Aug. 12--LA PLATA -- Seven years ago when the La Plata coal mine operation closed its doors, leveled gravel roads dug into the landscape, navigating football field-sized coal pits while discarded soil was stacked to heights that blocked view of the mountain-ridge horizon to the north.

Today, the 1,700 acres of coal pits are gone. In their place rest recreated rolling hills and valleys, predominately bedded in native vegetation grown tall enough to scrape the knees of passers-by.

Eight months after completion of an innovative reclamation project on the site, the U.S. Department of Interior has recognized mine owner BHP Billiton's innovative restoration program for its early success.

Bestowing the national excellence award upon the La Plata Mine, one of four sites recognized nationwide, the federal Office of Surface Mining determined the reclamation project went beyond industry standards to return coal mines to the land conditions that existed prior to development when the mine was opened in 1986.

"The high level of reclamation you have accomplished through the operation of this mine is a model for others in the coal industry to follow," Surface Mining Acting Director Glenda Owens stated in a letter informing BHP Billiton of the national recognition, which will be presented in October in Washington, D.C.

The La Plata Mine was closed in 2002 after 16 years of surface coal development that generated about 42 million tons of coal for use at the San Juan Generating

Station. But the 1,700 acres of dirt pulled from the ground before workers reached coal layers had to be returned.

The six-year reconstruction project was completed in November 2008.

"I think they did a pretty good job. They went out of their way to do some extra contours and try to utilize some state-of-the-art technology," said Mike Eisenfeld, New Mexico energy coordinator with San Juan Citizen's Alliance, a nonprofit environmental protection group. "I think that they're on the right path."

Charles Roybal, legal counsel with BHP Billiton, said the former mine site's success was not a surprise. Rather, it was a result of environmentally conscious redevelopment.

"I think the award recognizes the extra effort and thought and innovation that has gone into that reclamation," Roybal said.

Rather than level the formerly mined ground surface, BHP Billiton worked to recreate the natural hills and drainage valleys of the land to better promote revegetation and wildlife habitation, said Jim Luther, environmental and health services superintendent with BHP Billiton's San Juan Coal Company.