logging company just has a land use lease (or whatever the fancy name for it is) on the area. Timber Falling License's or something along those lines.
Anyways, my point is: just because they have the rights to 'harvest' the land, they don't actually own the land... The land remains crown land.