- Details
- By Native News Online Staff
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt announced the availability of $170.9 million in Abandoned Mine Land (AML) Reclamation grants for fiscal 2020. The grants, available through the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, are for states and tribes to reclaim and repurpose abandoned coal lands.
“AML grants provide states, tribes and local partners with important resources to reclaim lands and waters impacted by abandoned mines, restoring the promise of the outdoors for hardworking Americans in coal country,” Secretary Bernhardt said in a statement.
OSMRE provides AML grants to 25 coal-producing states and three tribes based on a congressionally mandated formula that evaluates past and current coal production by these entities. Eligible states and tribes apply for annual reclamation grants to access money in their allocations. OSMRE evaluates and verifies the requests before making the award amounts available.
The AML Grants are funded in part by a fee collected on all coal produced in the United States. Under the AML Reclamation Program, OSMRE has distributed billions in grants to states and tribes. The funds have directly contributed to the closure of over 45,000 abandoned underground mine shafts and openings, the elimination of over 960 miles of dangerous highwalls and the restoration of over 850,000 acres of clogged streams and land, according to a DOI news release.
More Stories Like This
California Roundtable Dissects Detriments of Public Law 280 to Tribal Public Safety, SovereigntyZuni Youth Enrichment Project Members Showcase Their Talents with Watercolor Paintings
Cherokee Veterans in the Nation’s Capital for 10th Cherokee Warrior Flight
Montana Supreme Court Strikes Down Voting Laws Intended to Disenfranchise Native Voters
Women’s History Month: Elizabeth Peratrovich (Tlingit)
Native Perspective. Native Voices. Native News.
We launched Native News Online because the mainstream media often overlooks news that is important is Native people. We believe that everyone in Indian Country deserves equal access to news and commentary pertaining to them, their relatives and their communities. That's why the story you’ve just finished was free — and we want to keep it that way, for all readers. We hope you'll consider making a donation to support our efforts so that we can continue publishing more stories that make a difference to Native people, whether they live on or off the reservation. Your donation will help us keep producing quality journalism and elevating Indigenous voices. Any contribution of any amount — big or small — gives us a better, stronger future and allows us to remain a force for change. Donate to Native News Online today and support independent Indigenous-centered journalism. Thank you.