• The Hardrock Mineral Environmental Award recognizes efforts in environmental stewardship. This category recognizes achievements demonstrating continuous or repeated efforts to successfully meet or exceed Federal, State, or local reclamation requirements with minimal oversight.
• The Hardrock Mineral Community Outreach and Economic Security Award recognizes projects that show concern for community responsibilities and the economic benefits of mineral development. This award recognizes successful coordination of projects with local and regional stakeholders. Projects that contribute to quality of life or show concern for a community’s long-term health are also eligible.
• The Hardrock Mineral Small Operator Award recognizes efforts in environmental stewardship of operators with fewer than 15 employees. Similar to the Hardrock Mineral Environmental Award, this award recognizes achievements demonstrating continuous or repeated efforts to successfully meet or exceed Federal, State, or local reclamation requirements with minimal oversight.
• The Hardrock Mineral Director’s Award is for outstanding achievement in a particular area of sustainable development. This year, the award will recognize an operator whose dedication and commitment to excellence has resulted in the use of a new or innovative design or technique that allows or enhances successful operations in technically challenging conditions or in critical environmental settings.
• The “Fix A Shaft Today!” (“FAST”) Award recognizes active participation in the FAST! Campaign, which is a partnership initiative aimed at eradicating unsafe abandoned mine land features, especially open mine shafts.

Mining companies, regulatory authorities, geologists, and members of the general public may nominate operators or organizations in the non-coal solid minerals industries for an award. Nominations need not be limited to operations on land managed by the BLM. Nominators can find detailed information on the nomination and selection processes, including the required format for nominations in the brochure titled Call for Nominations:  2009 BLM Reclamation and Sustainable Mineral Development Awards Program.  Nominations must be received by February 5, 2009, in the BLM State Office (Attention: Solid Minerals) that has jurisdiction for the public lands in the State where the operation is located. Presentation of awards will take place in the fall of 2009.

The BLM manages more land – 258 million surface acres – than any other Federal agency. Most of this public land is located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The Bureau, with a budget of about $1 billion, also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. The BLM’s multiple-use mission is to sustain the health and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. The Bureau accomplishes this by managing such activities as outdoor recreation, livestock grazing, mineral development, and energy production, and by conserving natural, historical, cultural, and other resources on the public lands.

Attachment:  Call for Nominations: 2009 BLM Reclamation and Sustainable Mineral Development Awards Program (PDF, 1.5 MB)