BUREAU OF GEOLOGY


adverse effects on wildlife. This specific alternative should be considered
by the Division of Land Resources during the processing of each mining
permit.
 "Specific standards and permit conditions are needed for the estab-
lishment of wildlife habitat as a required part of all reclamation plans. A
mechanism should be implemented by the Division of Land Resources to
ensure that these wildlife mitigation measures continue on reclaimed
land after reclamation is formally completed, even if ownership changes.
Conservation easements may well be the most promising approach for
general application.
 "Wildlife is not amenable to monitoring standards as permit condi-
tions. A modest wildlife research effort should be instituted, the financial
cooperation of the mine operators should be encouraged, and mitigation
of impacts on wildlife included both in permit conditions and research
efforts.
 "The recommendations of the Governor's Coastal Water Management
Task Force for the protection of nursery areas should be extended to
include the impacts of peat mining, and the recommendations should be
implemented as soon as possible. Mining permit and NPDES permit con-
ditions should be used to protect nursery areas by means of monitoring,
control structures, buffer strips, and limits on the local and ultimate
extent of mining. Reclamation plans should be designed to promote the
long-term protection of nursery areas and other estuarine resources. The
advice of the Division of Marine Fisheries should be sought in formulating
these permit conditions.
 "This recommendation reflects the task force's view that the overall,
long-term impacts of mining peat in North Carolina will be greatly influ-
enced by the impacts of the reclamation activities that follow mining.
The Mining Act of 1971 recognizes the importance of careful reclama-
tion and allows the mining permit to be conditioned upon state accep-
tance of reclamation plans and procedures to avoid and minimize recla-
mation problems. Its reclamation provisions are adequate to ensure that
reclamation will include appropriate measures to prevent or reduce these
impacts.
 "The same measures recommended for wildlife can also be used to
maintain the long-term preventive measures necessary for protection of
primary nursery areas. An example of this is the use of conservation
easements to protect forested buffer strips installed to fulfill mining per-
mit conditions. Similarly, estuarine buffer strips to protect nursery areas'
water quality could come under a conservation easement. Other
approaches also need to be investigated and, when appropriate, imple-
mented. The Division of Land Resources should receive the active coop-
eration of the Division of Marine Fisheries in identifying key nursery
areas, assessing the impacts of individual project proposals and mitiga-
tion plans, and setting priorities for actions necessary to protect these
vital areas.