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<br />The mill tailings consist of compacted, fine-grained, ]ight~olored, siliceous, <br />sandy material that have very few of the essential chemical elements or physi- <br />cal properties needed for plant growth. 'Therefore, special reclamation techni- <br />ques will be employed to establish a permanent, self-sustaining, and diverse <br />cover of vegetation on the land surface affected by the impoundment of the mill <br />tailings. Because the tailings retention structure has three sloping aides and a <br />relatively flat surface, the species selection, site preparation, and planting <br />methods for these two areas will address their different physical characteris- <br />tics. The tailings impoundment area will be reclaimed in a manner that estab- <br />lishes agrowth of pine trees and low shrubs along the starter dike, a rover of <br />natrve grasses over the tailings embankment, and a meadow of grasses and <br />scattered trees and shrubs on the flat surface of the former tailings pond. <br />The re vegetation part of the reclamation plan for the tailings impoundment <br />area will be implemented over a period of several year, and will involve four <br />separate phases. `these four phases have been planned to coincide with the <br />physical stabilization and consolidation of the mill tailings, which will depend <br />upon the rate of tailings deposition. The first phase will be centered around <br />field tests; the second phase will concentrate on establishing a cover of stab- <br />ilizingvegetation on the sloping sides of the starter dike and the tailings em- <br />bankment; the third phase will focus on developing an effective growth of <br />grasses on the former tailings pond; and the fourth phase will be directed <br />towards creating a diverse cover of trees and shrubs on the reclaimed tailings <br />pond. <br />The re vegetation of the tailings dam embankment will commence during the <br />first year after tailings deposition has finally ended. Inasmuch act the starter <br />dike is similar in composition and texture tp portions of the mine dumps, the <br />same re vegetation methods will be used to reclaim this part of the tailings <br />dam Trees and shrubs will be planted in specially treated and improved soil <br />that will be transported to the site. Between 30 and 40 trees ranging in height <br />from 3 to 6 feet will be planted every 15 feet along the starter dike's southeast- <br />ern face. Approximately 40 shrubs will be planted between the trees. The <br />indict noun tree and shrub species that will be planted on the starter dike will <br />be selected from the same list of species that will be used to determine the <br />vegetation for transplanting onto the reclaimed mine dumps. Native species, <br />either collected from the area or purchased from a nursery, will be trans- <br />planted at the reclamation site. <br />In order to insure the establishment of along-lasting vegetative cover on the <br />reclaimed starter dike, a wood fiber mulch and appropriate fertilizers and soil <br />amendments will be applied around the transplanted trees and shrubs. These <br />supplements will also help to prepare the ground for wluntary re vegetation. <br />The re vegetation of the tailings embankment slopes above the starter dike will <br />also begin within the first year after the deposition of tailings has ended. <br />Ground preparation will be started by ripping the rnnsolidated mill tailings. <br />After smoothing out any surface irregularities, sliming agent will be spread <br />over the ripped embankment elopes at the rate of 15 tone per acre to neutra- <br />