Integrated assessment workshop
SAMAB Business/Action plan and 'critical issues' identification developed
Sponsored the Sustainable Economic Development Conference for western North Carolina
NBS, COE, ARC became the 9th, 10th, and 11th Federal agency signatory to SAMAB cooperative agreement
Tennessee became the third state signatory to SAMAB
Discussions currently ongoing with NRCS, OSM
States of Virginia, South Carolina, and Alabama have been invited
Recommended that the Tennessee River Gorge became the 6th Biosphere Reserve unit in the SAMAB Region
Provided testimony to the Senate Sub-Committee on Agricultural Research, Conservation, Forestry, and General Legislation - April 14, 1994
Hosted visit by Federal Interagency Task Force on Ecosystem Management as a case study as part of NPR on July 11-15, 1994
Co-Sponsored with the Environmental Protection Agency an Ecological Assessment Workshop where SAMAB is being considered as 1 of 3 prototype areas to test National Assessment Program Protocols for ecosystem assessment - April, 1994
SAMAB hosted meeting of Southeastern Natural Resources Leaders Group in Chattanooga, August 15-17, 1994
SAMAB participated with the U.S. Forest Service and others in a series of 3 meetings for public input on the SAA assessment; August 23, 25, and 27, 1994, in Asheville, Roanoke and Gainesville, GA
SAMAB hosted a visit from GAO September 11-15, 1994, representing the House of Representatives Committees on Agriculture, Natural Resources; Merchant Marine and Fisheries; and the Subcommittee on Specialty Crops and Natural Resources; and for the purpose of identifying ways for Congress to facilitate ecosystem management implementation and to gather information to testify before the House Budget Committee in the Spring of 1995
Developed joint Letter of Support (October 3, 1994) for SAMAB from Natural Resources Leaders Group to Washington level Bureau/Agency heads, --- three responses
Annual Conference - November 14-17, 1994 in Hendersonville, North Carolina
Hired NBS - sponsored data coordinator for SAMAB - Karl Hermann at Norris, TN
SAMAB initiated the Southern Appalachian Assessment
There was general financial support for executive director, FY 95 budget, need for continued support
Primary focus was on conducting the Interagency
"Southern Appalachian Assessment" (SAA)
SAMAB participated as 1 of 10 representatives in meeting on February 8, 1995 with the new Speaker of the House regarding natural resource issues
Presentation to Natural Resources Committee of the President's Council on Sustainable Development --Chattanooga, TN, January 1995
SAMAB Home Page established on the Internet
** Executive Director participated in the International Conference on Biosphere Reserves. He and International Affairs Director Bill Gregg, NBS, co-authored a paper on SAMAB and presented it at the Conference, Seville Spain, March 1995
Presentation on SAMAB, as a model for ecosystem management, made to the National Hydropower Association, Washington, DC, April
SAMAB Annual planning meeting, April 27-28, Asheville, NC; Initiated Education program (brochures, posters, etc.) to inform the public on the habits of Black Bears and the dangers of trying to feed them
Initiated programs to assist in the production of educational materials that describe the region's neo-tropical migratory birds and their values to society
** Team of six SAMAB representatives presented a five-day workshop in the Czech Republic. Developed a strategy for cooperation between SAMAB and Czech Biosphere Reserves and developed a Cooperative Program between SAMAB and the Krivoklatsko Biosphere Reserve, June
Hosted meeting of Southeastern Natural Resources Leaders Group in Charleston, SC, September
** Team of four SAMAB representatives presented a three-day workshop and visited five protected areas (Biosphere Reserves) in the Slovak Republic. Memorandum of understanding on mutual cooperation was signed between SAMAB and the following groups: Slovak MAB National Committee, Slovak Environmental Agency, and the Director of the U.S. Peace Corps in Slovakia, October
SAMAB Annual Meeting November 14-16. Initial findings of the Southern Appalachian Assessment were shared at this meeting
Throughout the year, SAMAB leadership played a key role in developing and implementing the SAMI (Air quality) program
** Hosted Biosphere Reserve Managers from Poland, Germany, Czech Republic, Slovak Republic, Indonesia, and China
The SAMAB Foundation played a key role in supporting (handling the funding) for the USMAB Biosphere Reserve Directorate, participation of non-government representatives in the SAMI program, and the Southeastern Natural Resources Leaders group