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.. ~ - bility than they would solve. Efforts to stabilize the bed with vegetation (grasses and (orbs via broadcasting and scarification and plantings of trees and shrubs) may prove more durable and beneficial to the impacted area, and supe- rior to preexisting conditions. SECOND: 'Elbert County should consider what problems could have been avoided with just a little well placed as- sistance from Gambit, Inc. earlier in 1990. The County should consider budgeting for the expansion or closure of the Fondis Mine, and come to terms with the fact that well placed outside assistance may very well serve the County's best interests. The Fondis Mine Project Strategy Gantt Chart outlines a good program for the County to consider in determining how to pull together its resources to manage the Fondis Mine and other mines more cost effectively and sensibly. The focus of the Gantt Chart is on problem prevention instead of cure. The goal is to anticipate problems before they happen instead of reacting to them as an afterthought. Naturally, good planning requires a commitment to follow through in the field, and to allow flexibility fo r inevitable changes in operating strategy over time and cir- cumstance. Consider the effort at reform over months, even years, and not all at once. For example, site closure of a mine if started now could take three to five years or more. Consider the budgetary cost/benefits as well. The current active list of mines for Elbert County (27 limited impact operations) will result in a steady increase of dollars re- quired for annual fees alone ($3,240 in the first year, to over $5,000.00 by the third year and beyond). Site closure (reclamation) costs may exceed $400,000.00 (based upon SCS per acre revegetation cost estimate at the Fondis Mine of $1745.00 over 233.1 acres of permitted areas) for all mines. Even if the costs are half that, Elbert County has a real world reclamation dxpense of $200,000.00, assuming the reclamation succeeds with the first effort. Costs of failures could push revegetation costs toward the $1,000,000.00 figure. And what if other sites have compli- ance problems? In other words, use the Project Strategy Sheets to refine a strategy and a long term budget to achieve it. If the ma- terial at Fondis is needed, determine its extent and create the best mine and reclamation plan the budget can afford. The use of air based true scale mapping should be a prior- ity for the Fondis Mine, regardless of all other factors, Correspondence of 6/15/91 to Frank G. Starkey, Elbert County Commissioners Office from Bradford Janes, Gambit, Inc. RE: Fondis ad Mine - Summary Report.