Forestry Reclamation Approach Takes Front Seat
By Andy McAllister, Watershed Coordinator
In the pre-Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act (SMCRA) years prior to 1977, land reclamation activities were somewhat haphazard and not necessarily centered on preventing erosion and enhancing safety. In the past, previously forested mine lands (such as those which occur widely in Appalachia) were cleared, coal was extracted, and when reclamation did occur, it was done in a relatively simplistic way- there was little grading of the land and either trees were planted or forests naturally regenerated on the disturbed soils. However, in spite of the lack of standardization across state lines, in Appalachia land was often restored to its previous function as forestland.
Since the passage of SMCRA in 1977, land reclamation following surface mining activities has traditionally been centered on increasing stability, improving water quality, and enhancing human safety. The technical complexities of SMCRA in the years following its passage became a challenge to regulators and mine operators alike and while these goals have been and continue to be a driving force of SMCRA, regulators had traditionally focused on stability of landforms created by mining at the expense of restoring the original land use and function. This desire to address erosion control and stability resulted in excessive soil compaction and the planting of grasses and other groundcovers with little or no regard to re-forestation.
The dominant thinking of the time was that post-mining land uses such as hay and pasture were easier and more inexpensive to achieve than forests. In the end, many mined lands were “restored” as grasslands but were never used for hay or pasture by their owners. As a result, forests slowly disappeared in Appalachia.
Somewhere along the line, there was a disconnect between implementing the goals of SMCRA and understanding the value of previous land function.
Over the years, scientific knowledge in the fields of re-forestation and reclamation has advanced to the point where achieving a goal of SMCRA, to create land with equal or better post-mining land use potential, is being better understood. Not only do forests provide wildlife habitat, but they assist with storm water control and recreation. And, given the concerns about carbon emissions in an era where we’re focused on global warming, provide much needed carbon sequestration.
The Appalachian Regional Reforestation Initiative (ARRI) is a cooperative effort by the States of the Appalachian Region with the Federal Office of Surface Mining to encourage restoration of high quality forests on reclaimed coal mines in the eastern US. ARRI encourages the Forestry Reclamation Approach to reclaiming mine sites which is seen by the US Office of Surface Mining as a desirable method for reclaiming coal-mined land to support forested land uses.
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