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z <br />propose that the second-ranking most critical parameter would be the degree <br />and viability of soil development to be found at the site prior to land <br />disturbance. <br />Since man can do little to alter available moisture in the arid west and do <br />almost nothing to alter precipitation to a statistically demonstrable degree, <br />and since these factors vary periodically or quasi-periodically due to whole- <br />earth or solar-system scale natural causes; the most tractable critical vari- <br />able in the reclamation scheme is soil. Once conmiitted to a mining plan, soil <br />handling and potential for reclamation cannot be much altered so it is neces- <br />sary to understand the dynamic function of that soil prior to surface dis- <br />turbance if any knowledge of reclamation potential is to exist. Reclamation <br />is far less costly and has afar higher chance of success if the effort begins <br />during the development of the mining plan. <br />It is generally recognized that "restoration", meaning a return to original <br />conditions, is not possible within the period o£ tenure o£ man's stewardship <br />of the land. The words "reclamation" and "rehabilitation" are generally <br />taken to mean a return to some stable productive state in which the hand of <br />man may be clearly visible but is not necessary to the maintenance of the <br />stability and productivity of the reclaimed landscape unit. The National <br />.--~ <br />Academy report on reclamation potential of western coal lands championed the <br />use of the term rehabilitation to avoid confusion with restoration. 'they <br />concluded that the success of reclamation with native species_in_areas_re- <br />ceiving less than 10-inches of precipitation per annum was in doubt__ Total <br />