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Underground Mine Map (UGMM) Initiative

Underground mine maps provide vital information for making decisions on land use development and environmental protection.

In 2003, following benchmarking workshops, OSMRE developed the Underground Mine Map (UGMM) initiative. Between 2005 and 2012, OSMRE partnered with the Interstate Mining Compact Commission (IMCC) to further the preservation, archiving, and distribution of underground mine maps with state coal mining agencies. This partnership has provided  cooperative agreements, development of consistencies with regard to the preservation, archiving, and distribution of mine maps, and to provide technology transfer amongst the states with abandoned/active coal mines.

Currently, various stakeholders either own or have access to libraries of hard copy mine maps totaling in the hundreds of thousands.

The goal of the UGMM Initiative is to develop a set of best practices for preserving, archiving, and distributing mine maps, as well as seeing this process to fruition. A part of this effort is the identification of practices for geo-referencing and manipulation of electronic maps using standard geospatial tools. These best practices will allow OSMRE and the States to identify resource needs and develop a set of voluntary standards for addressing the need for underground mine maps in a cost effective manner. OSMRE and the States are also looking at options for funding projects and long-term approaches to ensure that maps are available to a broad array of customers.

The goal of the UGMM Initiative is to develop a set of best practices for preserving, archiving, and distributing mine maps, as well as seeing this process to fruition.

Preference will be given to those projects that concentrate on underground, abandoned coal mines.

Recipients must be from an official US State or Indian Tribal agency or US. Territory within whose borders underground mining has occurred. Applicants may have partners contributing access to maps, funding, and/or in-kind services.

The timing of solicitation distribution for underground mine map projects, will vary by fiscal year.

The Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement The Interstate Mining Compact Commission State Offices for Miner's Health and Safety State Offices for Abandoned Mine Lands State Geological Surveys