The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, proposed the “Locatable Minerals Rule” on February 20 to revise its regulations governing occupancy and use of the surface of National Forest System lands in connection with prospecting, exploration, development, mining, processing, and reclamation and reasonably incident uses authorized by U.S. mining laws and the Organic Administration Act of 1897.
Revisions to Forest Service regulations are proposed to improve the efficiency and transparency of Forest Service regulation of locatable mineral operations conducted on National Forest System lands under the mining laws and to minimize adverse impacts on surface resources, including groundwater. In addition, the revisions will support federal policy to secure reliable and sustainable supplies of strategic and critical minerals in the United States.
Significant aspects of the proposed rule relating to groundwater include:
- Protecting water sources, including groundwater, and groundwater-dependent ecosystems
- Reclamation plans to address exploration and development of minerals
- Monitoring plans for surface and groundwater
- Plans for large excavation operations
- Maintenance of financial resources for operations and, if determined needed, a trust fund for long-term site upkeep
- Geophysical methods applications and mapping to support development plans (but not mention of aquifer mapping relative to development and operations)
- Data to be available through the Freedom of Information Act.
Comments are due April 21. Click here to learn more and comment.