Figure 2. A beaver lodge in a lake resulting from surface mining which was reclaimed 

 through natural revegetation. 



studies of the changes emphasized the "before" and "after" and implementation of 

 mitigation concepts previously conceived by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. 

 Further, efforts were directed towards identifying, testing, and establishing plant 

 species, thus meeting reclamation needs emphasized in laws, rules and regulations. 



SELECTED LITERATURE 



As of July 1. 1977, the mineral industry had disturbed 5.7 million acres (2.3 million 

 ha) in the United States.' In order to meet future energy demands, much more land 

 will be disturbed by mining. Wildlife habitat has been restored and introduced on 

 abandoned and newly-mined lands in all parts of the United States via natural 

 revegetation and or highly developed reclamation techniques. 



This paper presents an overview of selected activities of the past 10 years ( 1970- 

 1980) which reflect efforts involving both the evaluation of surface mining effects on 

 our fauna and mined land reclamation for wildlife in the United States. Environmen- 

 tal conditions (precipitation and temperature) and man's needs and desires (food, 

 recreation, timber, industry, and housing) have defined the quantity and quality of 

 the wildlife habitat resulting from reclamation. While livestock grazing has been the 

 single most important factor affecting wildlife production in the west,- intensive 

 agriculture and timber harvest have been impacting factors in the Midwest and 

 Appalachian regions. ^-'•^^ 



Tyus and Lockhart* suggested reasons for optimism about the possibilities for 

 wildlife enhancement on mined land: ( 1) cooperation of mining companies; (2) a lead 

 time of 10 or more years from early planning until actual operations begin, thus 

 providing adequate time to assess important wildlife needs and to develop manage- 

 ment options; (3) wildlife reclamation measures are usually lower than those costs 

 associated with other types of reclamation; and (4) mining and reclamation can be 

 carried on at the same time for extended periods. With changes in techniques, 

 reclamation practices can be adjusted accordingly. 



185 



