How coal strip-mined areas can be reclaimed

Includes bibliographical references.Includes maps.It was in the summer of 1953 in Dr. Robert Bullington’s advanced eoology class that I first became interested in the reclamation of spoil banks. We had just spent an afternoon field trip tramping all over the recently stripped area at Morris, Illinois. The follow-up assignment was to reforest the area. This was interesting and delightful. The next to the last day of summer school Dr. Bullington showed us some reprints and a very attractive black glassed booklet containing beautiful pictures of reclamation that seemed somehow to challenge me. Historically speaking, strip mining is not relatively new. Before Alexander the Great swept into the Nile Valley the Egyptians mined copper. During the Civil Aar this practice caused very little excitement. Since that time interest hasn’t grown too steadily until just recently when farmers especially are becoming more or less alarmed. The subject is rather new in the experimental field and some progress is being made. Obviously, the conclusions that are drawn from this study will be based on the reclamation success of other areas. To restore the land to its former beauty, use, or productivity is not the present goal, but to preserve the soil and make its production valuable. A statement of my problem is: How Coal Strip-Mined Areas Can Be Reclaimed.M.S. (Master of Science