State of New Mexico
Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department
The reclamation work included seedlings provided by the Forestry Division,
highlighting inter-division collaboration
SANTA FE, NM – The Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department’s (EMNRD)
Mining and Minerals Division (MMD) has completed reclamation work at the Tin Pan Canyon
Project west of Raton. The project reclaimed an old coal waste pile positioned
next to an intermittent stream and fortified a drainage channel running through the pile with a
rock rundown. The work was completed in collaboration with EMNRD’s Forestry Division and
local business San Isidro Permaculture.
Strawbale terraces were constructed to slow down water runoff and allow vegetation to grow.
More than 5,000 seedlings obtained from the Forestry Division were planted along the terrace
rows after being amended with compost and wood chips to fully reclaim the area. Vermejo Park
Ranch provided erosion control rolls made from wood chips produced on the ranch and rock for
the engineered drainage channel. Design and construction oversight of the engineered drainage
channel was completed by Natural Channel Design. Reclamation projects benefit local
communities by creating jobs across multiple sectors, bringing both environmental and
economic benefits.
“Bringing lands impacted by mining back to beneficial use is one of the core missions of our
Division and this project is a unique example of our work,” said MMD Director Jerry
Schoeppner. “Partnering with Forestry to plant trees, enhance carbon sequestration on this site,
and employ a local business exemplifies the collaborative approach we always strive for when
working on reclamation projects.”
The Tin Pan coal mine operated in the early 1900s before any environmental regulations
existed. It got its name when an early prospector nailed a tin plate to a tree, high in the canyon,
as a sign to find his place.
The reclamation work was funded by the Abandoned Mine Reclamation Fund, a federal grant
financed by a collection of fees on coal production throughout the United States. The law
authorizing the fee is set to expire on September 30, 2021. Legislation has been proposed to
reauthorize the fee collection for 15 more years.
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The Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department provides resource protection and renewable energy
resource development services to the public and other state agencies.
http://www.emnrd.state.nm.us
Contact: Susan Torres
Public Information Officer, EMNRD
susan.torres@state.nm.us
505-476-3226
1220 South St. Francis Drive Santa Fe, New Mexico 87505
Phone (505) 476-3200 Fax (505) 476-3220 www.emnrd.state.nm.us
