United States      Forest        National Forests         160A Zillicoa Street 
Department of      Service       in North Carolina        P.O. Box 2750        
Agriculture                                               Asheville, NC  28802 
                                                                               

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: January 21, 1998

                                                   For information contact:
                                                   Glen Gaines
                                                   (404) 347-4084

     SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN NATIONAL FORESTS MEET TO ADDRESS PLANNING ISSUES

    ASHEVILLE, NC -- Five National Forests in the Southern Appalachian region 

are currently revising their long range forest management plans.  The plan 

revisions are being coordinated closely, and Forest Service planners, resource 

specialists, and managers meet periodically to address a variety of subjects 

and issues. These meetings are open to the public.

    On Tuesday, January 27th through Thursday January 29th, the Southern 

Appalachian Fish, Wildlife, Range, Botany, and Ecology team will meet in 

Asheville, North Carolina to discuss various issues related to the forest 

planning process currently underway.  Topics of discussion will include: 

terrestrial plants and animals and their associated habitats; threatened, 

endangered, sensitive, and locally rare species; aquatic species and habitats, 

and special areas and rare communities.

                                    -more-


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    The meeting will be held at the Comfort Suites near the Biltmore Square 

Mall off Interstate 26 at exit 2. The meeting will begin at 1 PM on Tuesday the

27th and conclude at noon on Thursday the 29th.  Interested members of the 

public are welcome to attend.  The meeting will focus on plan revisions for 

national forests in VA, TN, SC, GA and AL. National Forests in North Carolina 

is not included because it completed a major plan amendment in 1995 and is not 

scheduled for plan revision until after the year 2000..

For more details please phone Glen Gaines at (404) 347-4084.

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