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<br />D R AFT <br /> <br />studies conducted during this 5-year program included plant and tree <br />phenology, animal populations and distributions, silver accumulation <br />and its effects, and a historical climatology and ecological overview. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />It is the most extensive study of the ecological effects of cloud <br />seeding in mountain environments completed to date. Additional <br />analyses applicable to seeding project conducted in mountain regions <br />are the Skywater IX Conference on "Precipitation Management and the <br />Env ironment," the San Juan Ecology Project, and the programmat ic <br />Project Skywater Final Environmental Statement 34/ 35/ 36/. <br /> <br />The results of these studies led to a consensus in the scientific <br />community that no significant environmental effects will occur during <br />the time frame spanned by a short-term (5 to 10 years) cloud seeding <br />research program. A project environmental assessment and, if necessary, <br />an E!nvironmental impact statement will be prepared for the Confirmatory <br />Phas,e as required by the National Environmental Policy Act, Council <br />on Environmental Quality Regulations, and Department of the Interior <br />and Bureau of Reclamation guidelines. <br /> <br />C' <br /> <br />Avalanches present a special environmental issue. More snow often <br />tends to increase avalanche frequency, although less than the percent <br />increase of snowfall. The avalanche hazard is also increasing in <br />many mountain areas with growing human activity. Research on avalanche <br />conditions and forecasting their occurrence provide a basis for <br /> <br />" <br /> <br />49 <br />