Announcement of the Bureau of Land Management 2009 Reclamation and Sustainable Mineral Development Awards Program; Due Dates: 12/05/2008; 02/05/2009; 03/05/2009

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20240
http://www.blm.gov

November 26, 2008

In Reply Refer To:
3500/3600/3800 (320) P

EMS TRANSMISSION 12/01/2008
Instruction Memorandum No. 2009-026
Expires: 09/30/2010

To: All Field Officials

From: Assistant Director, Minerals and Realty Management

Subject: Announcement of the Bureau of Land Management 2009 Reclamation and Sustainable Mineral Development Awards Program
Due Dates: 12/05/2008; 02/05/2009; 03/05/2009

Program Areas: Locatable Minerals (3800), Mineral Materials (3600), and Solid Leasable Minerals (3500)

Purpose: The Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Reclamation and Sustainable Mineral Development Awards program, initiated in April 2003, recognizes solid mineral operators who have made exemplary contributions to solid minerals (non-coal) development. This Instruction Memorandum (IM) provides information relating to the 2009 awards program, including the deadline for submission of nominations as well as other deadlines. This year’s awards program includes a new award category, The “Fix A Shaft Today!” Award. The five award categories are The Hardrock Mineral Environmental Award, The Hardrock Mineral Community Outreach and Economic Security Award, The Hardrock Mineral Small Operator Award, The Hardrock Mineral Director’s Award, and The “Fix a Shaft Today!” Award. The purpose of the awards is to recognize work in any of the three components of sustainable development: environmental health, social responsibility, and economic security.

Policy/Action: The Department of the Interior (DOI) created the Reclamation and Sustainable Mineral Development Awards Program to showcase some of the finest examples of responsible mineral resource development. The award winners embody our understanding of sustainable development—development that meets the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet future needs.

The BLM state offices are requested to assist the Washington Office in publicizing this award program and in receiving and processing the nominations. Attachment 1 is a detailed description of the BLM’s 2009 award program that may be distributed to the public. It includes information on the nomination and selection processes, including specific criteria for the five categories of awards, as well as information regarding the format for nominations, required number of copies, etc. Please ensure that this attachment is posted in the public. It should be noted that operations are not limited to public lands administered by the BLM.

The awards program is open to all solid mineral (non-coal) industries or operations nationally, without regard to land ownership. To further the BLM/United States Forest Service “Service First” initiative, operators conducting activities on Forest Service lands are encouraged to apply. As stated in the attachment, the deadline for submission of nominations to the area BLM state offices is February 5, 2009. Please email the name of the BLM state office contact for the awards program to Mary Linda Ponticelli at Mary_Ponticelli@blm.gov by December 5, 2008.

State offices are to receive and initially process nominations, including verifying the information that is submitted with a nomination and determining if the nominee is in compliance with all applicable regulations. The compliance verification process for a mining operation should include a site visit by the BLM personnel. When a nominee is not regulated by the BLM, the state office must obtain written confirmation from the regulator that the nominee is in compliance. After preparing a Statement of Findings for each nomination, state offices are requested to forward all nominations and an accompanying Statement of Findings to the Washington Office, Division of Solid Minerals (WO-320) by March 5, 2009. The documents should be sent by Federal Express to:

U.S. Department of the Interior
Bureau of Land Management (WO-320)
Mail Stop 501 LS, 1620 L Street, N.W.
Attention: Mary Linda Ponticelli
Washington, D.C. 20036

Timeframe: The following is a summary of the deadlines related to the guidance set forth in this IM which is effective immediately:

December 5, 2008 - Name of state office coordinator to be submitted to WO-320
February 5, 2009 - Deadline for award nominations to be filed with state offices
March 5, 2009 - Deadline for state offices to send nominations and accompanying
Statement of Findings to WO-320

Budget Impact: The anticipated budget impact of this award program to the field is minimal.

Background: The DOI through the Office of Surface Mining, Reclamation and Enforcement, has presented reclamation awards to coal operators since 1986. In 2002, the Department requested that the BLM institute its own awards program and that the program be open to solid mineral (non-coal) operations nationally without regard to land ownership. The 2009 awards program will mark the seventh year for the BLM’s awards program.
Manual/Handbook Sections Affected: No manual or handbook sections are affected.

Coordination: Coordination activities for this award program are ongoing. The BLM Washington Office is working closely with the National Mining Association to publicize and coordinate the awards program. Organizations with an interest in solid minerals management will also be notified of the BLM’s 2009 awards program and invited to submit nominations.

Contact: If you have any questions concerning the content of this IM, please contact Michael D. Nedd, Assistant Director, Minerals and Realty Management, at 202-208-4201, or your staff may contact Mary Linda Ponticelli, Solid Minerals Division (WO-320), at 202-452-5083 or mary_ponticelli@blm.gov.

Signed by: Authenticated by:
Bob Anderson Robert M. Williams
Assistant Director Division of IRM Governance,WO-560
Minerals and Realty Management

1 Attachment
1 – Award Program Description (8 pp)