In the twenty-plus years since the Surface Mine Control And Reclamation Act (SMCRA) was passed into law, successful reclamation of coal mining disturbances has been accomplished. This has not been accomplished easily or without great cost. Industry, research organizations, environmental groups, and regulatory personnel struggled and partnered to develop balanced federal and state regulatory programs. Detailed environmental baseline studies, complicated mine and reclamation plans, and the need to develop methods to achieve and measure successful reclamation threatened to overwhelm the process. Research aided in developing methods and procedures to achieve reclamation and environmental compliance. Operators, realizing the need to move away from agronomic reclamation approaches and adopt an ecological approach, applied practical research on a large scale, developed new technology, and continued the research relationship. The application of best practices and innovation has become a standard of industry reclamation programs. Research studies, baseline data acquisition, and compliance monitoring continue to evolve through the availability of on-site or regional data. Standards for measuring success are now based on more on-site specific postmine land use goals. By necessity, the regulatory process continues to evolve to provide flexibility and better reflect realistic goal achievement while still meeting the intent of SMCRA. However, excessive oversight and reporting requirements, bureaucratic processes, and required mitigation or monitoring that are without technical merit continue to be problematic and limit resources. Environmental compliance and reclamation success are in the best interest of industry and are further guaranteed by the bonding process and effective SMCRA regulation. The results of a conscientious industry effort speak for themselves in the tens of thousands of acres of stable and productive reclaimed lands with successful post mine land use implementation and environmental protection. Yet there is still a public relations need to dispel a persistent public perception that pre-SMCRA mining impacts are still the case. OSMRE's Awards program and the many state and professional recognition programs, validate reclamation results and successes. Continued application of sound reclamation technology, allowance for innovation, a reasonable level of regulatory oversight balanced with economic considerations, and continued industry responsibility and environmental stewardship will continue the reclamation successes and environmental protection mandated by SMCRA.