--- title: "Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act | NM History" description: "Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act is the 1977 law regulating coal mining and reclamation, shaping New Mexico's mining landscape and land recovery." canonical: "https://fiveable.me/hs-new-mexico-history/key-terms/surface-mining-control-and-reclamation-act" type: "key-term" subject: "New Mexico History" unit: "Unit 10" --- # Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act | NM History ## Definition The Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act is a 1977 U.S. law that regulates coal surface mining and requires mined land to be restored after operations end. In New Mexico History, it comes up when studying mining, land use, and environmental regulation. ## What It Is The Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act, usually shortened to SMCRA, is the federal law that set rules for surface coal mining in 1977. In New Mexico History, it matters because it shows how the state’s mining economy had to respond to environmental damage, land disturbance, and federal oversight. Before SMCRA, surface mining often left behind stripped hillsides, unstable soil, polluted runoff, and land that was hard to use again. The law required mining companies to get permits before starting work and to submit reclamation plans, which are plans for how the land will be repaired after mining ends. That means the company cannot just extract coal and leave the site as it is. Reclamation is the repair process at the center of the law. Companies may need to regrade land, replace topsoil, reduce erosion, and restore vegetation so the area can be used again, whether for wildlife, grazing, or another approved use. The law does not erase mining, but it tries to make mining fit better with long-term land health. SMCRA also created the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, or OSMRE, to oversee the rules. States can run their own programs if they meet federal standards, so the law allows some local control while still keeping a national baseline. That matters in New Mexico, where mining has long been tied to jobs, energy production, and debates over land and water. For New Mexico History, SMCRA is less about memorizing the law name and more about seeing a turning point. It marks the shift from mining as a mostly extractive activity to mining as a regulated activity that had to account for environmental costs, public oversight, and restoration after extraction. ## Why It Matters SMCRA belongs in New Mexico History because it helps explain the modern side of the state’s mining story. New Mexico has a long mining tradition, from early mineral extraction to industrial-scale coal and copper production, but the 20th century brought stronger concern about what mining left behind. This law gives you a way to talk about the tension between economic growth and environmental damage. Mining created jobs and supported energy development, but it also changed landscapes and affected water, soil, and nearby communities. When you mention SMCRA in an essay or discussion, you are showing that mining history is not just about production, it is also about regulation and cleanup. It also helps connect New Mexico to wider federal policy. A lot of the state’s economic history makes more sense when you see how national laws shaped local industry. SMCRA is a clear example of the federal government stepping in to set rules for how a resource extraction economy should operate. ## Connections ### Reclamation Reclamation is the cleanup and restoration side of mining, and SMCRA puts that process at the center of the law. In New Mexico History, reclamation shows what happens after extraction, not just during it. You can use this term when describing how mined land is reshaped, replanted, or made usable again after coal operations end. ### Surface Mining Surface mining is the method SMCRA regulates most directly, especially when coal is removed from the land rather than dug through deep shafts. The law matters because surface mining can leave major scars on the landscape. When you connect the two, you are linking the technique of extraction to the environmental and legal response. ### Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) The EPA connects to SMCRA through the broader push for environmental regulation in the late 20th century. Even though SMCRA has its own enforcement structure, it fits into the same national trend of making industry answer for pollution and land damage. In class, this helps you compare mining regulation with other environmental policies. ### [resource extraction economy](/hs-new-mexico-history/key-terms/resource-extraction-economy) New Mexico’s resource extraction economy depends on pulling value from the land, especially through mining and energy production. SMCRA shows the downside of that model, because extraction can create long-term costs that do not end when the coal is removed. This connection is useful when you are writing about jobs, land use, and state development together. ## On the AP Exam A quiz question might ask you to identify SMCRA as the law that required mine operators to reclaim land after surface coal mining. In a short answer or essay, you would usually connect it to the larger story of New Mexico’s mining economy, especially the tradeoff between profit, employment, and environmental damage. If you see a timeline prompt, place it in the late 1970s and link it to federal regulation. If a passage or document mentions stripped land, erosion, or cleanup after coal mining, SMCRA is the policy lens you should think about. In class discussion, you might explain how the act changed the way mining companies approached land use and why state-federal oversight mattered in a place like New Mexico. ## Key Takeaways - SMCRA is the 1977 federal law that regulates surface coal mining and requires damaged land to be restored after mining ends. - In New Mexico History, the term comes up when you study how mining shaped the economy, landscape, and environmental policy of the state. - The law matters because it shows that mining is not only about