In a field predominately influenced by engineers, a landscape architect can be an invaluable part of the team in landfill design and reclamation. Newly graduated civil engineers are acquainted with grading in termos of a series of spot elevations but are not usually comfortable with contours. They usually concentrate on maximizing volume. But if the final use of the site is not considered as an integral part of the final contours in the design permitting stage, later recontouring will be expensive or even impossible to accomplish.