Our commitment to reclamation begins with actively implementing new land reclamation techniques developed by researchers at educational institutions like Virginia Tech. Our Forestry Reclamation approach uses a proven five step technique for reclaiming mined lands
Alpha collaborates regularly with educational institutions like Virginia tech to identify new techniques for land reclamation. These efforts have resulted in the development of the Forestry Reclamation approach. This approach was developed under the leadership of Forestry professor James Burger through the Powell River Project’s (Link for more info to Powell River Project) partnership with Virginia Tech. We are an industry leader in implementing the Forestry Reclamation Approach as a standard practice on our active mining sites.
The Forestry Reclamation approach is a five step process which leads to efficient land reclamation
Research has shown that the depth of the rooting medium is essential for good tree growth on the mined sites. The Forestry Reclamation approach uses a minimum of 4 feet of depth for the rooting medium
Compacted growth mediums hinder the development of roots and results in poor reclamation. The Forestry Reclamation approach uses loose grading of the root medium which gives rise to a non-compacted growth medium
Ground cover is an important step in the reclamation process. Ground Cover prevents soil run-off and provides a rich medium of native wildlife to flourish. The Forestry Reclamation approach uses herbaceous ground cover that is compatible with the local flora and fauna and with the newly planted trees
Balancing Soil Stability and Wildlife support with commercial interests is an important goal for the Forestry Reclamation approach. Planting two different kinds of trees helps in supporting the goals of reclamation. The early succession species of trees help in Soil Stability and wildlife conservation. Valuable crop trees like native hardwoods are planted to support commercial interests
Proper tree planning techniques are essential for long term tree growth in our mined lands. The Forestry Reclamation approach provides detailed recommendations for proper tree planting like root depth, ground cover and tree spacing and we reclaim our mined lands using those techniques
The Forestry Reclamation approach is very efficient in reclaiming lands that the Mining regulatory agencies like the US Office of Surface Mining and Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy advocate its use on surface mine permits that are being prepared for forested post-mining land uses.