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ace o� <br /> ,ae eqmm <br /> Thomas A. Colbert page 8 <br /> Plot Study Results <br /> After two growing seasons,the results of the test plots are very promising. <br /> Untreated plots (seed only)on non-topsoiled lake sediments are completely devoid <br /> of vegetation. Plots treated with organic matter and ProMac exhibit numerous grass <br /> and a few clover seedlings. Vigor of the plants in the treated plots is good,a <br /> hopeful sign that the long term survival of these plants will be good. <br /> Soil samples were collected from the plots in the first and second years following <br /> seeding. Samples were analyzed at the laboratories of BFGoodrich in Akron, <br /> Ohio. A comparison of samples from ProMac-treated plots with samples from <br /> untreated plots clearly shows that populations of pyrite oxidizing autotrophic <br /> bacteria have been drastically reduced and that sulfide oxidation has been virtually <br /> halted These plots will continue to be monitored in future years. Samples of <br /> waste rock taken from outside the plots which have received a yearly application of <br /> liquid ProMac also show minimal sulfide oxidation. <br /> It must be emphasized that results from this type of study after only two growing <br /> seasons must be considered strictly preliminary. It is estimated that at least five <br /> growing seasons would be required to make any conclusions about the efficacy of <br /> the treatments. We have also proposed that plots continue to be monitored for a <br /> period of at least ten years to provide a more reliable long term picture of the <br /> potential for reclamation success at this site. <br /> Nevertheless,based on these results as well as our experience from other sites and <br /> from scientific literature,it is now possible to elaborate a set of basic principals <br /> necessary for successful reclamation of acid forming sites in the alpine zone. These <br /> principles include the use of species adapted to the alpine zone,use of an organic <br /> amendment to provide a substrate for soil microbes, the use of ProMac and lime to <br /> control acid formation, and the lack of any mineral fertilizer. <br /> Implications of Strawman I <br /> Although the roots of modern reclamation technology go back to the days of the <br /> Dust Bowl and beyond, the present era in the western United States is little more <br /> than twenty years old. Technological advances have been spurred in large part by <br />