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<br />A wood fiber mulch will be used tp protect the seedbed firm wind and water <br />erosion, and to promote better root growth. <br />A list of the native and introduced grass species, and the quantities of these <br />grasses that will be planted on the reclaimed tailings impoundment area is <br />given below. Some of the grass species on this list my be deleted or substituted <br />following the completion of the field tests that will be conducted on consolidated <br />mill tailings. <br />Application Rate <br />Native Grass Species Pounds Per Acre <br />Mountain Muhly 2 <br />Slender Wheat-grass 8 <br />Thurber Fescue 3 <br />Introduced Grass Species <br />Hard Fescue 4 <br />Intermediate Wheat-grass 8 <br />Orchard grass 6 <br />Rzd Fescue 2 <br />Smooth Brome 5 <br />Timothy 2 <br />The time of the year when tailings deposition finally ceases will determine the <br />season that these grass species are planted on the tailings retention structure. <br />These greases will be planted in either the late fall or early spring months; de- <br />pendingupon how much time is available for ground preparation following the <br />cessation of milling operations. The optimum season for seeding the prepared <br />mill tailings is in the late fall, so that seed germ;,,Ation will take place in the fol- <br />lowing spring. However, if the grass seeds are planted in the early spring, they <br />will have ample time for growth prior to the ground freezing, and the grasses <br />will benefit fiom several months of precipitation. <br />A sprinkler irrigation system will be used to avoid dehydration of the two seed- <br />beds during each of the grass seed gerni~tion periods. Some additional fertil- <br />izer will also be applied during the first two or three yearn following the re vege- <br />tation of each part of the tailings retention structure. When these fertilizer <br />treatments are discontinued after the vegetation has been effectively estab- <br />lished, it is expected that the native grasses will successfully compete with the <br />introduced grass species. Voluntary re vegetation is also expected to occur as <br />native seeds fiom adjacent forest areas germinate and grow in the improved <br />soil of the reclaimed tailings impoundment area. <br />In order to create a diverse plant community on the reclaimed tailings reten- <br />tion structure, the final phase of the re vegetation plan will inwlve trans- <br />planting indigenous trees and shrubs onto the surface of the former tailings <br />