Stream Protection and Vegetation Restoration Act

The Stream Protection and Vegetation Restoration Act amends the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act to strengthen reclamation requirements for coal mining operations. It sets specific deadlines for completing backfilling and grading after coal removal (e.g., 60 days for contour mining, 180 days for area mining) and requires coal operators to submit production recovery plans if operations halt for over six months within a three-year period. The bill mandates quarterly water quality monitoring during mining, annual assessments of stream health to measure restoration progress, and inspections of runoff controls after major storms. These provisions directly affect coal mining companies and state/federal agencies overseeing mining permits and reclamation compliance.