
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, August 17, 1994                   TAG: 9408170077
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C4   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

COMMENTS SOUGHT ON SOUTHERN FORESTS

Air pollution, black bears, hiking trails, timber production - all can be found in the forests of Southern Appalachia.

The national forest system and other federal lands in this massive ecosystem constitute the largest block of public lands east of the Mississippi River.

With that in mind, the U.S. Forest Service is sponsoring three public meetings this month to share expertise and information about the multistate, far-reaching Southern Appalachians.

A meeting in Roanoke is scheduled for Aug. 25 at 6:30 p.m. at the Airport Sheraton Inn.

The other meetings will be held in North Carolina and Georgia.

The Southern Appalachian ecological assessment will reach across boundaries to analyze the natural resources of the forests and the human interactions that have an impact on them.

The project will conclude by the end of 1995, and the information will help agencies and organizations with land management plans.

The Jefferson National Forest, which stretches across more than 700,000 acres in Southwest Virginia, is revising its 10-year plan and will incorporate the assessment project's results.

Among other topics to be considered are water quality, insect pests, habitat for endangered and threatened species, roadless and wilderness areas, timber production and recreation.

The public is invited to attend the meetings.

For more information, call the Jefferson National Forest at (703) 265-6054.

by CNB