Environmental Quality and Protection

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and its cooperative government and nongovernmental conservation partners, mitigate hazards to protect public health and safety, restore watersheds for resources, recreation, fish, wildlife and domestic animals, and return lands to productive uses including, but not limited to, recreation, fish and wildlife habitat, and preservation of historical/cultural resources. Extractive industry and disposal activities of the past, including both underground and surface mining, have left degraded watersheds on public lands throughout the western United States. Un-reclaimed sites pose an environmental threat to groundwater, surface water and soil as well as create a risk to the health and safety of public land users. Mitigation measures are implemented through core programs such as: 1). Abandoned Mine Lands (AML) program, which addresses physical safety hazards and water quality through restoration of abandoned hard rock mines. and 2). Educational outreach about the potential dangers posed to the public and recreationists from AML sites. The AML Program will contribute to the conservation and restoration of approximately 30% of our lands and waters by the year 2030. Additionally, this will help ensure that public land users are not at risk from the dangers of legacy mining activities.