SAMAB News Briefs is a periodic e-mail communication sent to SAMAB members and partners on activities, ideas, and directions. To respond/react to any of these news briefs or to contribute to a future "issue," please contact Robb Turner, SAMAB Executive Director, SAMAB, 314 Conference Center Building, Knoxville, TN 37996-4138, or phone 865-974-4583. To request removal from or additions to the mailing list, send request and email address(s) to samab@utk.edu.

• Issue dated December 4, 2002
• 2002 Issues
• 2001 Issues
• 2000 Issues

13th ANNUAL SAMAB FALL CONFERENCE ROCKS! -- Over 230 people participated in the November 5-7 event in Gatlinburg. Enthusiasm for the plenaries, concurrent sessions, workshops, field trips, posters/displays, and evening events was so great that planning for next year is started already. Mark your calendars now for November 4-6, 2003 at the Renaissance Hotel in Asheville, NC. Gary Peeples of the Fish and Wildlife Service is 2003 Conference Chair. See http://samab.org/Events/Conf/Conf02/conf02.html for this year's Program and Abstracts, the multimedia presentations on Environmental Stewardship and Streamlining in Transportation Planning and Project Decision Making, and the presentations on Hemlock Adelgid Invasion in the Southern Appalachians: If You're Not Concerned Now, You Need To Be.

SAMAB 2003 SUMMER INTERNSHIPS AVAILABLE -- The ten-week summer internship program runs from June 2 through August 8, 2003 and places interns with environmental decision-making organizations in the East Tennessee area. The program is open to advanced undergraduate and graduate students in public policy and administration, environmental science, planning, natural resource management, business, decision research, information, and related fields. See http://samab.org/Opps/intern.html for full program description and application procedures.

NEW SEQUOYA PROFESSOR -- Tom Hatley, SAMAB Foundation Board Member, has taken a position at Western Carolina University as the Sequoyah Distinguished Professor of Cherokee Studies. Tom is interested in creating better dialogue between academia, Native Americans, and the environmental community. He can be reached at hatley@wcu.edu.

BUBBLING CRUDE? REALITIES AND PERCEPTIONS -- Have you heard about CBS' plan to create a Beverly Hillbillies reality show, with real live Appalachian "hillbillies" transplanted to the real hills - Beverly, that is? Some folks think this may not be a good way of enhancing appreciation of our regional human and cultural resources. See perspectives of Rudy Abramson, http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/suncommentary/la-oe-abramson1dec01001516,0,1330308.story?coll=la%2Dheadlines%2Dsuncomment; and Thomas Rowley, http://www.rupri.org/articles/realities.html.

INVASIVE SPECIES -- A report on non-native, invasive plants on the Oak Ridge Reservation (prepared by Sara Drake, Univ. of Georgia; Jake Weltzin, Univ. of TN; and, Pat Parr, ORNL) has been published by Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The report includes an assessment (using a USGS ranking system) of the distribution, abundance, impact, and potential for control of the 18 most abundant invasive plant species on the reservation with a focus on natural areas. For copies of the report, please contact Pat Parr (parrpd@ornl.gov) and provide your name and mailing address.

FADING FORESTS II -- This is a new report by Faith Thompson Campbell, leader of the Invasive Species Program at American Lands Alliance and member of the Invasive Species Advisory Committee created by Executive Order 13112, and Scott E. Schlarbaum, Professor of Forest Genetics in the Department of Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries at the Institute of Agriculture, University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Its executive summary concludes, "Invasive exotic insects and pathogens already harm the integrity of North American forests. The ecological, economic, and fiscal consequences threaten to rise substantially due to rapidly expanding imports and the weakening of phytosanitary safeguards prompted by international trade agreements and national trade promotion policies. Now is a crucial time: by changing relevant treaties, laws, regulations, and policies, and through providing additional funding, policy makers can minimize damage to forest ecosystems. See full report at http://fwf.ag.utk.edu/Schlarbaum/Fading%20Forests%20II.pdf.

