The Obed Marsh Thermal Coal Project is located some 24 km N.E. of Hinton and is within the Forest Management Area administered by St. Regis (Alberta) Ltd. A commitment by Union Oil Company of Canada Limited to return the mined out area to commercially viable timber production highlighted the need for some on-site experimentation . This fact, together with the results of a comprehensive literature review carried out during the Environmental Impact Review process provided the objectives the tests plot experiment should meet. Two series of plots were constructed; one was statistically designed and replicated three times, the other series were demonstration plots located on a north and south facing slopes. Construction was undertaken during November 1980, allowed to settle over-winter and planted to white spruce and lodgepole pine in June 1981. Soil temperatures and moistures are also being monitored by 40 permanent thermister cells placed randomly over the test plots at a depth of 6 inches. Performance monitoring was tallied during September 1981. Because of the short time between planting and the first field checking, the results presented here can only be considered preliminary .