TENNESSEE NATIVE PLANTS SOCIETY NEWSLETTER 1 / Vol. 1, No- 1, Mar. 14, 1978 Our organization seems to be off and running. Our first call for members went out Feb. 3, and we already have over 400 members, with more each day. We have been more interested in just getting organized than in publicity, but h. ,ve obviously touched a responsive cord. At the moment the majority of our members are from east Tennessee. We plan to spread out with time and become more cosmopolitan. We already have out-of-state members in MS, AL, LA, NC, SC, OH, VA, DC and MY. Our news at the moment is a report on our first meeting, plans for the next two meetings, and a questionnaire calling for reactions from the membership as to their wishes for the Society and where the individual members would like to see themselves invest some time. Our first meeting took place February 23, 1978 at the Tennessee Valley Unitar- ian Church in Knoxville. In spite of snow the organizers decided that the*" 0 was no way to call off a meeting of a non-organization. Fifty five members and friends showed up and we had a very profitable evening. Both Bob Farmer and Murray Evans came prepared to provide an educational program if the spontaneity lagged, but the need did not arise. Bob Farmer welcomed the group. Murray Evans was elected (?) Temporary Chairman. We then discussed seme of the directions in which the Society might go, and outlined and called for volunteers for the following committees; Nominations Committee - Leo Collins, Jack Sharp, Ken Warren. Constitution Committee - Bob Farmer, Dee Montie, Grace Foster, Richard Evans. Publications Committee - Sally Suber, Jim Myers, Lois Good. Program Committee - Murray Evans, Eugene Wofford. Questionnaire Committee - Murray Evans, Shirley Nicholson, Maureen Cunningham, Bernie Shipmen. Helen Warren volunteered to provide refreshments for the next meeting. Other suggestions and concerns too numerous to enumerate came up. The essence of them, however, is that there is a strong nucleus of vocal interested people already in the organization. One of the major points brought up was that a ques- tionnaire be sent with this newsletter soliciting opinions and priorities as to directions and interests for the Society and the membership. The questionnaire is enclosed and we would welcome the return of same, either by mail or brought to the March meeting. There will be time for discussion then. There was discussion of types of constitutions. Bob Farmer outlined the high points of constitutions of the California Native Plant Society, the Michigan Botanical Club, the Alabama Wildf lower Society, and the North Carolina Wildf lower Preservation Society. Since then, the Constitution Committee has met and drawn up a constitution for presentation to the membership at the March meeting. If the response is enthusiastic and we have no major stumbling blocks, we may come away with a constitution. If not, the committee will benefit from the discussion, and the Constitution can be brought up again for approval at the April meeting. The Nominations Committee is operating in the dark without a constitution. However, those present at the February meeting charged them to come up with a slate of officers (President, Vice-President, Treasurer, Recording Secretary and Corres- ponding Secretary) , and to consider the question of members of a Board of Directors representing a cross section of the State. (Subsequent communications between my self and the Nominations and Constitution Committees indicate a need for 3 Director positions, also.) There was feeling that it might be hard to find more than one person willing to undertake certain positions, but that all efforts should be made to provide choices for elective positions. The committee has met and has almost completed producing a slate of candidates. These will be presented at the March meeting, at which time there can be an opportunity for nominations from the floor. If these nominations are accepted by the nominees they can be added to the slate, a mail ballot will be distributed and we may have an official Executive Committee at the April meeting. NEXT MEETING: Thursday, March 30, 8:00 PM, Tennessee Valley Unitarian Church, 3219 Kingston Pike, Knoxville. Mark your calendar, fill in your questionnaires, think about potential officers, bring a friend, and see you there. Tentative Agenda: Report of Committees; Presentation of Constitution; Presen- tation of slate of candidates for office and call for nominations from the floor; Discussion of Questionnaire on goals and aims of the Society; other Old Business, New Business. APRIL MEETING PLANS: To hopefully reach a wider membership, the April meeting will be on Friday, April 28, in Gatlinburg, during the Gatlinburg Wildf lower Pilgrimage. With the approval and cooperation of that organization, we will meet in the Civic Auditorium at a time and with a program to be decided at or after our March meeting. See you there.' MISCELLANEOUS NOTES : 1) We have skilled and very helpful typists, but check your mailing address and make sure we have everything the way you want it. 2) If you know of a member who did not receive the newsletter, please get in touch with us, in case a letter or file card got lost. 3) Promotion and advertising for members will come gradually, but if you know of potential members do a little advertising on your own. 4) Charter memberships of $1 will hold until a Constitution is adopted and a Board of Directors sets the dues structure — no telling how long, but certainly not indefinitely — a bargain at any price. We are running a low budget operation at the moment, but we have $395.77 in the treasury, with income from dues and con- tributions at $443 and expenses of $47.23. 5) The Society will rent a booth at the Gatlinburg Wildf lower Pilgrimage in order to promote and advertise the Society to a very obvious potential constituency. The cost will be $75 (erroneously quoted to me and reported at our Feb. meeting as $50) . We will need volunteers to person the bootfi for short periods from 8 AM to 7:30 PM, Thursday and Friday, and 8 AM to 1 PM Saturday (April 27-29). Plan to relax in a booth for an hour or two and meet like-minded people (and acquire enough members to pay the rental fee) . 6) Mr. Percy Rosenblooip. from Harriman is org anizaing a Boy Scout Expo at Roane State Community College on April 22 (Sat.). He would like someone to work briefly with a group of scouts from Roane, Morgan, Pickett, Fentress, Cumberland, or Scott Cos. toward a booth about native plants at the Expo. Anyon e willing and interested contact me, or Mr, Rosenbloom, Drawer 435^Harrim an, TN 3 /74S , or tel. 882-7678 ( home), 882-5767 (office) . That's all for now. See you March 30, or get in touch by phone or mail. Murray Evans, Chairman TENNESSEE NATIVE PLANTS SOCIETY NEWSLETTER Vol . 