I've written a guide to answer your question, here is the link:http://empireminecraft.com/threads/guide-screen-shots.2706/
There's no point fixing the area within the Yellow reset box - It'll eventually get reset, and until then, anything you build or fix will get destroyed. I'm all for fixing things, but not for banging my head off a brick wall, which this is.
Strip mining in itself is extremely safe and proficcient, but doing it so close to the spawn is not only selfious, its self destructive. next time someone walks out into the wild, they may be greeted with a deathly fall. A good strip mine would be one started slightly underground, and taken care of.
I Will Post One And Start On SMP4 But I Cant Pay. http://empireminecraft.com/threads/fix-the-wild-free-rupees-smp4.4352/
You can travel to any server, it's just the Utopia Wilderness that is off limits to non-supporters, I think.