Bonding

A bond is a financial guarantee, given to provide assurance to one party that another party will fulfill an obligation it has undertaken to perform. Under a bond, the principal on a personal bond is responsible to fulfill a contractual obligation. If the principal does not perform the contractual obligation, the bond may be collected. 

The operator on the notice or plan must be the principal (obligor) on the bond.  If the principal is not the operator, then a bond rider is required to cover operations conducted by the operator. 

The BLM and many states require a surface management bond on all so-called “3809 notices and plans of operation,” which are those governed by the 43 CFR Subpart 3809.  These regulations require anyone intending to develop mineral resources on the public lands to prevent unnecessary or undue degradation of the land and reclaim disturbed areas. To guarantee this you must file a bond. You may be able to file a joint bond to demonstrate that the operator/principal is bound to the United States and the state where you plan to operate. In those cases, the financial instrument must be payable to the United States and the state.  Check with you local BLM office and your state government for specific guidance.