1, No. 2, Apr. 10, 1978 Our news at the moment is that we have a Constitution to approve , officers to elect, and plans for the April meeting at Gatlinburg. Our Second Organizational Meeting took place March 30, at the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Church in Knoxville. About 50 hardy members showed up ready to tackle the Constitution, which was the main event of the evening. Thanks to excellent planning and writing and a good presentation by the Committee Chairperson, Bob Farmer, the Constitution was approved, with only a single amendment. This was not without discussion. Much, of the usual necessary items such as describing and assigning duties, and outlining election and amendment procedures went through without a hitch. But there was particular interest in how best to designate different kinds of member- ships j.n order to promote the Society and still keep it financially viable. There were concerns about costs, voting rights and other prerogative for junior, student, and senior members and hov to promote membership without penalizing potential members least able to afford full membership. Amendments made and approved, at the meeting restructured membership categories slightly in the final version. The final version is enclosed with this newsletter for approval or disapproval by the membership at large on the enclosed ballot. The results of the vote will be announced at the next meeting. Again, many thanks to the members present for conscientiously sticking with the task and producing a finished document. The second item of business was the presentation of a slate of Officers and Directors by Ken Warren, Nominations Committee member. Additional nomina- tions were requested and made from the floor, those nominees were contacted, and the final slate is enclosed with this newsletter for vote of the entire membership, the results to be announced at the Gatlinburg meeting. Please vote for one person in each category, and return the ballot (which contains the constitution ballot, also) to TNPS, c/o Botany Dept,, Univ.. of TH. , Knoxville, TN 37916 by Wed. , April 26 or bring it with you to the Gatlinburg meeting. Results will be announced at that meeting. The officers will serve for the "two year term" specified in the Constitution.- In order to stagger the election of the Directors-at- Large , as specified in the Constitution, and also to avail ourselves of as much expertise as we can, we will deviate somewhat from a normal election procedure. Vote for one Director from each of the three regions. The person receiving the highest vote in each region will serve a "two-year term", the person receiving the second highest vote will serve a "one-year terra". A careful reading of the Constitution will indicate that the term of office is from Jan. 1 to Dec with a Nominations Committee appointed Aug*. 1, In order to avoid going through a new election before we even gat off the ground, our initial "two-year term" will run 32 months (from April 28, 1978 to December 31, 1980), and our "one-year term" will run 20 months (from April 28, 1978 to December 31, 1979). In August, 1979, we will start the election procedure to fill the three Director-at- Large positions (for a two-year terra) vacated by those being elected now to a provisional "one-year term", and we will be in correct calendar sequence with staggered elections for the Directors, The meeting was adjourned tQ excellent refreshments provided from the ovens of Helen Warren. Many thanks! Next Meeting: Friday, April 28, 6:30 p.m. , Gatlinburg Auditorium, Second Floor Hall, over the exhibit hall. We will piggy-back our meeting with the Gatlinburg Wildflower Pilgrimmage , with the approval of the Board of that Organization. The Wildflower Pilgrimmage runs from Thursday morning to Saturday afternoon (April 27-29) with half-day and all-day field trips with expert leaders and evening lectures. Those who have attended know how good it is and those who haven’t come and find out. The Pilgrimmage will be the educational and recreational part of our program, so we essentially have a 3-day meeting with our contact point our booth in the exhibit hall. Our business meeting will be from 6:30-8:00 p.m. before the Pilgrimmage evening program begins. Our meeting will be primarily to call attention to our organization., to bring members who may be in Gatlinburg up to date on our progress and to inaugurate Officers, Directors, and the constitution. The TNPS will also have a booth in the exhibit hall at the Pilgrimmage, in order to advertise the Society and to acquire more members. From our last meeting v/e already have a beginning list of volunteers to staff the booth. If anyone else would like to help, however, please let me know. We need volunteers to keep the booth going from 8:00 a. in. to 7:30 p.m. Thurs. and Fri. and 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Sat. We will have exhibits, literature and membership applications, we just need people on board to put it all across. See you there! Notes: If there are any members of the Society who would like to volunteer time on a regular basis; work in an herbarium, lectrn about plants and how an herbarium supports both public information and scientific research in p'ant identification, you might consider the following idea. Several major herbaria and musea around the country have established a corp of volunteers to help file, maintain and otherwise improve the collections they hold. If there is anyone in the Society in the Knoxville area who would be interested in investi' gating this further contact either myself or Dr. Gene Wofford, The Herbarium, Botany Department UT, Knoxville, TN 37916. It might be that other herbaria, musea, arboreta or botanic gardens around the state would also be interested in pursuing similar ideas, but I do not know. That's all for new. See you April 28, or get in touch by phone or mail. Murray Evans , Chairman TENNESSEE NATIVE RIANT SOCIETY V NEWSLETTER Vol. 1, No. 3 , June 26, 1978 PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE WHERE WE ARE GOING First, I want you to know that I have never been associated with a more inter- ested, enthusiastic group of people. From the organizational meetings (when vol- unteers actually volunteered) to recent appointment of standing committee chair- persons, members have shown a firm commitment to the Society's goals and an eager- ness to work toward them. It is my hope and expectation that this interest and vigor will continue to express itself in the Society's programs, and that, per- haps more importantly, members will be able to find an enriching fellowship of in- terest in the group. The easy part of organization is over. We now have over 500 members, a consti- tution, and a board of directors. The job of developing programs will be more difficult and time consuming. So that the membership can see where we are head- ing, I would like to review plans to date. First, the membership has expressed a strong interest in field botany and a desire to participate in field trips. Therefore, a program of monthly (or more frequent)field meetings is being planned, which will include visits to interest- ing plant communities all over the state. Once underway, a