Mining Claims Under the General Mining Laws; Surface Management

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is amending its surface management regulations at 43 CFR subpart 3809. The final rule requires submission of financial guarantees for reclamation of all hardrock mining operations greater than casual use, increases the types of financial instruments acceptable to satisfy the requirement for a financial guarantee, and amends the noncompliance section of the regulations to require the filing of plans of operations by operators who have a record of noncompliance. In addition, the final rule removes section 3809.1-8 on existing operations, which is no longer applicable, because all activities that were in operation in 1980 and continue in operation have now complied with this section.