The IDL regulates surface mining and the surface effects of underground mining in the state of Idaho. Surface mining is the extraction of minerals from the ground by removing the soil and rock over the mineral deposits. Underground mining is the extraction of minerals from beneath the surface of the ground by means of an adit, shaft, tunnel, decline, portal, bore hole, drill hole for solution mining, or such other means of access beneath the surface of the ground, other than a pit.
The Idaho Mined Land Reclamation Act, passed in 1971, requires reclamation of affected lands to return them to a productive condition.
Read more about the Mined Land Reclamation Act and see the Mined Land Reclamation Act FAQs.
Read more about IDL procedures on the Agency Guidance Documents page.
Forms
- Application for Reclamation Plan Approval
- Notice of Surface Mining Operations to be Conducted by a City, County, Highway District or Federal Agency
- Financial Assurance Information and Instructions packet
- BAF Informational Packet– updated June 2020
- Assignment of Reclamation Plan
- Documentation of Completed Reclamation Work Request for Financial Assurance Release
Statutes and Rules
Statutes:
- Idaho Code – Title 47, Chapter 15, Idaho Mined Land Reclamation Act
- Idaho Code – Title 47, Chapter 18, Section 1803, Reclamation Fund Created – Financial Assurance
Rules:
- IDAPA 20.03.02 – Rules Governing Mined Land Reclamation
- IDAPA 20.03.03 – Rules Governing Administration of the Reclamation Fund
IDAPA 20.03.03 Rules Governing Administration of the Reclamation Fund, is currently going through the rulemaking process. For more information, please visit the IDL Rulemaking Page.
Contacts
Department Contact – Boise Staff Office
Eric Wilson, Bureau Chief
Resource Protection and Assistance Bureau
Regulatory Minerals Program
(208) 334-0261
ewilson@idl.idaho.gov
For questions specific to a location, please contact the nearest Supervisory Area
Additional Resources
Mining Claims
The IDL does not regulate patented and unpatented mining claims. Mining claims are federally managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). If you have questions about purchasing a claim or about a claim you own or manage, please go to the Idaho BLM Mining Claims website.
For information on locating mining claims in Idaho, please visit this informational website.
For information about what a mining claim is, please visit this informational website.