schedule of these meetings will be published a year or so in advance so that both trip leaders and members can plan for them. Some will be held with other organizations. The first of these will be with the Alabama Wildf lower Society at Huntsville, Alabama, in mid-September (see attached flyer). As chairman of the program committee, Ed Cox (Department of Biology, Tennessee Wesleyan College, Athens 37303) will be organi- zing these meetings and needs volunteer leaders as well as suggestions for meet- ing sites. I hope these field trips will be a central feature of the Society's programs, and that they will become very special occasions for members. (continued) - 2 - The Conservation Committee under Rex Boner's (Route 1, Peytonsville Road, College Grove 37046) leadership will be responsible for a variety of projects all aimed at enhancing the status of native plants in Tennessee. For example, it is expected that the Board will soon approve a "plant dig" project. Under Leo Collin's direction the Society will cooperate with public agencies in spon- soring supervised "plant digs" aimed at transplanting valuable vegetation from sites scheduled for development. There are also some major opportunities to locate and map population of endangered species. To begin with, we mignt assist planners of the new Big South Fork National Recreation ARea in mapping the Cumberland Rosemary in Tennessee. An inventory system and computer mapping fa- cilities for endangered species already exist, in the Tennessee Heritage Program and are maintained bv tvA at Norris: TNPS might usefully supplement current mapping efforts in this program. Other activities might include a seed exchange program, promotion of state legislation to protect endangered and threatened species, development of educational materials, or sponsoring workshops on se- lected species or problems. A monthly newsletter will inform you of these opportunities for service and field experience. In addition, to the newsletter, Richard Evans' (901 Kerr Hollow Road, Oak Ridge 37830) Publications Committee will this year be planning the Society s journal , which will be an extension of our conservation programs^ This journal will probably contain a mixture of regionally significant research reports, educational and descriptive articles on Tennessee flora, and perhaps some botanically oriented creative writing. We invite your ideas on the journal's nature and content and your assistance in its planning and publication. We encourage the formation of local chapters of the Society. All you need is a tew good members who are willing to draft a constitution ana make application to the board of directors. Marshall Otis (2009 Greene Lane, Kingsport 37664) our membership chairman, and Selma Myers (Route 7, Box 401 Harriman 37748) our corresponding secretary, will be happy to help you with organization. When you have developed chapter programs, Sally Suber (10822 Sailings Road, Knoxville-- 37922) our publicity committee chairwoman, can give you advice and help. We are organized at a time when there is both an increasing interest and con- cern about natural systems and increasing pressures reducing the amount of land occupied by them. It is apparent that from this point on, we must take delib- erate steps to ensure that there is a matrix of these natural systems into which modern society fits, that they are not reduced to islands in a largely man-made scheme of things. While we presently have a mostly natural landscape in Tennessee, one has only to look north and east to see mostly synthetic plant communities and remnants of natural systems blended thinly into a constructed landscape. Native plants are the basic stuff of natural communities, not just green back- ground for a relatively few economically important plants. In today's world we can no longer take for granted even the most ubiquitous of them. If our pro- grams can just gain public recognition of this fact in the next few years, the Tennessee Native Plants Society will have been worthwhi le--as well as fun. I look forward both to the fun and to the sense of accomplishment that will result from working with you as a constituency for Tennessee's native plants. Robert E. Farmer, Jr. President - 3 - TENNESSEE NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY MEETING SEPTEMBER 16-17, 1978 JOINT MEETING WITH ALABAMA WILDFLOWER SOCIETY The Alabama Wildf lower Society and Huntsville Chapter have invited TNPS mem- bers to their Fall Meeting, September 16-17 in Huntsville, Alabama. Headquar- ters for the meeting will be The Sheraton Motor Inn in Huntsville. The program will include field trips to Paint Rock Valley and other sites to see late summer and early fall wildf lowers, plus the banquet program on Saturday evening. Make your room reservations early by mailing the enclosed card to the Huntsville Sheraton. The rates are as follows: Singles Two people - 2 beds Three people - 2 beds Four people - 2 b.eds All reservation cards must be returned to Sheraton at least two weeks prior to the meeting. Indicate on card TNPS affiliation for special room rates. Banquet reservations can be made later with El 1 i Salopek, President of the Huntsville Chapter. We will pass this information along as soon as we receive it. The Huntsville Chapter needs an estimate of the number of TNPS members who plan to attend their September meeting. If you plan to go, please return to us the en- closed form. $19.00 - 20.00 23.00 - 24.00 27.00 - 28.00 31.00 - 32.00 TNPS 1978 OFFICIALS These are your new officers. Please feel free to contact them if you have any questions or suggestions. OFFICERS President: Robert E. Farmer, Jr Vice President: Carl Dew Recording Secretary: Fred G. Taylor, Sr P0 Box 21, Norris, Tn. 37828 494-7908 P0 Box 455, Lake City, Tn. 37769 426-2851 Oak Ridge Nat'l Lab, P0 Box Y, Oak Ridge, Tn. 37830; 483-8611, Ext. 6194 Corresponding Secretary: Selma Myers Treasurer: A. Murray Evans Rt. 7, Box 401, Harriman, Tn. 37748 882-2473 Univ. of Tn., Botany Dept. Knoxville, Tn. 37916; 974-2256 (wk) 573-6959 (home) continued - 4 - DIRECTORS-AT- LARGE East Tennessee: Susan Bratton Uplands Lab., Great Smoky Mts. Park Gat! inburg, Tn., 37738, 436-7120 Judy Murray Southern Appalachian Highlands Conserv. PO Box 3356, Kingsport, Tn. 37664 323-4993 Middle Tennessee: Mary P. Kelley Tennessee Bot. Gardens, Cheekwood Cheek Road, Nashville, Tn. 37205 356-3306 Robert Karl PO Box 1705, Sta. B, Vanderbilt Univ. Nashville, Tn. 37235, 322-6676 West Tennessee: David Alexander 4783 Mickey Drive, Memphis, Tn. 38116 346-0252 Marilyn Williamson Natchez Trace St. Park, Wildersvil le, Tn. 38388, 845-5742 COMMITTEE CHAIRPERSONS Programs: Edmond R. Cox Dept, of Biology, Tenn. Wesleyan Coll. Athens, Tn. 37303, 745-5945 (wk), 745-6845 (home) Publications: Richard M. Evans Univ. of Tenn. Forestry Stas. & Arbor., 901 Kerr Hollow Rd., Oak Ridge, Tn. 37830, 483-3571 (wk), 483-6486 (home) Conservation: Rex Boner Rt. 1, Peytonsville Rd., College Grove, Tn. 794-0789 Membership: Marshall V. Otis 2009 Greene