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1. The pre-road slopes were steeper than 2:1. This condition existed because these areas were resting on a sandstone layer that allowed a steeper natural slope. Area 1, in contrast, is an ancient landslide in a fault zone and rests on top of a layer of shale which provided the slip zone on the hillside. ' 2. To reduce these areas to a 2:1 slope would require moving the road to the south. To move the road to the south would require removal of material on the slope above the road. This action would produce 1:1 ' slopes up to 45 feet high. We do not believe that producing a 45 Poot high slope at a 1:1 grade above the road would be very stable It would also, In effect, replace the disturbance below the road wlrh a cut above the road that would be essentially impossible to revegetate ' and would look far worse than not doing anything to areas 2 and 3. A more gradual, 2:1 grade for the slope above the road couldl be installed, but the steepness of the hillside would not allow a 2:1 slope ' to daylight until Lt reached the top oP the mountain. It also should be noted that the material immediately above the road Is primarily a thin layer of soil resting on top of sandstone. To ' produce any kind of slope other than what is already there prob:cbly would require extensive blasting of the hillside and a maJor road building effort. ' We urge you to reconsider your insistence that the slope below the road be established at 2:1. After considering the information provided In this response and examining the cross-sections, we are sure you will agree that taking a less drastic approach Is well worth consideration before tearing up most of the mountainside. Crass- sections through Areas 2 and 3 have been included Sn this submittal to ' ,. substantiate our previous studies and conclusions presented in this Response. 3. Although we recognize that simply placing soil on these areas could induce instability, we do not think It will. In a similar situation u~lth the waste pile at the Plkevlew @uarry simply dumping soil over the face of the pile that was at the angle of repose has not resulted in ' instability there. After three years the pile has' an excellent vegetation cover resulting from the seeding. Heavily vegetated hillsides, particularly when dominated by sod forming grasses, are rtiore - ' stable than the same slope without the vegetation. The root mass of grasses, shrubs, and trees all contribute to the stability of slopes that might otherwise be unstable. ' We believe that taking the simple approach of topsoiling and revegetating is preferable to creating a worse visual condition and possibly unstable slopes above the road. In the event instability does t occur, then a different approach would be needed. But we have enough confidence in our proposal that we feel the situation on these a