At the annual spring planning meeting April 20-21, it became apparent that the biggest task facing SAMAB is to find a better way of identifying critical issues that merit the organization's attention and resources.
As has been noted many times before, SAMAB has established a solid reputation as an action-oriented agency by selecting "targets of opportunity" that have broad popular interest. But the time has come for developing a more orderly approach.
For that reason, the Executive Committee, meeting last March in Chattanooga, assigned Tom Nessmith of EPA's Region IV to form a special committee to look at the issues and report back.
He and Cory Berish, also of EPA, made their report at the spring planning meeting, which was held in the North Carolina Arboretum in Asheville. They focused on the following issues:
Nessmith led a discussion of possible approaches to dealing with such issues and the process SAMAB could expect to go through: first, an assessment of issues in an open forum involving the public, and, based on that, the selection of specific tasks for SAMAB.
In that connection, SAMAB plans to sponsor a mail survey and public forum for identifying and prioritizing critical issues that fall within the organization's mission. An effort to obtain funding from a private foundation for this purpose did not succeed, but Executive Committee Chairman Adams said the project will go forward anyway.
Nessmith suggested that committees be formed to flesh out plans for addressing each issue/task identified. He also recommended that when SAMAB decides to tackle a particular issue/task, it try to get a firm budget from its member agencies and other sources. There was general agreement to this approach.
TVA's Buzz Buffington said a window of opportunity is now open for developing an ecosystem-based program for the Southern Appalachians. Executive Committee Chairman Briane Adams of the U.S. Geological Survey recommended an aggressive effort be developed to implement such an ecosystem-based program.
Based on discussion at the spring planning meeting, Nessmith's committee will refine its report and present it at the June 16-17 Executive Committee meeting to be held at Grandfather Mountain, North Carolina.
The National Biological Survey (NBS) has signed on as the newest member of the SAMAB Cooperative. Eugene Hester, acting director, made it official at the spring planning meeting by signing the Interagency and Cooperative Agreement.
Signing for SAMAB were Briane Adams of the U.S. Geological Survey and Charles E. (Buzz) Buffington of TVA.
The NBS is a newly formed bureau within the U.S. Department of Interior. It was created to consolidate thedepartment's scientific research functions.
Hester gave an interesting account of how NBS was created and what it hopes to accomplish. He said that when Interior Secretary Babbitt announced formation of the new bureau, "it was kind of like opening the door and throwing in a hand grenade." The effect of Babbit's action was to separate the science work of Interior from the management side. Funding, formerly managed by the various bureaus, was taken out and put under NBS.
Hester said NBS will seek a national partnership with other agencies to integrate available scientific information dealing with biological species. He hopes to make such information more accessible to local, state and federal government agencies at all levels.
The new bureau is off to a fast start. It plans to issue an ecological trends and issues report this fiscal year to give what he called "the big picture" on biological issues such as threatened and endangered species.
He indicated that NBS wants to get ahead of this latter issue and head off problems before survival of a particular species is in jeopardy. At the same time, he said, NBS will encourage "wise development" as well as biological protection.
Hester discussed the concept of "ecosystem management" and said he felt that an ecosystem boundary can be defined with about 90 percent precision. He expressed concern about the other 10 percent, but said he is comfortable with the 90 per cent.
Administratively, NBS plans to have four regional offices. In Washington, he said, there will be four main sub-groups: research, inventory and monitoring, information and technology services, and budget and administration.
James E. Weaver, director of the Biological Science Center of NBS at Gainesville, Florida, will represent NBS on the SAMAB Executive Committee. His address is 7920 NW 71st Street, Gainesville, Florida, 32606. His telephone number is (904) 378-8181.
The North Carolina Arboretum in Asheville hosted SAMAB's spring planning meeting and at the same time launched some important new projects of its own.
A groundbreaking ceremony April 20 marked the start of the arboretum's multi-million-dollar expansion program, which will include its first major demonstration gardens, reflecting the newest trends in landscape design, plants, and materials.
In addition, there will be a terrace garden where visitors can get an overall introduction to the arboretum, and water gardens that show the relationship between water and plants, particularly aquatic and wetland plants.
There are many other elements to the expansion plan and several will be completed during the next year.
On hand for the groundbreaking were representatives from the North Carolina Legislature, the Western North Carolina Development Association Board, the North Carolina Arboretum Society, and SAMAB.
The Arboretum's own work crew was allowed the privilege of turning the first spades of earth to prepare for the new projects. Visiting dignitaries then took their turn with the shovels.
George Briggs, the Arboretum's executive director, was master of ceremonies for the groundbreaking ceremony.
SAMAB's spring meeting was held in the handsome and spacious Visitor Education Center at the Arboretum.
As everyone knows, the people who do much of the vital work in SAMAB, as in any other large organization, are unsung heroes. From its beginning, SAMAB has sought to honor those who work hard behind the scenes to make the work of this organization a success.
Such is the case with Sandra Bryson, a secretary with the U.S. Forest Service at the Southeastern Forest Experiment Station in Asheville, North Carolina. Sandra serves as administrative assistant to Bob Thatcher of the SAMAB Foundation Board. Bob has the job of keeping the minutes not only of Foundation Board meetings but of the Cooperative's Executive Committee meetings as well.
"Without Sandra's hard work, I simply couldn't get the job done," said Thatcher.
At the spring planning meeting, Bob Kerr, Foundation president, presented Sandra with an attractive plaque expressing appreciation for her work.
Executive Director Hubert Hinote testified on April 14 before a U.S. Senate subcommittee that is exploring cooperative efforts across the country for implementing principles of ecosystem management.
The Subcommittee on Agricultural Research, Conservation, Forestry, and General Legislation had asked for SAMAB's participation. Four other organizations also were invited, representing private industry, the Forest Service, the Wilderness Society, and a local nonprofit organization from California.
SAMAB was represented by Hinote, Executive Committee Chairman Briane Adams, and Foundation Board President G. Robert Kerr.
Hinote told how SAMAB originated and what its purpose was, explained its organizational structure, and gave three examples of SAMAB activities that involve ecosystem management.
The first example was SAMAB's 1992 air quality forum, which prompted the formation of an eight-state Southern Appalachian Mountain Initiative (SAMI) made up air quality regulators and various constituencies. Additional air quality monitoring stations have since been established in the Southern Appalachian region.
Reintroduction of an endangered species, the red wolf, into the Great Smoky Mountains was the second example. Hinote told of the massive public education campaign SAMAB sponsored in connection with this project.
Finally, the Pittman Center Project, which resulted in a model program for community planning, balancing development with conservation, was described.
Hinote went on to tell of SAMAB's future plans, citing the current effort to identify and prioritize critical issues in Southern Appalachia. This exercise, he said, will help SAMAB achieve sharper focus over the next three years. It has three goals:
"The SAMAB program has succeeded beyond its dreams," Hinote told the senators. "We are very excited by the prospect of achieving an even more effective program, one that is clearly focused and capable of solving some of the major ecosystem management challenges facing our region and the nation."
The subcommittee expressed appreciation for SAMAB's participation and indicated that the SAMAB experience will help shape future legislation regarding ecosystem management.
More detailed written information about SAMAB was made a part of the subcommittee's record.
A draft business plan for SAMAB (also called an action plan or a strategic plan) has been completed. Executive Director Hubert Hinote and Bob Thatcher of the SAMAB Foundation Board led this effort. Copies were provided at the spring planning meeting and comments have been requested. If you would like a copy, contact either Hinote or Thatcher. The plan will be presented to the Executive Committee for approval at its June meeting.
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