Announcement and Call for Participants

SAMAB's 13th Annual Conference, November 5-7, 2002, Holiday Inn SunSpree Resort, Gatlinburg, Tennessee

"Measuring, Mitigating, and Managing Human Impacts in the Southern Appalachians"

Participate in the SAMAB Fall Conference, focusing on measurement, mitigation, and management of human impacts in the Southern Appalachians. Join other caretakers of the Southern Appalachians--state and federal resource managers, scientists, and NGO and community members--in networking and sharing information. The conference features workshops, presentations, and field trips that convey the latest assessments, planning activities and tools, restoration challenges and successes, and natural-resource related legislation.

Conference workshops will address "Supporting State and Local Efforts to Manage Ecological Integrity" (introducing a decision support tool that helps states and localities preserve important greenspace) and "Challenges and Progress in Gateway Communities" (including development, planning and design, community and activism, night skies, and wildlife issues). Planned field trips will address ecosystem restoration and transportation planning in Cades Cove.

Send us a brief abstract of the talk, poster, panel discussion, film/video, or other presentation you propose by September 3. Identify the type of presentation, the relevant subtheme (see below), and your audio-visual or space requirements. Include your name, organization (if applicable), phone number, fax number and e-mail address. Notification of acceptance will occur in mid-September.

Direct your presentation to address the importance of your work for state and local decision makers under the following subthemes:

• Biotic integrity and the TMDL process;
• Enhancing imperiled aquatic populations;
• Environmental stewardship and streamlining in transportation planning and project decision-making;
• The Southern Forest Resource Assessment: Implications for the Southern Appalachians;
• Invasive species--insects, diseases, animals, and plants--Imposing new rules on forest ecosystems;
• Restoring warm season native grass communities;
• Fire as an ecosystem management tool;
• Implications of the 2002 Farm Bill.

Featured workshops will address:

• "Supporting State and Local Efforts to Manage Ecological Integrity"
• "Challenges and Progress in Gateway Communities"

Mail your paragraph (abstract) to:
SAMAB, 314 Conference Center Building, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996-4138

or fax it to: 865-974-4609

or e-mail it to: samab@utk.edu

The deadline for submissions is September 3, 2002.

If you are interested in attending the conference, watch for mailings and special announcements. A conference registration form and agenda will be posted on this site.