Resource Type
What is successful reclamation? Government and industry officials have agreed that successful reclamation is to restore land to former or equivalent capability. For agriculture or forestry this would mean equal productivity with no increase in inputs. For other areas, it means land capable of supporting self-sustaining plant communities which co-exist with natural vegetation. The real question is: How does one determine when reclamation is successful? Now, the procedures are subjective. The land reclamation officers look at topsoil replacement, erosion, vegetation performance, and soil tilth. Future procedures will request a capability plan and objective measurements to ensure compliance with the plan.