Announcement of the Bureau of Land Management 2008 Reclamation and Sustainable Mineral Development Awards Program; DD: 11/30/2007; 03/07/2008; 04/07/2008

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT Washington, D.C. 20240 October 16, 2007 In Reply Refer To: 3500/3600/3800 (320) P EMS TRANSMISSION 10/18/2007 Instruction Memorandum No. 2008-010 Expires: 09/30/2009 To: All Field Officials From: Assistant Director, Minerals, Realty & Resource Protection Subject: Announcement of the Bureau of Land Management 2008 Reclamation and Sustainable Mineral Development Awards Program DD: 11/30/2007;03/07/2008; 04/07/2008 Program Areas: Locatable Minerals (3800), Mineral Materials (3600), and Solid Leasable Minerals (3500). Purpose: The Bureau of Land Management’s 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 2008 awards program, including the deadline for submission of nominations as well as other deadlines. The four award categories are: The Hardrock Mineral Environmental Award, The Hardrock Mineral Community Outreach and Economic Security Award, The Hardrock Mineral Small Operator Award, and The Hardrock Mineral Director’s Award. The purpose of all four categories of 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 will illustrate our understanding of sustainable development—development that meets the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own 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 2008 award program that may be distributed to the public. It includes information on the nomination and selection processes, including specific criteria for the fourcategories 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 room. 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) operations nationally, without regard to land ownership. Organizations in the solid minerals industries (non-coal) are also encouraged to apply. In furtherance of the BLM/U.S. 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 BLM State Offices is March 7, 2008. By November 30, 2007, please email to Mary Linda Ponticelli at Mary_Ponticelli@blm.gov the name of the BLM State Office contact for the awards program. 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 will need to 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 April 7, 2008. 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 pertinent deadlines related to the guidance set forth in this IM, which is effective immediately: November 30, 2007 - Name of State Office coordinator to be submitted to WO-320 March 7, 2008 - Deadline for award nominations to be filed with State Offices April 7, 2008 - Deadline for State Office 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 for the past eighteen years. 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 2008 awards program will mark the sixth year for the BLM’s awards program. Manual/Handbook Sections Effected: 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 2008 award program and invited to submit nominations. Contact: Please address any questions related to this Instruction Memorandum to Mary Linda Ponticelli, Solid Minerals Division (WO-320), at (202) 452-5083. Signed by: Authenticated by: Bob Anderson Robert M. Williams Acting, Assistant Director Division of IRM Governance,WO-560 Minerals, Realty and Resource Protection 1 Attachment 1 – Award Program Description (8 pp)