Lane, Kingsport, Tn. 37664 245-5487 Publicity: Sally Suber 10822 Sailings Rd., Knoxville, Tn. 37922 966-3110 TENNESSEE NATIVE PLANTES SOCIETY Vo Department of Botany The University of Tennessee Knoxville, TN 37916 Non-Profit Org. (J, S. Postage — PAID The. University *— — of Tennessee. Knoxville • TENNESSEE NATIVE PIANT SOCIETY NEWSLETTER Vol. 1 , No. 4 , Aug. 30, 1978 PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE BOB FARMER — WE NEED YOU! — With this issue of the Newsletter, we enclose a flyer which members may return with an expression of their interest in work on Society programs. Accomplishing the organization's objectives will depend on a substantial proportion of the member- ship's being aggressively involved in these programs. We do not wish to become one of those too abundant organizations which have a small nucleus of folks who year af- ter year set policy and make things go. ^ur__field program demands that we use the abundant knowledge of local flora that exists in the membership. If you kno w of 3 . i jr_ ■ ■■■th ij ii ■ i . . _ i... .. an le id trip, let us Know about it and volunteer as its leaaer. If you like to organize, write, draw, or photograph, the conservation committee or news- letter group needs you. If you want to do some occasional work, but do not relish responsibility, our secretariat needs help filing, folding, typing, etc.; a little time once or twice a year will be a big help. If you have ideas for programs and want to get them started under the TNPS banner, let us know. In the first TNPS sur- vey, we determined the membership's basic goals for the Society. In this survey, we ask that you participate in reaching them. Then too, your participation leads to having fun, which is what we are all about anyway. — NEWSLETTER EDITOR— — — Elizabeth McMullen has graciously volunteered to edit the TNPS Newsletter. Henceforth, all newsworthy information should be channeled directly to "Ebeth" 205 North Norris Rd., Norris, TN 37828, (615) 494-0262. Richard M, Evans, Chairman Publications Committee - 2 - M i — - TNPS BOARD MEETING — — The TNPS's full Board of Directors met for the first time on July 8, 1978, at the Tennessee Botanical Gardens at Cheekwood in Nashville, where board mem- ber, Mary Palmer Kelley, hosted. The main order of business was getting acquain- ted and reviewing program plans. The fall field schedule (see elsewhere this issue) was approved. It was decided to begin immediately the publication of a substantial, regular newsletter while continuing plans for a more expensive maga- zine-type publication. Regular dues for 1979 were set at $3.00 for active mem- bership, $1.00 for associate membersnip, and $l0.oo for institutional membership. A life membership with dues at $100.00 was established, subject to membership approval; honorary membership— free; charter membership— good through 1978. Participation in a public hearing on the Tennessee Department of Conserva- tion's ginseng management plan was discussed, and the executive committee was assigned the task of reviewing the plan and' developing a position statement (see related article, page 6). A discussion of the proposed amendments to the federal Endangered Species Act of 1973 led to the conclusion that while the Board would not adopt an official position on this issue, at present, Individual members should be urged to make their opinions known to appropriate members of the Congress. (A review of this issue will be published in our next newsletter.) Fred Taylor - Secretary FURBISH LOUSEWORT We saw the following article in the Endangered Species Technical Bulletin , Vol. IIIj No. 7j which is published by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service } En- dangered Species Program. We think it is good to see federal agencies coopera- ting on critical environmental issues like the furbished lousewort. If this article interests you and you wou ld lik e to get on the mailing-list for the Bulletin , write the Department of Inter ior J _U ± S_ i _ Fish and W ildlife Serviced Endcmgered_S2ecies_^rogran ! _^a8nzngvont D. C. 20240. PLAN ADVANCED FOR RESOLVING FURBISH LOUSEWORT CONFLICT The Service has recommended a conservation program for the Endangered Furbish lousewort (Pedicularis furbishiae) that, if followed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, could permit construction of the proposed Dickey-Lincoln School Lakes power project in Maine without jeopardizing the plant's continued existence. The proposed program, outlined in a biological opinion transmitted to the Corps of Engineers on June 27, is the product of 18 months of studies and consul- tation between the two agencies. "This was one of the most complex consultations yet," commented Lynn Greenwalt, Director of the Service, "but it was much less difficult than It could have been because of the cooperative attitude of the Corps." Consultations were initiated following the rediscovery of the lousewort, a member of the snapdragon family long thought to be extince until it was identified during a 1976 environmental impact study of the power project for the Corps. A total of 879 specimens were found at 21 stations along 160 miles of the main stem of the St. John River from the project site in Aroostook County, Maine, downstream to the mouth of the Aroostook River in New brunswick, Canada. Most of the plants are situated In a narrow zone just above the river itself, usually on shaded slopes facing a northerly direction. ( continued) -3- I -a When the Service listed the Furbish lousewort as Endangered on April 26, 1978 (see the May 1978 BULLETIN), It cited the proposed power project as well as refuse dumping, natural landslides, construction, and lumbering as endangering factors. The Dickey-Lincoln School Lakes project--intended to provide a source of elec- tricity to help meet the anticipated future power needs of New England--involves the construction of two dams in northern Aroostook County that would flood approxi- mately 88,000 acres of land and 267 miles of streams, including 55 miles of the St. John River. If the dams were built as planned, the Service said in its proposal, 353 Fur- bish lousewort plants at thirteen stations over 35 miles of the plant's range would be layndated. Within the 70-mile zone downstream from the project, 162 more plants at five stations would be jeopardized by dumping of refuse over river banks, construction, and other stream bank modifications. BIOLOGICAL FACTORS In devising a proposed conservation program to resolve the conflict, the Service said various aspects of the lousewort's reproductive and population biology were of critical importance. Of primary concern 'is the fact that natural establishment of new lousewort colonies may depend upon prior disturbance of river banks, either by flooding or landslides. Moreover, artificial establishment of new colonies is de- pendent upon knowledge of possible hemiparasitic relationships, transplant techni- ques, and seedling establishment. The biological data Indicate the lousewort is an obligate outbreeder, hence the presence of appropriate bumblebee (Bonbus vagans) populations is necessary to ensure seed set and genetic variability of progeny. Accordingly, the Service said the conservation program should include, at a minimum, the following elements: 1. Development of information leading to a functional understanding of the habi- tat needs and propagation techniques of the Furbish lousewort. 