The best method for controlling this problem was found to be through the use of a pressurized garden-type sprayer to wet the surface around and at the sampling location with water. By spraying a fine mist and then allowing time for the soil to absorb the moisture, and repeating this several times, control over particles being moved was believed to be quite satisfactory. Perhaps in soil that does not accept mositure readily this procedure could be improved by adding a wetting agent to the water; however, this was not necessary in the areas in which the mound sampling studies were conducted. Cross contamination from sampling equipment was prevented by decontaminating This was done by using alcohol the items used after each sample was taken. and rinsing with water. It was found that alcohol was needed to remove a slight film that was left on sampling equipment from the soil having been The items were then dried and a smear-type swipe was mosit when sampled. It was felt that taken and counted on a scintillation alpha particle counter. sample from a prevent and suffice ion would this type of field decontaminat tools. sampling to due contaminated cross being It was imperative that the surface soil in the study area and sampling plots not be disturbed any more than was absolutely necessary; therefore, vehicle traffic was limited to existing roads only. This meant that due to the few roads in the study areas, most of the equipment used had to be carried a good distance to and from the sampling locations by hand, thus entailing numerous trips from the roadway where the vehicles were parked. Boards 1" x 12" x 10' were used inside the sampling plots to walk on while taking inventory, measuring, and sampling. Foot traffic to and from the sampling plots was rerouted frequently to prevent the making of permanent trails. When surveying the plots for sampling, care was taken not to disturb the soil or vegetation in these areas. To determine the height of a mound or the desert pavement in relation to it, the best method without having a crew of surveyors was to use a surveyor's level (tripod-mounted type) and a grade stick. This enabled the highest, lowest, and midpoint heights to be easily taken. Due to the large volume of soil in a mound caused by large animals such as coyotes or badgers, a problem arose: how to homogeneously mix and aliquot such a large sample in the field. After considering many ideas, the problem was quite readily solved by using a cement mixer (approximately 1/4 cubic yard in size). It was determined that by mixing the soil for 15 minutes, a homogeneous mixture could be obtained. From this an aliquot of approximately 5,000 grams was removed, sealed in a one-gallon can, and the remainder of the sample was returned to the location from which it had been taken. Some of these samples were in excess of 200 pounds. A medical scale with a capacity of 350 pounds was used for weighing the samples of large volume. In order to prevent contaminating the mixer and to alleviate the possibility of cross contaminating a sample, the mixer was lined with five 36" x 54" plastic 304