ABSTRACT
The occurrence of surface coal mining is increasing and, as a result, a need has developed for a logical method for choosing post-mining land uses. Pending federal legislation will require mine operators to reclaim their site for the “utility and capacity of the reclaimed land to support a variety of alternative uses.” Strip mining can create level land that can later be employed for industrial or commercial development. When determining land use, many factors must be considered, including competing uses for the same land and the problem of providing for the use of marginal and sub-marginal land for urban-type development because of population and commercial pressures. The function of the suitability matrix is to demonstrate the degrees of suitability among several variables. Urban, recreational, agricultural, and other unrelated use types have been placed in a matrix with seven main categories of the major physical and spatial characteristics of the area.