2. Acquisition and protection of existing habitats below the project impound- ment area that currently support lousewort populations. 3. Acquisition of habitat identified as capable of supporting new populations of louseworts. 4. Establishment of new, self-sustaining colonies through transplantation, seed- ing, or other appropriate techniques. 5. Obtaining better Information on the effects of post-construction downstream flows on the lousewort and its habitat. 6. Development of a monitoring program capable of detecting any changes in the lousewort's biological status, such as habitat changes, population increases or de- creases, and any significant variations in microclimatic conditions. The Service's biological opinion--the first involving an Endangered plant- cautioned that If any new Information is developed during the conservation program that would affect the lousewort, consultation must be reinitiated immediately. Service biologists believe that, if the conservation program is followed, it could result in increased numbers of the species and better protection of the plant's habitat. - 4 - i ■ (SEPTEMBER FIELD TRIP: HIWASSEE RIVER AREA*) The field trip to the Hiwassee River Area to see Heterotheaa ruthii flowering is set for September 9 (the Saturday after Labor Day). Meet at the Gee Creek Camp- ground at 9:00 AM. Bring your lunch, drinking water and rain gear. Geoff Whitehead will lead the walk which should take 3-4 hours. For those of you who are unsure of the location of Gee Creek Campground, it is located off of Highway 411 between Etowah and Benton, N.C. Take Highway 411 south from Etowah or north from Benton. Several hundred yards north of where 411 crosses the Hiwassee, look for the Gee Creek Campground sign on the east side of the road. Take the dirt road about a quarter mile to the campground entrance. FALL FIELD. TRIPS Ed Cox, chairman of the TNPS Programs Committee, has announced the fall field trips and meetings. They range from one side of the state to the other, so we hope all of you can attend at least one or two events and hopefully £IJ_ of them. DATES (1978) FIELD' TRIP COORDINATOR September 9 Hiwassee River Area Geoff Whitehead September 16 & 17 Joint Meeting with Alabama Wildf lower Society in Huntsville, Alabama October 28 Savage Gulf George Ramseur November (weekend to be determined) Land Between the Lakes Marilyn Williamson December (weekend to be determined) Univ. of Tennessee Arboretum Oak Ridge National Lab Norris Dam Area Pat Parr ———ROAN MOUNTAIN NATURALISTS' RALLY- The Roan Mountain Naturalists' Rally is September 8-10 at Roan Mountain State Park. Ihe schedule will include a color slide lecture entitled "Insects Around Us" by Dr. Donald H. Messersmith, University of Maryland; a naturalist program on Satur dav niqht; and field trips to study wildflowers, birds, ferns and salamanders, qeo- logy, rocks and minerals, mushrooms, and mosses, liverworts and t lichens. Registration is from 4:00 PM to 6:30 PM at Roan Mountain State Park. Camping is available in the Park and Mrs. Hazel Holan, Roan Mountain Motel, will assist in making reservations in Roan Mountain guest homes. For more information, call the Carter County Chamber of Commerce in Elizabethton, Tennessee. 4 -5- — ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON IMES. HUNTSVILLE, ALABAMA MEETING SEPT. 16-17, 1978 Our last Newsletter carried most of the pertinent information about the joint TNPS-Alabama Wildflower Society meeting in Huntsville, Alabama, however, we have just received the following additional information: Sept. 16th Registration: 8:00-8:45 AM - Huntsville Sheraton Inn Field Trip: 9:00 AM - All day to Paint Rock Valley. Bring own lunch 4:30 PM - 5:00 PM —Return. Banquet: Sheraton Inn at 7:00 PM, $8.48 per person. Dinner Reservation must be in by Sept. 9 . Send reserva- tions to: Ms. El 1 i Sal opek 10029 Hampshire Drive Huntsville, Alabama 35803 Evening Program - WORKSHOP: After Banquet. Sept. 17th Field Trip: Leave Sheraton Inn at 8:00 AM to visit Green Mountain and Alum Cave areas. Return: By lunch. CAMPGROUND FACILITIES - For the TNPS Huntsville Meetings, Sept. 16-17, 1978 Monte Sano State Park - in Huntsville, east of city off Rt. 431. Joe Wheeler State Park - on Wheeler Lake, about 60 miles west of Huntsville, off Rt. 101 . Lake Guntersville State Park - on Lake Guntersville, about 45 miles southeast of Huntsville, about 10 miles north of Guntersville, off Rt. 227. Bucks Pocket State Park - about 15 miles northeast of Lake Guntersville State Park, off Rt. 227. William Bankhead National Forest : Brushy Lake Recreation Area, about 65 miles southwest of Huntsville, south of Moulton and east of Rt. 33. Corinth - on Lewis Smith Lake, about 75 miles southwest of Huntsville, east of Double Springs, south of Rt. 278. Natural Bridge - about 70 miles from Huntsville, on Rt. 33 just north of Rt. 278. Listed as a primitive campground in Nat'l Forest Campground guide, 1969. 4 - 6 - 4 4 PROPOSED MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR GINSENG About 100 ginseng diggers and growers and some wild plant enthusiasts attended the Department of Conservation's August 5th public hearing on its proposed ginseng management plan. The plan, which includes a voluntary permit system for collectors and dealers, is designed to meet federal requirements under the Convention on Inter- national Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. The plan also includes provisions for research and educational activities. It was presented by Rex Boner of the Department's Heritage Program. Commissioner B. R. Allison opened the meeting with a plea for a cooperative con- servation effort between the state and those economically interested in ginseng. He was followed by Drs. Roger McManus and Ron Singer of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Ser- vice, who gave a review of activity resulting from the Convention and outlined re- quirements necessary for permission to export ginseng. These include a management plan for each of the states supplying ginseng to the export trade. The TNPS executive committee prepared the following position statement which was presented at the meeting by Bob Farmer: The Tennessee Native Plants Society is a statewide organization of about 600 members and has the following objectives: (a) To serve as a medium of information exchange and fellowship among Tennessee's amateur and professional botanists. (b) To promote education of the public about Tennessee flora, and wild plants in general . (c) To promote the protection and enhancement of Tennessee's wild plant communities. The Tennessee Native Plants Society