BCI surveys an abandoned uranium mine for bat habitat. Photo: Bat Conservation International.
In September 2025, contractors completed work to close 20 mine features by backfilling mine openings, installing bat-friendly closure gates, fencing dangerous highwalls, plugging drill holes and removing solid waste. Because they are no longer maintained, increasing the risk of collapse and injury to visitors, the structures can become unstable over time.
The project focused on five historic mine sites where workers addressed dangerous openings and other hazards, according to the information available on BLM’s website. The BLM said entering abandoned mine sites on public lands can be dangerous and, in some cases, fatal. The BLM said these levels were linked to remaining mineralisation and were another important reason to prevent public entry into the sites.
The need for the work was linked to the condition of the abandoned mines.
Because of natural processes and human interference, abandoned mine sites continue to change.
One of the plants identified was thick-leaved bladderpod, which the BLM said occurs only in the Pryor Mountain foothills area. However, the BLM said the work does not end when the physical closure is completed. Dan Seifert, BLM Montana/Dakotas Abandoned Mine Lands and Hazmat programme lead, said continued monitoring is necessary to make sure the closures remain effective. “We need to acknowledge that we can’t just walk away from these sites after closure work – gravity and erosion continue to occur and mine grates are often vandalized and broken into,” Seifert said.
The presence of wildlife meant that the mine closures had to be planned carefully. BCI personnel worked with an interdisciplinary team of resource specialists to identify biological resources and determine how they should be protected during the project. Rare plants were also considered before reclamation work began.
BLM Botanist Eric Puetz marked rare plant populations before the mine closure work.
