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located near the limits of the tolerance curves of the desired species. As with favorable environments, there are an almost infinite number of gradient combinations which can produce a difficult environment. Also like favorable environments, shifts in individual gradients can drastically alter the quality of the environment for those species and change it such that other species, either desirable or undesirable, are able to enter the community structure and exert their influence. ITII1 4 _ On page 31, it is stated that "where trees are planted, occasional watering during the first year can be highly beneficial." Will the operator commit to irrigation of seedlings? Fbw often will this occur? What will be the basis for deciding if irrigation will be necessary? Please describe the overall seedling irrigation plan and estimated costs. Occasional watering can be beneficial to the establishment of trees, if precipitation is lower than expected. As a rule, such watering would be done only if it was determined the soil moisture was low enough that additional watering would be beneficial. It can be just as dangerous to overwater young trees as it is to underwater, and more dangerous in same respects. Committing to a watering schedule could lead to overwatering if the tree planting occurred in a wet year. Therefore, a commitment to watering as needed is feasible, but not a commitment to a schedule. This water would probably be carried to the trees as driving equipment across the newly revegetated land would be unwise. In some respects, replacing trees which die a wiser approach than going to the expense of watering. In some mines, drip irrigation systems are used to help establish trees, but this only works where water is available. Water is not available here and therefore drip irrigation is not included in the plan. As is true in many disciplines of applied biology, you cannot pre-plan everything but must be ready and willing to make adjustments as and when needed. Because in most cases Pinyon Pine will be planted, committing to a watering and irrigation schedule would not be very wise. This species is well adapted to growth in dry environments. Overwatering of Pinyon Pine is one of the most common causes of seedling death. That is one of the reasons landscapers do not use this species except in dry locations. The amount of water needed to even maintain a minimally irrigated Fairway Crested Wheatgrass lawn on a golf course can very quickly kill a Pinyon Pine. With Pinyon Pine it is probably better to replace dead seedlings than try to guess how much water they need. ITEM 5 -_ Please describe more fully the experiments you refer to on page 31 using "Biosol What is the significant benefit you are attempting to achieve, as referred to at the tap of page 32? Describe in detail these "test". Are they for rapid establishment, rapid growth, plant hardiness? If these tests do not improve anything, will the operator commit to testing other methods to achieve the "significant benefit" you hope to gain with the Biosol? RESPONSE: The Biosol tests which are in progress involve an assessmctit of the effects of Biosol on the establishment and rate of growth of desired species in a dry, more or less virgin soil situation. Preliminary results are showing excellent promise on granite fines and on limestone rubble where no topsoil was used. The test plots are still too young to make any final judgments as to the long range success, but by the end of the 1989 summer these results should 6e available. This is just one of many different materials which have been tested previously. Biosol is the first material which has produced results which are worth getting excited SM'DER NW Ahfl~IDhE7Yf ADEQUACY RESPQJSFS MAY 22, 1989 PAID 7