Usibelli Coal Mine Cleaner Energy Brighter Future Home Company Mining Coal Environment Community UCM History Contact Us Environment: Restoration Four generations of Usibelli families have called the Healy area "home." Because the mine is the family's "backyard," it was no surprise that years before Federal law required it, UCM pioneered a successful land reclamation/restoration program. The ultimate goal of restoration is to re-establish a natural landscape on previously mined land. The land is contoured and then seeded with a carefully researched mixture of grasses and several plants indigenous to northern regions. Since 1970, the mine has reclaimed more than 5,500 acres and planted more than 500,000 seedlings. Over a period of years, native Alaskan vegetation invades the area, returning the mined land to its natural appearance. Reclamation begins before any mining is started. The information needed to design a successful reclamation plan is gathered from the designated leased area during the exploration phase before the area is disturbed. An inventory is taken of the variety and abundance of natural vegetation found in the area and the kinds of conditions necessary for its growth. Each spring, the area that has been mined during the previous year is re-graded, seeded and fertilized. UCM contracts with a local firm to apply seed and fertilizer using a fixed wing aircraft and hydro-seeding. Aerial seeding over the undulating landscape is performed in a few days during the prime growing months of May and June, early enough to take advantage of the long daylight hours and relatively short summer growing season. A reclamation crew of three or four college students is hired each summer to execute additional reclamation work on the ground. They plant trees, shrubs and grasses on recontoured land. The crew assists with construction of silt fences, water sampling, settling pond clean-up and collection of native seeds. The reclamation crew supports a variety of duties within the Engineering Department and Maintenance Department. The reclamation crew identifies where seed dispersion and growth are weak and then redistributes seeds by hand to fill-in the areas. They also plant seedlings in strategically designated areas of the land. The seed mixture conditions the land by putting natural nutrients into the soil, while holding it in place until tougher and slower growing Alaskan native plants begin to invade the area. To accelerate the re-invasion of shrubs and trees, a variety of species growing naturally in adjacent areas are being transplanted on reclaimed land. The transplanted species include spruce, willow, alder, dwarf birch and poplar. UCM has transplanted approximately 500,000 seedlings. In a typical year UCM plants between 25,000 and 30,000.Local school children help collect alder cones that are then cleaned and germinated at the University of Alaska Agricultural Experimental Center in Palmer. Usibelli closely monitors the restoration process by recording the success of plant growth and individual species survival rates. Lessons learned are then put into practice so the program has continued to improve over the years. Many species of Alaskan wildlife, such as Dall sheep, moose and caribou, feed on revegetated areas throughout the mine where heavy equipment once operated. Click on the thumbnail images to play the videos. Stewardship Water & Coal Quality Wildlife Restoration Seed Mix MINE OFFICE PO Box 1000 Healy, AK 99743 Tel: (907) 683-2226 Fax: (907) 683-2253 FAIRBANKS OFFICE 100 Cushman St., Ste. 210 Fairbanks, AK 99701-4674 Tel: (907) 452-2625 Fax: (907) 451-6543 Go © 2009-2015 Usibelli Coal Mine info@usibelli.com