RECLAMATION OF THE LANDSCAPE 355 



pointed out that the total land area of the 22 States in which surface 

 mining is carried on is 770,747,000 acres. Of this total, according 

 to TV A, only slightly more than 500,000 acres have been disturbed 

 by surface mining operations. This represents only 65/100 of 1 per- 

 cent of the total land area of these States. By comparison, in these 

 same 22 States, the total acreage affected by highway construction 

 was 25,976,000 acres or more than 50 times the surface area disturbed 

 by mining. Whereas little of the land disturbed by mining was pro- 

 ductive agricultural land, a great share of the land converted to 

 highway construction had previously been agricultural land. 



In the same vein, the Department of Agriculture has estimated 

 that of all the area devoted to crop production, 1,382,000,000 

 acres are in need of immediate conservation treatment. This is 

 almost twice the total land area of the 22 States in which surface 

 mining is practiced. Yet a great percentage of the publicity and 

 criticism is directed to the surface mining industry and little or 

 nothing is said about the highway areas or the farming areas that 

 are in greater need of reclamation attention. 



Despite the insignificant effect on total land area, the surface min- 

 ing industry has not minimized its efforts to develop effective and 

 efficient programs of land reclamation in the mining areas. A great 

 deal of time and money has been expended by the industry in develop- 

 ing and expanding its reclamation programs on a voluntary basis. 

 Studies and research by the industry and by cooperating Federal 

 and State agencies have continued to improve the types of reclama- 

 tion practices employed. 



Through the Mined-Land Conservation Conference, a voluntary 

 organization of the responsible surface mining companies in the 

 United States, a code of practices has been subscribed to by the 

 members of the MLCC, which among other things provides for 

 the following: 



The reclamation of all land affected by the mining operation is 

 the responsibility of each operator. 



Restoration of mined land to its most practical and productive 

 use within the shortest possible time is basic to a sound conserva- 

 tion program. 



All mined land should be seeded or planted to produce vegetative 

 cover as soon after mining as practical. 



Mined land should be devoted to the highest and best possible 

 uses compatible with the uses of adjoining land. 