recognizes the economic importance of ginseng, as well as its special place in Appalachian culture. While opinion on abundance is varied among gatherers and dealers, many professional botanists believe that the species does not presently occur abundantly and that wild populations could be seriously depleted by intensive, uncontrolled collection, especially as stimu- lated by increasing value of wild ginseng. This collection could ultimately reduce the economic benefits to collectors and dealers. Therefore, the Tennessee Native Plants Society: (1) Believes that gathering from wild populations of ginseng on public lands should be controlled by appropriate government agencies. (2) Supports the Tennessee Department of Conservation in its proposed permit program as a first step in monitoring collection and trade, and urges passage of authorizing legislation for the program in the 1979 session of the General Assembly. (3) Encourages establishment of a formal survey which will periodically assess the status of wild ginseng populations, at least on public lands and on lands of cooperating private landowners. (4) Encourages expansion of ginseng cultivation under agricultural systems and in "woods culture" on private lands, using plant materials of local origin. (5) Urges publicly supported research into the life history and population biology of ginseng so that better cultural and management recommendations can be made. -7- HELP! We are still trying to organize TNPS activities and get the ball rolling. There is lots to be done and we need your help. Selma Myers needs assistance on the Secretariat to keep track of all we are doing; Ed Cox needs more program co- ordinators and field trip leaders; Ebeth McMullen would like to hear your ideas about the Newsletter and needs help getting it out; Leo Collins needs help with plant digs; Rex Boner needs volunteers for survey and monitoring work for endan- gered plants ; plus many more Where do your interests lie? Where would you like to help? Please take a minute to fill in the following questionnaire. If you have any ideas that are not listed, please add them at the bottom. Then mail the questionnaire to TNPS, c/o Dept, of Botany, Univ. of Tenn., Knoxville, TN 37916. We will get back to you soon. ACTIVITIES QUESTIONNAIRE - 8 - -OCTOBER MEETING: SAVAGE GULF The October meeting of TNPS will be held In Beersheba Springs, Tennessee, at the Beersheba Springs Hotel, George Ramseur, from the University of the South, has organ- ized this weekend so that we can visit the Savage Gulf State Natural Area and South Cumberland Recreation Area. Field trips will be._taken to Stone Door, Savage Falls. Collins Creek, the Old State Road, Werner Big Timber and fMery Gizzard. Registration will be at the Beersheba Springs Hotel from 7:30 AM to 11:30 AM (Central Time) on Saturday, October 28. Field trips will take place from 8:30 AM to noon, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM (bring your lunch!) and 1:00 PM - 4:30 PM. The Evening Program will start at 2:30 PM at the Beersheba Springs Hotel. We have reserved rooms for a minimum of 25 persons at the Beersheba Springs Hotel for Friday and Saturday nights.^ Rooms are $4.00 per person per night and meals may be obtained for $5.75 per day. Reservations for rooms and meals must be made at least one week in advance. For reservations or informa on please write: George Ramseur Box 1218, The University of the South, Sewanee, Tn. 37375. TGOpessee UA/Or soocfvy (y\&€?T 7 TO tf€Lb & ^ Teoiuess^ /aoTAOvcAo 6/4*e&eos CteeC EOA£> £***" ^/ /0 °) /o: 6™ "A Bc>T?bO(o : pj^jaja>2 - ^ol| '$ UI q 0iA uoo^dlr a. beoc jlu^och CM^ .* £©S+" (g) $ 3,00 (by Juioe 301?) m^ey p^arte# ifCetu^y BO TAlo\C~ KAUC o>ov^ . . *p Q V>UPO*JLQ& JZfc -4^r (^ UXO . J ^.ccv^UXjcpm^ acwoiu- fo-^e Mjue*>*^ ■*- M T^jif> U0L ° e -k u - ntJh > 0J ^ --^cfcM qo 4o fc>Jjc&r Loxjl *^T Q_ PWoAA- IO -CO / ^ /u^ ' uc - PM <£\ It. JUU DEFEAT r MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY ^ TENNESSEE NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY NEWSLETTER Vol. 1, No. 5 October 16, 1978 PRESIDENT'S -MESSAGE TENNESSEE'S RARE PLANTS In October, a list of the rare vascular plants of Tennessee wa s published in the Journal nf the Tennessee Academy of Science! This article represents the first formal recognition that 52 taxa once occurring in the State are possibly extirpated, 58 are in danger of becoming extinct in Tennessee, and 108 are likely to become endangered. An additional 123 taxa have been classified as "of special concern" because of their undetermined status or rarity in the State. Approximately 10 percent of the plant taxa native to Tennessee fall into one of the above categories. The report, prepared by an ad hoc Committee for Tennessee Rare Plants composed of five of the state's leading taxonomists, is based on herbarium records, pertinent taxonomic papers, and professional judgement. The list was reviewed by the State's botanists, and amended at a public workshop held in conjunction with a meeting of the Tennessee Academy of Science. The list is tentative. There will be additions and deletions as we learn more about the status of the State's flora. It represents a point of departure in our efforts to investigate and preserve rare native plants. The Tennessee Native Plants Society is grateful to the Committee for Tennessee Rare Plants for its work. Members of the Tennessee Native Plants Society are encouraged to become familiar with the list, which can be obtained by requesting a reprint of The Rare Vascular Plants of Tennessee, J. Tenn. Aca d, Sci . 53(4) 128-133, from Dr. Eugene Wofford, "Rapporteur, The'Herbarium, me University ot lennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37916; Dr Robert Krai, The Herbarium, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37235; or Dr. Joseph L. Collins, Division of Forestry, Fisheries, and Wildlife Development, Tennessee Valley Authority, Norris, Tennessee 37828. Additional members of the committee are Drs. Hal DeSelm and Murray Evans of The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee. Society members can also help by notifying any of the above people of new locations for listed taxa. Just send a good description of the qeoqraphical location with directions for getting there and a description of the site and its vegetation. If requested, your report will be kept in confidence. Robert E. Farmer, Jr. President SAVAGE GULF MEETING - October 28 Don't forget the TNPS October meeting in Savage Gulf. George Ramseur from the University of the South, has organized field trip s to Stone Door . Savage Falls, Collins Creek, the Old State Road , Werner Dig limber and Mery Gizzard . —————— Registration will be at the Beersheba Springs Hotel from 7:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. (central time) on Saturday, October 28. Field trips will take place from 8:30 a.m. to noon, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (bring your lunch!) and 1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. The evening