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only retard their growth and establishment and ability to fix nitrogen. Further, the use of <br /> fertilizers can and often does introduce nitrates into the upper reaches of the watershed and can <br /> induce severe difficulties with the establishment of aquatic vegetation in wet areas as well as <br /> eutrophication of aquatic systems. Fertilizers will also encourage the establishment of weedy <br /> species. <br /> Most tundra soils are thin and stony or rocky. Native species establishment in the alpine <br /> tundra usually occurs as a result of seeds being lodged beneath stones and rocks where they have <br /> a more consistently moist environment and the seedlings can be somewhat protected from the <br /> intense infra-red and ultra-violet radiation in high altitude habitats. Therefore, stones and rocks <br /> are the primary"mulch"material in the tundra. Adding other mulches results in a decline in plant <br /> available nitrogen and because most tundra species are well adapted to living in low to moderate <br /> nitrogen levels, adding mulches interferes with the ability of native species to acclimate to long- <br /> term nitrogen levels in the soil. <br /> In the bond calculations,cost for fertilizer and mulch was included. These costs should <br /> not be included as they will no longer be a part of the reclamation. In alpine tundra both actions <br /> tend to cause more problems than they solve. <br /> ADDITIONAL FUTURE CHANGES TO THE PERMIT: <br /> Although it is not known exactly how many acres are disturbed on the site or what <br /> volumes of earth actually need to be moved to produce the intended topography, once the snow <br /> melts and the site is accessible, a site visit may be made to determine whether the reclamation <br /> costs can be further reduced with some additional"modernization'of the plan. This could <br /> include modifications to the grading plan, calculations of actual volumes that need to be moved, <br /> and,of course, determining the actual area of disturbance. At the same time, invading native <br /> vegetation can be examined with possibly further modifications of the seed mix to more fully <br /> integrate the seed mix with invasion patterns. In tundra habitats it is often very important to rely <br /> more heavily on invasion of local ecotypes than seeded ecotypes. That is, once it is known what <br /> is invading and how it is invading,the seed mixture can be adjusted or modified to complement <br /> and aid in that invasion process so the final vegetation can be reached more quickly than simply <br /> relying on seeded plant materials. <br /> It is also possible that a temporary cessation will be sought at a later date or the <br /> introduction of language into the permit that would effectively include provisions for temporary <br /> cessation into the permit itself. <br /> Any additional revisions would probably not be submitted until late July or August of <br /> 2008. <br /> Technical Revision - Bullger Basin Placer M-1985-022 May 19, 2008 Page 2 of 2 <br />