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Surface Mining Land Conservation and Reclamation Act
The Division of Conservation (DOC) is responsible for administering the Surface-Mining Land Conservation and Reclamation Act (Mined Land Reclamation Program). The Act requires that producers who mine industrial materials or minerals of commercial value such as sand, gravel, limestone, clay, gypsum, shale, sandstone, silt, caliche, volcanic ash or salt be licensed to operate a mine, produers also have to register their mining sites, file a reclamation plan for each site, submit a reclamation bond and reclaim mining sites upon completion of mining operations.
The major industries affected by the Act include companies and counties who surface mine sand, gravel and limestone for aggregate. The mining of coal, production of oil and gas and mining within the banks of streams are not subject to the Act. The DOC administers the Surface Mining Land Conservation and Reclamation Act (K.S.A. 49-601-624) that became effective July 1, 1994. The purpose of the program is to ensure any land disturbed for mining purposes, other than coal and gas, is reclaimed.
A Reclamation Plan and a Reclamation Bond is required when a company applies for a license and registers a site. K.A.R. 11-8-8 has established the reclamation bond amounts at $400.00 per acre for sand and gravel operations, and $600.00 per acre for all other minerals. Some counties require a reclamation bond greater than the established amount to meet their conditional use order. The program requires an Annual Report and Site Registration Renewal each year indicating the number of acres affected and tons of material produced. Daily operations and conditional use orders outlined in the company's operational plan are usually not a part of the program. Rather, the program is more involved at the closing stages of a site to assist in final reclamation planning and inspection to assure reclamation requirements have been met. When all requirements are met, the Reclamation Bond can be released.
RALIS - Reclamation Ag Lime Information System
The Kansas Department of Agriculture has begun implementing a requirement that all licensing and registration renewals for all agency programs be completed online.
The new system addresses all program licensing, registration, and reporting requirements. The official name for the database is Reclamation Ag Lime Information System (RALIS).
Below is the link to RALIS; we recommend saving this link to your desktop, as it will be used to renew your mining license, which is due December 31 of each year, as well as completing your Annual Mine Report, which is due April 1 of each year.
Governor's Mined Land Reclamation Award
Each year producers, private and county, are encouraged to submit applications for outstanding reclamation work completed during the previous year. A review committee made up of six representatives from agencies who have programs involving natural resources review the applications and select the award recipient. The award is presented by the Governor or a representative of the Governor at the Kansas Aggregate Producer's Association Annual Conference held in January. The state winner's application is then submitted for consideration for the National Association of State Land Reclamationists (NASLR) Non-coal Reclamation Award.
- Governor's Mined Land Reclamation Award Brochure
- Governor's Mined Land Reclamation Award Application
Award Recipients
Latest News
Mid-States Materials, LLC wins 2025 Governor’s Mined Land Reclamation Award
Mid-States Materials, LLC received the 2025 Governor’s Mined Land Reclamation Award from the Kansas Department of Agriculture’s Division of Conservation on January 8, 2026.
This award recognizes companies that excel in implementing mined land reclamation and convey a positive image of mining in Kansas; Mid-States Materials was recognized for their reclamation work on the Big Springs Quarry near Lecompton. The quarry is 2,000 total acres, and 160 acres were reclaimed in this “Purple Phase” of the reclamation project.
In this reclamation project, great focus and care was placed into soil stabilization and creating conditions to re-establish the soils micro-ecosystems for vegetation to thrive. Seeding was completed with a focus on promoting biodiversity and micro-ecosystem regeneration so that the final design and outcome uniquely addressed the common practice of creating monoculture prairies which stress the aboveground ecosystems, depleting soils.
Mid-States created a stable and biologically diverse prairie pasture as well as a thriving wetlands feature, ensuring the land can provide for both current and future generations of ranchers along with supporting local wildlife. The reclamation project occurred concurrently with mining operations and was completed as soon as practical after quarrying was complete.
Mid-States Materials is based in Topeka, Kansas; it operates multiple quarry locations in Kansas and has approximately 150 employees.
For more information about the Governor’s Mined Land Reclamation Award, contact Christina Koelzer at KDA Division of Conservation, 785-564-6626 or Christina.Koelzer@ks.gov.
Statutes and Regulations
- Surface Mining Land Conservation and Reclamation Act Statutes
- Division of Conservation Rules and Regulations
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