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s 1. It involves design and funding and as such, it is not a known grouse. 2. The project would occur on BLM have no particular interest in taining BLM approval, which is involve delay. of a research project, mitigation for sage land and BLM personnel having it done. Ob- necessary, may well Although Flatiron agreed to all the above listed mitigations, the MLRB staff and the Division of Wildlife have continued to insist that a fertilization experiment be carried out. The MLRB staff has offered the following arguments in favor of the study: 1. If Flatiron ever wished to expand the mining operatio onto BLM land, without the research project the MLRB staff would investigate the possibility of declaring the expansion area an area exempt from mining. 2. If the Board rules that Flatiron need not be required to conduct the research project, the MLRB staff will require the research anyway in connection with the permitting process next August. 3. If the Board rules that Flatiron need not conduct the research project, Jackson County will require the research. The MLRB staff and the Division of Wildlife representatives met in December to discuss the research project. Flatiron was informed of the meeting after it had occurred, although we had expected to be included. The Division of Wildlife offered to design the research project and arrange staffing for it. Flatiron would be required to pay $12,000 per year for the project funding. You have suggested, Dean, that we investigate government sources of funding for the project. You mentioned that similar research projects, if they exist, would not provide useful data since the data gathered should be specific to our site. It seems to me that if only site specific data will be of value to us, the research pro- ject has limited value to the United States as a whole, and it may not be equitable to ask the taxpayers at large to fund it. I do appreciate your interest in searching for ways around our impass with the Division of Wildlife. Your attitude of searching for reasonable compromises is very helpful. I, too, will continue to try to find ways to resolve the conflict. It seems important to -remember that the sage grouse is not facing extinction. Enough of a surplus exists so that the Division of Wildlife considers the sage grouse a game bird and has established a two week hunting season in Jackson County in September. Hunters are limited to 6 birds in possession at any one time.