Across Appalachia, drones are revealing what land managers could never see from the ground. They are identifying hidden mine fires, unstable slopes, invasive species, and early signs of ecological recovery. While many people associate drones with wildfire mapping or law enforcement, one of their most important uses is happening quietly on former coal mines and legacy energy infrastructure. In these places, drones are transforming how we understand and restore some of the region's most challenging landscapes.

For the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, this transformation began more than a decade ago. The Appalachian Region Technical Support Division started experimenting with drone technology in 2011, using surplus military aircraft to determine whether aerial data could make mine investigations safer and more efficient. In 2012, the program expanded through a partnership with the U.S. Geological Survey. Together, they explored how aerial imagery could support reclamation science.

Today, OSMRE Director Lanny Erdos said years of dedicated work have resulted in the efficient use of drone technology to facilitate data-driven reclamation. "The program, using the latest drone technology, brings to bear a variety of resources in greatly informing our reclamation work," said Erdos, who noted his agency currently uses the Skydio X10, which carries a wide-view camera, a narrow-view camera, and a thermal sensor that identifies temperature variations across landscapes. "Years of experience with these tools have prepared the agency to team up with partners like the Pittsburgh Botanic Garden to demonstrate the real-world impact of drones on the key work we do."

This progress connects directly to the bureau's broader scientific mission. Since 2005, the National Applied Science Program has supported research dedicated to protecting public and environmental health in coal communities. During that time, the program has invested in more than one hundred projects led by universities, state agencies, and nonprofit partners. Many of the tools that are in use today, including modern drone-based workflows, are the result of this steady investment in practical scientific solutions.

Autumn Olive Canopy Model Training Polygons (Red) and Convolutional Neural Network Model Predictions (Orange) on top of an Orthomosaic. One recent project shows how these efforts are coming together. In 2022, researchers at West Virginia University began studying how drones and artificial intelligence could help land managers address autumn olive, an invasive shrub that spreads quickly across reclaimed lands. The team used high-resolution aerial imagery to train a computer model that can identify the plant at different growth stages. This approach gives land managers a faster way to locate new infestations and focus restoration work where Text Box 1, Textbox it will have the greatest impact. It demonstrates how artificial intelligence can turn ordinary drone flights into valuable ecological information.

To understand how well the model would work outside its original study area, the research team tested it at the Pittsburgh Botanic Garden. Portions of the garden had recently been reclaimed and restored with modern reclamation techniques, which created an ideal setting to evaluate the model's accuracy. The site offered a mixture of restored terrain and diverse vegetation, allowing the team to see how well the model performs in a real landscape. Successful detection of autumn olive in this environment would help land managers assess the progress of reclamation and plan more targeted management strategies.

Bureau staff conducted a drone flight using the Skydio X10 on Oct. 22, 2025. Although the purpose of the flight was to maintain pilot proficiency, the imagery collected over a recently restored area will also support evaluation of the artificial intelligence model. The data will help determine whether the model can identify autumn olive in locations beyond the original research sites. As the analysis continues, the team aims to show how the combination of drones and artificial intelligence can support stronger invasive species management and healthier restored mine lands throughout the region.

What began as early experimentation with surplus equipment has grown into a powerful scientific capability. Drones are now helping advance reclamation, protect communities, and guide stewardship of the region's legacy energy landscapes. As technology continues to improve, the story of drone-based mine land science is only at the beginning.

Want to see how this work comes together behind the scenes? Explore the Applied Science Program and the Forestry Reclamation Approach, review the Final Report, and download the Fact Sheet.