ATBI NEW HIGHS -- Robert Keller and student Jim Brinson report two new elevational records for species in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. They captured a cotton rat (Sigmodon hispidus Say and Ord) at Parson Bald (elevation 4746 ft.) The previous published elevational record for this species inside of the park was 1700-1750 ft at Greenbrier Cove and 1700 ft at Mt Sterling (Linzey 1995). A golden mouse (Ochrotomys nuttalli Harlan) was captured at Gregory Bald (elev. 4940 ft). The previous published elevational record for this species inside of the park was 2700 ft at Elkmont (Linzey 1995). This is the third golden mouse captured at upper elevations within the last year (one by Keller at Parson Bald (elev. 4746 ft) and one by Ed Pivornam at Andrews Bald (elev. 5700 ft)). Keller thinks these findings may suggest a migration by this species into previously unoccupied habitat.

Other findings of the All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory in the Smokies are being presented at the Discover Life in America Annual Conference in Gatlinburg, TN this week. To date, over 300 species new to science and 2500 species new to the Smokies have been found.

CERULEAN WARBLER STATUS -- On October 31, 2000, the Fish and Wildlife Service received a petition to list the cerulean warbler as a threatened species. In response to the petition, on October 23, 2002, the Service announced in the Federal Register that the petition contained substantial information indicating that there may be a need to list the cerulean warbler and that they will expand their review of the status of the species. This finding initiates a further evaluation of the status of the cerulean warbler, and opens a 90 day comment period for interested parties to provide any additional information that they may have on the cerulean warbler. After review of all the information a decision will be made whether to propose the cerulean warbler as a threatened species. For detailed information on the finding and the biology of the cerulean warbler, see http://southeast.fws.gov/es/hot%20issues.html.

WILDLIFE CROSSINGS TOOLKIT -- The USDA Forest Service's San Dimas Technology and Development Center, Utah State University's Jack H. Berryman Institute, University of Montana-Bozeman's Western Transportation Institute, and the Federal Highway Administration announce the public launching of the Wildlife Crossings Toolkit. You can find the Toolkit at www.wildlifecrossings.info

SOUTHERN FOREST RESOURCE ASSESSMENT FINALIZED -- See http://www.srs.fs.fed.us/sustain for a web version of the recently completed 650-page USFS Gen. Tech. Report, Southern Forest Resource Assessment. Hard copies may also be obtained from this page or by calling 828-257-4830 or by emailing pubrequest@srs.fs.fed.us

NEW JOURNAL ON INDICATORS -- The new international journal, "Ecological Indicators: Integrating, Monitoring, Assessment, and Management" is soliciting manuscripts in the areas of biology and ecology, addressing indicators of condition, research, case studies, and assessment. More information is available at: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/ecolind

OUR ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT? -- Redefining Progress' Sustainability Program has released its latest "Ecological Footprint of Nations" report that outlines the ecological impact of 146 of the world's nations. The issue brief shows to what extent a nation can support its resource consumption with its available ecological capacity. It also illustrates the degree to which a nation could reproduce its consumption at a global level. http://www.redefiningprogress.org/publications/ef1999.pdf

RED COCKADED WOODPECKER SYMPOSIUM -- Dates: 27-31 January 2003. Location: Savannah, Georgia. Early registration due 31 December. Registration, hotel, draft program, etc. can be found at http://rcwrecovery.fws.gov/draftprogram.htm.

NEPA/ENVIRONMENTAL COORDINATION ITEMS:

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission--

• On November 20, 2002, a Certificate was issued to East Tennessee Natural Gas Company/Duke Energy allowing construction to begin on the Patriot Project, a natural gas pipeline extending across Tennessee, Virginia, and North Carolina. The project involves pipeline upgrades in the Cumberland Plateau and Ridge and Valley of Tennessee and Virginia, and new pipeline construction between Wytheville, Virginia and Eden, North Carolina across the Blue Ridge Mountains. Natural gas would be provided to the Duke Energy Murray power plant in Georgia and the Duke Energy Wythe and Henry County Power plants in Virginia and to residential, commercial and industrial customers in Virginia and North Carolina. A copy of the certificate may be obtained from hmdraper@tva.gov or from the FERC website, www.ferc.gov/ferris.htm docket number CP01-415. Approvals for the project are also needed from TVA, National Park Service, Forest Service, and state agencies.
• The Draft EIS for the Greenbrier Pipeline, a natural gas pipeline from Clendenin, West Virginia to Granville County, North Carolina was released on November 4, 2002. Copies from www.ferc.gov/ferris.htm, docket number CP02-396.

