Sets new rules for hardrock mining on federal lands. Existing claims and related processing sites are brought under a leasing-and-royalty system, with clear permits, plans, and reclamation bonds to prevent unnecessary or undue environmental harm and to clean up abandoned mines.

Agencies must consult early and meaningfully with Indian Tribes before actions that could affect tribal interests. A new Abandoned Hardrock Mine Reclamation Program is funded in part by a per‑ton fee on displaced material, along with royalty revenues, and includes reporting, enforcement, inspections, public transparency, and citizen‑suit provisions. Small miner leases are defined with specific fees, rentals, renewals, and an exemption from the per‑ton reclamation fee.