What is Land Reclamation?
Land reclamation is the process of protecting, restoring, and possibly even improving the land before, during, and after surface mining. As coal is removed from one section of a surface mine, the land at another part is returned, regraded, and replanted. In the end, this means that the land is preserved, nature has been protected, water and soil are conserved, and the land can be turned into productive farmland, forests, and lakes. Reclaimed land has been successfully used for wildlife preserves, golf courses, recreational parks, commercial development sites, pastures, and farmlands. Since the mid-1970s, more than 2 million acres of mined lands owned by coal producers have been reclaimed. In addition, 100,000 acres of abandoned sites that were mined earlier in the 20th century have been reclaimed using funds paid by today’s coal producers.