• A final supplemental EIS for Appalachian Corridor H, construction of a 16-mile highway between Kerene and Parsons, West Virginia is available from Thomas J. Smith at 304-347-5928.

• On October 25, 2002, the Record of Decision was signed for the Final Supplemental EIS for vegetation management in the Appalachian Mountains. It and the FEIS may be viewed at www.southernregion.fs.fed.us/planning/vmeis/index.htm. The decision amends forest plans for national forests in the Appalchians and allows more flexibility in evaluating the potential for impacts to sensitive species. Other information from rwilhelm@fs.fed.us.
• The New River Valley Ranger District, Mount Rogers National Recreation Area, and Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services are considering treating 34,287 acres of private and 27,989 acres of National Forest lands for control of gypsy moth. Information from Cynthia Schiffer at 540-552-4641.
• The Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest is proposing to designate some roads as routes for ATVs. Details at www.fs.fed.us/conf/sopa/nepa_docs.htm. Additional information from tfearrington@fs.fed.us
• The Clinch Ranger District is proposing to undertake forest and wildlife management activities in the Kane Gap Project Area, including 1227 acres in Scott County, Virginia. Information from skuennen@fs.fed.us

• 02-77 - Expires 12/19/2002, Rarity Communities, Inc., Proposed Residential and Commercial Development, Roberts Branch, tributaries and adjacent wetlands, Roane County, TN
• 02-RP-01 - Expires 12/09/2002, Notice for Establishment of a Regional General Permit for Discharge of Dredged and/or Fill Material into Waters of the United States.
• 02-72 - Expires 12/04/2002, Tennessee Department of Transportation, Proposed Improvements to Middle Creek Road, Sevier County, TN
• 02-37 - Expires 11/10/2002, Waste Industries, Inc., Proposed Wetland Fill Associated with the Development of a Class I Sanitary Landfill, Upper Reach of Dry Fork Creek, Tributary to Cane Creek, and Samples Branch, a Tributary to Rocky River Approximately 6 miles south of Spencer in Van Buren County, TN
• 02-71 - Expires 11/10/2002, South Blount County Utility District, Proposed Submarine Waterline Crossing, Lackey Creek Mile 1.5L, Opposite Tennessee River Mile 625.5L, Fort Loudoun Lake, Blount County, TN

• TVA completed an EA and FONSI for Section 26a approval of the widening of I-40 across Fourth Creek in Knox County, Tennessee
• TVA completed an EA and FONSI for Section 26a and deed modification actions related to the Sunset Bay Residential Development on Norris Reservoir, Union County, Tennessee
• TVA completed an EA and FONSI for modernization of the Boone Hydro Plant, Sullivan County, Tennessee.
• TVA completed an EA and FONSI for Section 26a approval of stream relocations and culverts associated with the construction of Phase II of the Roane County Industrial Park, Tennessee.
• TVA completed an EA and FONSI for an economic development loan to Aeroflex USA for purchase and expansion of their manufacturing facility in Monroe County, Tennessee
• The Draft EA for expansion of Blue Springs Marina, Watts Bar Reservoir, Roane County, Tennessee may be viewed at http://www.tva.gov/environment/reports/bluesprings/index.htm

• December 4-7 - ATBI Annual Meeting, Photo Workshop on Wednesday, General Sessions Thursday and Friday, and DLIA Board Meeting on Saturday, Gatlinburg, Tennessee. For agenda and to register contact Jeanie Hilten at jeanie@discoverlife.org
• January 11-19, 2003 - Wilderness Wildlife Week, Pigeon Forge, TN
• March 28-30, 2003 - Appalachian Studies Association 26th Annual Conference, Richmond, KY. Presentation/session proposals due OCTOBER 4. http://www.appalachianstudies.org