A reclamation project in Greene-Sullivan State Forest, near Pleasantville in Sullivan County, Indiana, has won the highest regional award that the federal Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement presents each year. According to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, the South Lake Highwall Project eliminated 3,550 linear feet of dangerous highwalls and revegetated 71 of its more than 81 acres. The release lists enhanced wildlife habitat among the results. DNR’s Abandoned Mine Land program carried out the work with the DNR Division of Forestry and Jefferson Township. The sections below set out what the release says about it.
How did Indiana’s South Lake Highwall Project restore the forest
According to the release, the honour is called the Interior States Region Abandoned Mine Land (AML) Reclamation Award. It was presented to DNR Reclamation’s AML program at the National Association of Abandoned Mine Land Programs conference on 6 October 2025. The release describes it as the highest regional award that OSMRE presents annually. The winning project is named the South Lake Highwall Project. It combined the work of DNR’s AML program with the cooperative efforts of the DNR Division of Forestry and Jefferson Township.The release includes comments from state and federal officials. OSMRE Director Lanny Erdos said the Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation Awards recognise the most outstanding examples of reclamation work in the nation, and that Indiana continues to distinguish itself through consistent excellence. He said the project shows how innovation and strong community collaboration can “turn legacy coal mining hazards into safer, more sustainable spaces.” According to Governor Mike Braun, reclaiming former mine land makes Indiana’s forests safer, healthier and more accessible, while restoring land for recreation, wildlife and future generations.
PC: Indiana Department of Natural Resources
How were 3,550 feet of highwalls eliminated
The release states that the project covered more than 81 acres. Of these, 10.5 acres were water and 71 acres were revegetated. A total of 3,550 linear feet of dangerous highwalls were eliminated, and roughly 49 acres of spoil slopes were graded. According to the release, AML projects are designed to transform former mine land so that safety, health and environmental hazards are restored or addressed.The release also describes work on water and waste. At least five acid seeps were addressed. A number of deposits of coal waste and other materials were buried to prevent acid mine drainage. Kit Turpin, DNR’s AML program director, said in the release that the work on Greene-Sullivan State Forest demonstrates how thoughtful engineering and planning can restore naturalised beauty and native hardwoods and improve water quality on a post-industrial landscape.
How did the project improve recreation and accessibility
According to the release, the project delivered benefits beyond safety and environmental improvements. It provided improved ecological services and increased quality hardwoods. It also added hardwood regeneration research plots and increased accessibility, including opportunities for recreation. The release adds that the project enhanced wildlife habitat. These outcomes are listed for the project as a whole.Turpin said the project made major gains in recreational accessibility, so that all Hoosiers can enjoy those benefits. DNR Director Alan Morrison said that, thanks to the work and collaboration on projects like this, many now-favourite spots for outdoor recreation across southern Indiana are former coal mining sites that visitors would never know had been mined. He called the award-winning project at Greene-Sullivan State Forest an excellent example of work that reclaims former mine land for safety and recreation.
How long has Indiana’s AML program been reclaiming mine land
The release says the award continues Indiana AML’s award-winning tradition. The program also earned the Interior States Award in 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022 and 2024. The Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation Awards were established in 1992. They recognise exemplary state and Tribal reclamation projects that reclaim coal mine sites abandoned before the signing of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977. Since 1982, Indiana’s AML program has restored more than 2,600 AML construction sites, covering approximately 25,659 acres of pre-law abandoned coal mines and related impacts.DNR administers the surface coal mining laws for Indiana. The release says the AML program is responsible for eliminating threats to the public and environment that remain from coal mining activity before the enactment of current law. It is available to public and private landowners experiencing negative impacts from legacy mining. Because reclamation funding is distributed based on need, the program is cataloguing future projects, and Indiana’s eligibility for federal grants depends on the state’s inventory of abandoned mine land.
