Last week, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar yesterday launched a process designed to integrate the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSM) into the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The Secretarial Order issued will become effective December 1, 2011, following consultation with the White House, employees and Congress. Specifically, the Order directs OSM and BLM to develop by March 1, 2012 a plan to integrate four primary areas: Administrative Support Functions; Environmental Restoration of Abandoned Mine Lands; Fee Collections; Regulation, Inspection and Enforcement and State Program Oversight. Use the links below to view the full Secretarial Order and a corresponding Q&A document.

Links: Secretarial Order, Department Q&A