Reclamation projects should be accomplished in accordance with the Office's "Final Guidelines for Reclamation Programs and Projects" as printed in Volume 66 of the Federal Register page 31250, June 11, 2001 . Reclamation projects shall meet one or more of the objectives stated in this Section. Preference among those projects competing for available resources shall be given to projects meeting higher priority objectives. The following objectives are stated in the order of priority with the highest priority first:

1. (1) Priority 1. The protection of public health, safety, and property from extreme danger of adverse effects of coal mining practices, including the restoration of land and water resources and the environment that:

   1. (A) Have been degraded by the adverse effects of coal mining practices; and
   2. (B) Are adjacent to a site that has been or will be addressed to protect the public health, safety, and property from extreme danger of adverse effects of coal mining practices.

2. (2) Priority 2. The protection of public health and safety from adverse effects of coal mining practices, including the restoration of land and water resources and the environment that:

   1. (A) Have been degraded by the adverse effects of coal mining practices; and
   2. (B) Are adjacent to a site that has been or will be addressed to protect the public health and safety from adverse effects of coal mining practices.
3. (3) Priority 3. The restoration of land and water resources and the environment previously degraded by adverse effects of coal mining practices, including measures for the conservation and development of soil, water (excluding channelization), woodland, fish and wildlife, recreation resources, and agricultural productivity. Priority 3 land and water resources that are geographically contiguous with exiting or remediated Priority 1 or 2 problems will be considered adjacent under paragraphs (a)(1)(A) or (a)(2)(B) of this Section.

Amended at 12 Ok Reg 3480, eff 9-11-95

Amended at 27 Ok Reg 2473, eff 8-2-10