The Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) reports that under its leadership, more than 100,000 acres of mine lands across the state are being reclaimed, with nearly 20,000 acres fully reclaimed. The DEQ works with mining companies to ensure lands they’ve finished mining are returned to a quality that is beneficial to the State of Wyoming, including for grazing for livestock and wildlife. State and federal laws require all inactive mine lands to be reclaimed – a process that begins while the mines are active and that continues for more than 10 years after the mines close.
Watch this video to learn more about Wyoming’s land reclamation efforts.