488
the integration that was accomplished was a good
first step. It certainly highlighted opportunities for
future work and exposed some of the limitations of
the data.
32.9 Conclusion
The assessment was not the first for the region and
we hope it will not be the last. As in 1901, when
the first Southern Appalachian Assessment was
completed, people had expressed a concern about
the condition of the region's natural resources.
They wondered about the health of the forest, the
quality of the water, and the effects of population
growth and agricultural practices. Our assessment
attempted to answer these and many other questions and to show where improvements are needed.
Unlike the conditions at the tum of the century,
conditions today are much improved. Now the
Southern Appalachians are regarded as a valuable
asset that can supply the people of the United States
with places to live, play, and produce essential
commodities.
The Southern Appalachian Assessment began in
the fall of 1994 and was completed in the spring
of 1996. Although it was broad and comprehensive, it was aimed at specific questions that arose
during a public outreach process. The schedule for
completion was tightly maintained so that the results would be timely and relevant. This sense of
urgency probably helped to sustain enthusiasm and
maintain involvement. Although this approach
might have limited the quality of data or the depth
of analysis, we tried to make allowances for these
weaknesses by highlighting opportunities for additional research or data collection.
We believe that regional assessments are not an
end in themselves, but a continuing process that
fosters interagency cooperation and professional
Southern Appalachian Case Study
networking. Maintaining a quality living environment will require hard work on the part of both
public and private landowners. It will require the
dedicated assistance of scientists and educators. We
hope that the assessment will facilitate planning
and good management and serve as the basis for
continuing study.
The Southern Appalachian Assessment is presented in five separate reports as follows:
Hermann, K. A., editor. 1996. The Southern Appalachian Assessment GIS Data Base CD ROM
Set. Southern Appalachian Man and the Biosphere Program. Norris, TN.
1. Southern Appalachian Man and the Biosphere
(SAMAB). The Southern Appalachian Assessment Summary Report. Report 1 of 5. Atlanta,
GA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest
Service, Southern Region.
2. Southern Appalachian Man and the Biosphere
(SAMAB). The Southern Appalachian Assessment Aquatics Technical Report. Report 2 of 5.
Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Agriculture,
Forest Service, Southern Region.
3. Southern Appalachian Man and the Biosphere
(SAMAB). The Southern Appalachian Assessment Atmospheric Technical Report. Report 3
of 5. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Region.
4. Southern Appalachian Man and the Biosphere
(SAMAB). The Southern Appalachian Assessment Social/Cultural/Economic Technical Report. Report 4 of 5. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern
Region.
5. Southern Appalachian Man and the Biosphere
(SAMAB). The Southern Appalachian Assessment Terrestrial Technical Report. Report 5 of
5. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Agriculture,
Forest Service, Southern Region.