GENERAL - The U.S. Department of Interior Office of Surface Mining (OSM) is examining methods that would enhance post mining land use plans that promote the planting of trees on active and abandoned surface coal mines.  Benefits of reforestation are many and would include improving wildlife habitat and recreation opportunities, restoration of clean water resources, erosion prevention, and the creation of new economies based on forest products.  

HISTORY - OSM conducted several outreach efforts in this area. 

• May 13, 1998 - Reforestation of Mined Lands and Carbon Emission Offsets (Objective: to better define the issues and possible roles of OSM) 

• January 14, 1999 - Policy Outreach Symposium (Objective: to provide clarification on current OSM policy on tree planting)

• March 23-24, 1999 - A Technical Interactive Forum on Enhancement of Reforestation on Coal Mine Land (Multiple objectives:)

  • highlight information on successful reforestation efforts and technologies that are currently being used to enhance reforestation on active and abandoned coal mined lands,

  • identify region specific impediments to tree planting, and

  • review recommendations for removing unnecessary barriers to tree planting and for promoting technologies with potential for enhancing tree planting efforts. 

• August of 1999 - OSM published the proceedings of "A Technical Interactive Forum on Enhancement of Reforestation on Coal Mine Land."

• November 30, 1999 - State or Tribally specific multi-interest group team: OSM Director Kathy Karpan sent an open invitation to all State and Tribal coal mining regulatory authorities to develop a State or Tribally specific multi-interest group team to come up with specific programs to enhance reforestation on coal mined lands.

•  May 15 & 16, 2002 Market Based Approaches to Mined Land Reclamation & Reforestation: OSM conducts its second national technical forum the economics of mined land reforestation.

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