These decisions need to be made within a framework of closure planning to realize successful land reclamation.
Activities related to closure planning often include: preparation of detailed drawings of disturbed landscape, compilation of baseline information, discussions with regulators and stakeholders on end land use considerations, crafting of supporting research programs, and preparation of budgets and schedules.
Generally, mines do a poor job of ongoing, meaningful stakeholder consultation, and many would benefit from professional assistance.
The most important benefit of closure planning is identification of critical activities to achieve successful reclamation.
Typical closure plans are 100 to 200 page documents that require several months to prepare and cost approximately US$200,000.