program will start at 7:30 p.m. at the Beersheba Springs Hotel. The Savage Gulf area is a beautiful and unique area that still needs our support and protection. We hope you can take this opportunity to visit and learn more about it. For more details check your last Newsletter or write: George Ramseur, Box 1218, The University of the South, Sewanee, Tennessee 37375. ■ LAND BETWEEN THE LAKES MEETING - November 11 TNPS will hold its November meeting at Land Between The Lakes National Demonstration Area (LBL) operated by TVA in western Tennessee/Kentucky. Meet at the south entrance (at the intersection of highways 79 and 49, three miles west of Dover, Tennessee) at 9 a.m. on Saturday, November 11. Marilyn Williamson has organized . a morning of talks and field trips about the flora of LBL. After lunch (bring your own!) there will be trips to visit several natural areas. There will be no organized evening meeting but several of us will probably get together informally for supper at Paris Landing State Park and we will welcome anyone who would like to join us. There are camping facilities at Paris Land State Park and motel accommodations are available at Ken Lake Resort Park, Hardin, Kentucky. If you have any questions write or call Marilyn Williamson, Naturalist, Natchez Trace State Park, Wildersville, Tennessee 38388 (901- 84^-574^). Hope to see you there! NOTES ON THE FIRST TNPS FIELD TRIP - Leo Collins The first official TNPS field trip was considered an outstanding success by those in attendance. The hike started just below the Appalachia powerhouse on the Hiwassee River in Polk County. Geoff Whitehead, trip leader and park naturalist , provided an excellent introduction before beginning the hike up the rivergorgiT. Along the way Geoff described highlights of the gorge's history and emphasized present and future management plans for the area. The trail skirts the river most of the way and provides an interesting display of "riverside" species on the one hand and "rich woods" species on the other. Several large beechs, hemlocks, and shortleaf pines were seen along the trail. After about an hour of hiking and one unsuccessful search along the river, we found the celebrity of the day, Ruth's golden aster (Heterotheca ruthii) . Historically, the plant was first collected in about 189b by Albert Ruth, an active amateur east Tennessee plant collector. J. K. Small described the species as new to science in 1897, having not seen the species in the field. As a matter of fact, the plant was collected only once between 1895 and its rediscovery by Frank Bowers in 1970. This .yellow flowered member of the sunflower family was long considered extinct by many botanist. H. ruthii Ts presently considered endangered Federally U l though not yet officially listed" ) . Its total range is this three-mile stretch of the Hiwassee River and a one-mile stretch of nf the ad.iar.pnt Ocqpp River . It is restricted to crevices in certain, platy boulders found in, and immediately adjacent to, the rivers . Members of the TNPS who were privileged to see this species indeed saw one of the "rarest of rare" U.S. plants. NATIONALLY ENDANGERED AND THREATENED PLANTS - Leo Collins Many gains have been made in recent years in designating and preserving nationally rare plants. The Endangered Species Act of 1973 (Public Law 93-205, enacted December 28, 1973) directed the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution to review plant species that are endangered or threatened and methods of conserving such species. The secretary submitted the "Report on Endangered and Threatened Plant Species of the United States" to the Congress in January 1975. This report was accepted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as a petition in accordance with Section 12 of the Endangered Species Act and thus published in the Federal Register (July 1, 1975) a notice of review of the plants recommended in the report. In June of 1976, the Fish and Wildlife Service, being under the Department of the Interior, proposed' endangered status for approximately 1,700 of these plants. Four plants (all endemic to California) were officially listed as endangered in August 1977. In May 1978,' 11 endangered and 2 threatened species were listed, including the Furbish lousewort. Although none of the presently listed species are known from Tennessee, four are endemic to the southeast with two from Georgia, one from Virginia, and one from South Carolina and Georgia. In addition, ginseng is protected under the Convention on International Trade and the Endangered Species Scientific Authority is responsible for determining that export of this species will not be detrimental to its continued survival. See the last TNPS Newsletter for a review of the ginseng issue. JOINT MEETING WITH ALABAMA WILDFLOWER SOCIETY - Dee Montie The joint meeting of the TNPS with the Alabama Wildf lower Society was a pleasant event. Board members of TNPS who attended the meeting were: Bob Farmer, Murray Evans, Sally Suber Mary Palmer Kelley, and Marshall Otis. There were about 20 other members of TNPS attending from Nashville, Oak Ridge, and elsewhere. Saturday morning after registration we went to the Paint Rock River Valiev, a rather interesting area with fardiosDermiim. beautiful cardinal flower, and many more lovely flowers. We also saw manv fossils and interesting red aqate.i.in a creek bed. The Alabamans were fascinated tn Up ve I low iewel weecl. Impatiens palTTSa, wmcn is common in Tennessee. After a picnic lunch held Tn a church yard, we nad a short stroll through the woods on a nearby mountaintop. There was seen cinnamon fern, lady fern, lobelias^ and other fall roadside ' flowers. The only criticism I had of the meeting was that the mountain location did not have any unusual plants, and there was no organized field trip lecture Those of us who were knowledqable and/or were too embarrassed to continually ask the identity of various plants did not learn many plants nor learn of the ecology of the area. Saturday night was a banquet, and a variety of talks followed by a plant sale. Sunday there was a one- half day program of a tree identification walk and a visit to a private garden. The weather was lovely, though hot, and there were people of all ages who were interesting and fun. All things considered, it was a very enjoyable meeting. TNPS STATEMENT ON AN EXPANDED WILDERNESS SYSTEM IN CHEROKEE NATIONAL FOREST September 25, 1978 Mr. Marvin Lauritsen, Supervisor Cherokee National Forest 2331 Ocoee Street, NW. Cleveland, Tennessee 37311 Dear Mr. Lauritsen: The Tennessee Native Plants Society is a statewide organization of approximately 600 members whose purposes include the protection and enhancement of Tennessee's wild plant communities. We wish to make the following statement in support of an expanded wilderness system in the Cherokee National Forest: The Southern Appalachians, of which the Cherokee National Forest is a major component, is one of the country's most botanically diverse forested regions. This