Mining Performance Metrics

The Bureau of Land Management is responsible for the timely and efficient permitting of appropriate mineral exploration and development on public lands and minerals.  

The Bureau of Land Management is responsible for the timely and efficient consideration of plans of operation for appropriate mineral exploration and development on public lands. 

Following Congressional direction, the BLM, in coordination with DOI and the U.S. Forest Service developed a set of performance metrics to track and support the efficient review of plans of operation for exploration and mining projects. These metrics, called for under Section 40206 of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, will help BLM better track the steps towards a plan of operations and then find ways to speed up that process, while maintaining appropriate environmental reviews and public engagement. This effort also supports permitting timelines and processes called for in the Fiscal Responsibility Act.  

These performance metrics underwent an extensive comment period, during which the Bureau heard from industry, environmental and non-profit groups, and other stakeholders. BLM experts, DOI and the USFS informed a set of final performance metrics BLM will use to track progress towards more efficient and effective mineral development on public lands. 

You can find more information on the process, BLM’s response to comments, and a more detailed breakdown of the performance metrics in the report.

BLM Final Mining Performance Measures

1. Percentage of operators that engage in pre-plan submittal coordination with the cooperating agencies. 

• Date operator requests pre-plan submittal coordination meeting. 
• Date the cooperating agencies are requested to participate in a pre-plan coordination meeting.

2. Percentage of milestones met during the mining pre-plan submittal coordination process.  

• Date of pre-plan submittal coordination meeting. 
• Date of Tribal Outreach and Coordination.[1] 
• Date of baseline data needs determination(s).[2] 
• Date the project specific interagency Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed. 
• Date the environmental baseline studies are determined to be complete.[3] 

3. Median time to complete National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) reviews for mining plans by using the following data inputs. 

For operations requiring an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) (Less than 2 years): 

• Date the local office[4] determines the Plan of Operation is complete. 
• Date entered into ePlanning website. 
• Date the local office approves of the draft NOI. 
• Date of publication of the NOI in the Federal Register. 
• Date(s) of Tribal Consultation. 
• Date(s) of public involvement (public meetings, comment periods). 
• Date the local office approves of the draft NOA for the DEIS. 
• Date of publication of the DEIS. 
• Date the local office approves of the draft NOA for the FEIS. 
• Date of publication of the FEIS. 
• Date of issuance of the ROD/ Date of approval of Plan of Operations 
• Date financial guarantee is posted. 
• Date financial guarantee is posted. 

For operations requiring an Environmental Assessment (EA) (Less than 1 year): 

• Date the local office determines the Plan of Operation is complete. 
• Date entered in ePlanning website. 
• Date(s) of Tribal Consultation. 
• Date(s) of public involvement (public meetings, comment periods, if deemed appropriate). 
• Date the local office approves of the EA and signs the Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) or date the local office determines an EA is insufficient and an EIS is necessary. 
• Date of public availability of completed EA and FONSI. 
• Date of approval of Plan of Operations in Decision Record (DR). 
• Date financial guarantee is posted. 

4. Other tracked and reported data. 

• Acreage of operations. 
• Proposed commodities (both base and secondary by-products). 
• Presence of programmatic MOU. 
• Presence of threatened and endangered species (Section 7). 
• State Historic Preservation Office consultation (Section 106). 
• Presence of special planning designations (Wilderness Study Areas, Areas of Critical Environmental Concern, Wilderness Areas, etc.). 
• Any litigation issues. 

The BLM will need time to ensure these milestones are either currently tracked in the BLM’s Mineral and Lands Record System (MLRS) or add utility to the MLRS database that allows for tracking. The FS will also need time to create a suitable database and establish their tracking standards. 

[1] There are requirements to document additional Tribal consultation at subsequent phases in the permitting process.  Tribal outreach during the pre-plan submittal phase allows early coordination to occur. This early engagement is not a substitute for the Tribal consultation that is required as part of the NEPA process, as shown below. 

[2] The date when an agency communicates to the operator that a specific baseline study needs to be completed will be recorded.  Each baseline study will be recorded separately.  

[3] The date of completion for each individual baseline study will be recorded. Refer to footnote 1. 

[4] Local office means either BLM Field Office or FS District Office.  If that office is unable to handle permitting, local office could mean the next level up.