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MgR.04 '94 10 50 COLORA~INING 0.SSN 303 848416 • P•~9 <br />THE COLORADO MINED LAND RECLAMATION ACT <br />In 1976, the Fiftieth General Assembly passed HB 1065, <br />the Colorado Mined Land Reclamation Act. The new la.w <br />took effect on July 1, 1976. The sections of the law <br />relating to surety were amended in 1977 by passage of <br />HB 1377. Replacing the Colorado Open Mining Land <br />Reclamation Act of 1973, HH 1065 established, within the <br />framework of one law, a system regulating all prospecting <br />and mining activities throughout the State of Colorado. <br />The bill is 29 pages long, and this brief summary o! the <br />law's basic components should be regarded as no more than <br />an introductory outline. Prospectors and operators <br />should seek specific guidance on the applicability o.E <br />H8 1065 to their individual situations. <br />DECLARATION <br />The declaration makes clear the General Assembly's policy <br />that mining and reclamation nre compatible activities. <br />ADMINISTRATION <br />The Department of Natural Resources is delegated the <br />authority to administer the provisions of HB 1065. <br />MINED LAND RECLAMATION BOARD <br />The Mined Land Reclamation Board is created and given <br />primary responsibility for implementing HB 1065. The <br />Board consists of the Executive Director of the <br />Department of Natural Resources, a member of the Soil <br />Conservation Board, and five members of the public, three <br />of whom must possess substantial experience in agri- <br />culture or conservation, and two of whom must possess <br />substantial experience in the mining industry. Public <br />members serve for staggered four-year terms and are <br />subject to Senate Confirmation. <br />The Board is required to meet monthly, review the <br />problems of mining and reclamation, develop standards for <br />reclamation plane, and publish notices identifying permit <br />applicants and land to be affected by mining operations. <br />The Board is given the power to study various aspects of <br />reclamation and to coordinate the state's reclamation <br />requirements with other state agencies having jurisdic- <br />tion over environmental and related concerns. <br />The Board may adopt and promulgate rules and regulations <br />to implement HB 1065. Rules have been adopted, and tkiey <br />have been submitted to the General Assembly which is <br />given an opportunity to express its disapproval. The <br />rules became effective in May of 1977 following their <br />promulgation. They will remain in affect unless and ~mtil <br />