diversity is especially significant because of its high degree of endemism. Our general concern is that this floral diversity is maintained under modern forest management practices. Our special concern is that the Cherokee continue to contain a wide variety of native plant communities and that special management attention be given to threatened and endangered species. We recognize that this will be accomplished under a range of management systems. A truly multiple-use plan for the Forest should preserve this diversity. The Board of Directors of the Tennessee Native Plants Society has reviewed the RARE II alternatives and believes that the proposal for approximately 112,000 acres of wilderness presented by the Cherokee National Forest Wilderness Coalition comes closest to a desirable level of wilderness designation. Wilderness represents one of the several major forest land uses which should together constitute multiple-use. Many of Southern Appalachia's distinctive and valuable plant communities are perfectly compatible with wilderness designation. And the proposed wilderness designation leaves the majority of forest land open to manipulation of vegetation to achieve other goals in plant community development. Therefore, we believe that the Coalition's Alternative W is desirable from the standpoint of native plant management. In some of the 16 areas proposed by the Coalition, special vegetation management may be required for endangered and threatened species (e.g., Unaka Mountain, Rogers Ridge, Citico Creek). Therefore, management plans for some designated areas should contain provisions for perpetuation of suitable habitat for these species. For example, competing or'suppressive exotics should be contained or eliminated. Many endangered species occur in small isolated populations and may not require manipula- tion of vegetation on extensive areas of land. The Tennessee Native Plants Society would be happy to assist the Forest Service in development and implementation of management plans for these species and areas. President * TNPS AND RARE II - Bob Farmer In 1977, the U.S. Forest Service initiated a Roadless Area Review and Evaluation (RARE II) process aimed at identifying National Forest roadless areas which would qualify as wilderness under the 1964 Wilderness Act. In Tennessee, public meetings were held in the summer of 1977 to air Forest Service inventory proposals for the Cherokee National Forest and to provide opportunities for citizens groups to offer their proposals for areas to be included. This work was followed in June 1978 by a Forest Service Draft Environmental Statement (RARE II DES) which presented a number of wilderness designation alternatives for the Cherokee. In the estimation of a number of Tennessee's environmental organizations (e.g., Sierra Club, Smoky Mountain Hiking Club, Tennessee Citizens for Wilderness Planning, chapters of the Audubon Society, Trout Unlimited, Tennessee Ornithological Society) none of the Forest Service's alternatives was satisfactory. Therefore, a coalition of these groups. The Cherokee National Forest Wilderness Coalition, was formed to support "Alternative W" which includes 16 potential wilderness areas totaling 112,209 acres. The document proposing Alternative W has been widely' circulated in Tennessee, as has the Forest Service DES. *■ \ *• The TNPS was asked to join the Cherokee National Forest Wilderness Coalition in August by Ken Warren, representing the Coalition and Tennessee Citizens for Wilderness Planning. My response was that since time was limited, the TNPS Board of Directors would be polled by mail to arrive at a decision on affiliation. This was done. And while a slight majority of those responding was in favor of joining, some members felt that our position on Cherokee wilderness should give special attention to native plant management, and others were simply opposed to just joining the Coalition. Therefore, a separate position statement was prepared by a working group of seven people (including five Board members) attending the September meeting of the TNPS in Huntsville, Alabama. This statement, which independently supports Alternative W, was mailed to all Board members in mid-September with a note to phone or return by mail their approval or disapproval. By September 25, 8 of the 15 Board members had approved, 1 disapproved, and 6 had not responded. On September 26, I mailed the following approved statement to the Forest Service in order to meet the October 1 deadline. We hope that this statement is supported by a substantial majority of the membership, but realize that some members do not favor it; we are an organization of members with diverse feelings about how native plant communities should be preserved. The Society welcomes this diversity, just as it promotes floral diversity in Tennessee. If, after acquainting yourself thoroughly with the RARE II affair, you strongly agree or disagree with our position, let us know why. In any event, please send the flyer below to Rex Boner, our Conservation Committee Chairman, so that he may assess the organization's feelings on the issue. DECEMBER MEETING On December 8 and 9, TNPS will hold its December meeting in the Oak Ridge/Norris area of east Tennessee. On Friday night, December 8, at 7:30 p.m., Richard Evans, Superintendent of Forest Experimental Stations and Director of the UT Arboretum, will present a slide program entitled "Seasons of the Arboretum" and talk about the Arboretum's work with native plants. The presentation will be given in the Environmental Sciences Laboratory Auditorium , Oak Ridge National Laboratory . on Bethel Valiev Road. Oak Ridge, Tennessee . Registration will take place on Saturday morning, December 9, from 9:00 a.m. to 9:15 a.m. at the UT Arboretum, 901 Kerr Hollow Road in Oak Ridge. The rest of the morning will feature walks thro ugh the Arboretum with field guides. Saturday lunch will be on your own. But at 1 p.m. we will regroup in Norris, Tennessee, at the TVA Forestry and Fisheries Laboratory on' Highway 441, just below the Norris Dam. There, Leo Collins and Bob Farmer will talk about the TVA plant programs, and we will to to tne Lana Analysis Laboratory to visit the TVA Regional Heritage Program. There are several motels in the Oak Ridge area or you can stay in Knoxville, only 20 miles away. The Royal Scotsman Inn, 420 South Illinois Avenue in Oak Ridge has the following group rates available if we can get at least 20 people staying there: single: $16.00 plus tax double: $18.00 plus tax otherwise, regular rates are: single: $19:00 plus tax double: $21.00 plus tax Their phone number is 483-4371. Be sure to specify you are with TNPS and want the group rate. Camping is also a possibility at either Melton Hill Dam or Norris Dam - although it will likely be quite cold. Pat Parr i s__£QflEdi n_atlM__the Decembeji_fi^ld_^]riPj. For other information, she may be contacted at Bui I ding 1505, Uak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37830. (Phone Number: 483/8611, extension 3-0513.)