extracting resources, it is also about what happens to the land afterward. - A reclamation plan is the practical part of SMCRA, since companies have to explain how they will repair the site after operations stop. - If you are writing about mining in New Mexico, SMCRA is a strong example of how federal regulation changed the rules for resource extraction. ## FAQs ### What is Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act in New Mexico History? It is the 1977 federal law that regulates surface coal mining and requires mined land to be restored after operations end. In New Mexico History, it shows how mining was tied to both economic development and environmental regulation. The term is most useful when you are discussing the modern mining era. ### Why was the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act passed? It was passed because surface coal mining was causing serious environmental damage, including erosion, land destruction, and polluted runoff. The law set permit rules and reclamation requirements so mining companies had to plan for cleanup instead of abandoning damaged land. ### How does SMCRA connect to mining in New Mexico? New Mexico has long depended on mining and energy extraction, so SMCRA affected how companies operated in the state. It reflects the tension between jobs and resource production on one side, and land restoration and environmental protection on the other. ### Is SMCRA the same as reclamation? No. Reclamation is the process of repairing mined land, while SMCRA is the law that requires and regulates that process. If you mix them up, think of reclamation as the action and SMCRA as the rulebook. ## Related Study Guides - [10.2 Mining and extractive industries](/hs-new-mexico-history/unit-10/mining-extractive-industries/study-guide/Yo3cqjHHNk5PgnKO) ## About This Document Canonical Fiveable pages are available as Markdown at the same path plus `.md`. - [llms.txt](https://fiveable.me/llms.txt): index of Fiveable's sections and URL patterns - [llms-full.txt](https://fiveable.me/llms-full.txt): complete subject and unit listing - [MCP server](https://fiveable.me/mcp): call Fiveable as tools instead of fetching pages (`https://fiveable.me/api/mcp`) - [MCP server for AP teachers](https://fiveable.me/mcp/teachers): a teacher's classes, assignments and AP-rubric grading (`https://fiveable.me/api/mcp/teacher`) ## Structured Data ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"LearningResource","@id":"https://fiveable.me/hs-new-mexico-history/key-terms/surface-mining-control-and-reclamation-act#resource","name":"Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act | NM History","url":"https://fiveable.me/hs-new-mexico-history/key-terms/surface-mining-control-and-reclamation-act","learningResourceType":"Concept explainer","educationalLevel":"AP® / High School","about":{"@id":"https://fiveable.me/hs-new-mexico-history/key-terms/surface-mining-control-and-reclamation-act#term"},"audience":{"@type":"EducationalAudience","educationalRole":"student"},"dateModified":"2026-07-03T02:22:07.875Z","isPartOf":{"@type":"Collection","name":"New Mexico History Key Terms","url":"https://fiveable.me/hs-new-mexico-history/key-terms"},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Fiveable","url":"https://fiveable.me"}},{"@type":"DefinedTerm","@id":"https://fiveable.me/hs-new-mexico-history/key-terms/surface-mining-control-and-reclamation-act#term","name":"Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act","description":"The Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act is a 1977 U.S. law that regulates coal surface mining and requires mined land to be restored after operations end. In New Mexico History, it comes up when studying mining, land use, and environmental regulation.","url":"https://fiveable.me/hs-new-mexico-history/key-terms/surface-mining-control-and-reclamation-act","inDefinedTermSet":{"@type":"DefinedTermSet","name":"New Mexico History Key Terms","url":"https://fiveable.me/hs-new-mexico-history/key-terms"}},{"@type":"FAQPage","mainEntity":[{"@type":"Question","name":"What is Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act in New Mexico History?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"It is the 1977 federal law that regulates surface coal mining and requires mined land to be restored after operations end. In New Mexico History, it shows how mining was tied to both economic development and environmental regulation. The term is most useful when you are discussing the modern mining era."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"Why was the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act passed?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"It was passed because surface coal mining was causing serious environmental damage, including erosion, land destruction, and polluted runoff. The law set permit rules and reclamation requirements so mining companies had to plan for cleanup instead of abandoning damaged land."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"How does SMCRA connect to mining in New Mexico?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"New Mexico has long depended on mining and energy extraction, so SMCRA affected how companies operated in the state. It reflects the tension between jobs and resource production on one side, and land restoration and environmental protection on the other."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"Is SMCRA the same as reclamation?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"No. Reclamation is the process of repairing mined land, while SMCRA is the law that requires and regulates that process. If you mix them up, think of reclamation as the action and SMCRA as the rulebook."}}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"New Mexico History","item":"https://fiveable.me/hs-new-mexico-history"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Key Terms","item":"https://fiveable.me/hs-new-mexico-history/key-terms"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Unit 10","item":"https://fiveable.me/hs-new-mexico-history/unit-10"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act"}]}]} ```