Reclaiming The Land

Reclaiming The Land. . , These rolling hills are a symbol of American Electric Power's commitment to restoring the land to the same or better condition after mining. Surface mining provided coal to generate electricity to power our homes and businesses. After extracting the coal, the land was graded, seeded with grasses, and planted with trees. Reclamation has restored wildlife habitats and created a recreational resource for all to enjoy., Dr. M. Paul Koller (1894-1972), Forest Engineer with Ohio Power Company, was instrumental in the reclamation efforts of the mined land, now known as The Recreation Land and Jesse Owens State Park and Wildlife Area., In April of 1951, a Rootspred Tree Planting Machine was used for afforestation. Today these forested areas that were created provide wildlife diversity and are managed for sustainability for future generations to enjoy., Tree planting, by hand, was done on the spoil banks using a three-stage planting method. Tree species planted included black locust, sycamore, and oak. This method allowed for the substitution of timber, a renewable resource, for depleting coal resource., Protecting The Environment , In the 1940's Ohio Power Company (AEP) determined that its surface-mined land would be returned to a valuable, useful purpose. As a result, the company was reclaiming and reforesting land well before the state or federal government had enacted any legislation mandating reclamation. By 1972, Ohio Power had planted approximately 39 million trees on reclaimed surface-mined land. New legislation that year required reclaimed land to be seeded and grasses planted resulting in the diversity of the land you see today., AEP's long-standing partnerships with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and other organizations help us fulfill our mission of caring for our customers, building strong communities, and protecting the environment.