ABANDONED MINE LANDS SURVEY ON THE BUFFALO NATIONAL RIVER

The National Park Service has been directed to complete a survey of abandoned mine lands that are located on park property. Abandoned mine lands include all mine types such as gravel, coal, and industrial minerals. Mineral lands are considered abandoned when no responsible party can be identified and responsibility falls on NPS for mitigating safety hazards and remediating environmental impacts. The Buffalo National River was heavily mined during the middle 1800s through the early 1900s. The area was mined for lead and zinc deposits. These mineral bodies are present in limestone, dolostone, and chert beds of Paleozoic age and are often associated with local structural incongruities. There are numerous safety hazards in abandoned mines to include loose and falling rock, drop-offs, bad air, undetonated explosives, and decaying structures. Environmental impacts include contamination of surface and groundwater, soil, vegetation, and aquatic life. Included in the mission of surveying abandoned mine lands is to preserve the historic and cultural value of the mine lands. At Buffalo National River the history of mining is incorporated into interpretive programs. Also included in the management of abandoned mine lands is the consideration for special wildlife habitats. Bats frequently utilize abandoned mine areas and the threat of white-nose syndrome is a concern, this factor should be considered in the remediation of abandoned mine lands. The key concepts of the AML program include creating an accurate mine inventory, and utilizing the data to rank the sites. Planning site remediation and obtaining funding to implement site remediation and any necessary monitoring of remediated sites. The first of these steps was accomplished by a multidisciplinary team of Student Temporary Employment Program (S.T.E.P.), which included geology, GIS, archaeology, and soil students. The students utilized previous mine documentation, along with GPS, and LIDAR to locate the areas. Field work was required to access, map, document, and photograph the mine locations.