The annual Southern Appalachian Man and the Biosphere conference will be held in Cherokee this year from Nov. 1 through 3. The conference brings together academics, activists, researchers, involved citizens and naturalists with state and federal agencies. With more than 50 speakers lined-up, the toughest part of the conference is always choosing which presentations to go to. The conference will be held at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino. The cost is $85 for all three days or $60 for one day.

For a complete schedule of speakers and field trips and to register call 865.974.4583 or see samab.org.

The connection between mountain culture, the landscape and how environmental destruction erodes the fabric of traditional mountain life will be the focus of the annual Southern Appalachian Man and the Biosphere conference next month.

The conference is held in a different location in the Southern Appalachian region each year. This year the conference is being held close to home in Cherokee from Nov. 1 through 3. The topic is “Southern Appalachian Landscapes: Preserving Our Heritage.”

The Cherokee people have a long history of utilizing natural resources while simultaneously protecting the landscape, making Cherokee a fitting conference location given this year’s focus. The struggle to preserve a collective landscape heritage has been fought and won by the Cherokee once in the past, but is now at risk again, according to a conference presenter, Glenn Stach. Stach is working to preserve what he calls a “collective landscape heritage.”

“These landscapes are critical to reinforcing tribal identity and possess the ability to reconcile the once strong association this culture shared with its land, a relationship that was taken by force, regained, and now is under fierce pressure from development,” said Stach.

The heritage of white Appalachian settlers is also on the line in the face of mounting development, with Macon County one of the most common case studies cited by conference speakers.

“This still largely intact historic landscape is at risk from rapid development and land-use changes — particularly along the principal river corridors,” said Paul Carlson, director of The Land Trust for the Little Tennessee and a presenter at the conference. “LTLT is moving quickly to capitalize on public sentiment to protect at-risk cultural heritage sites in the face of increasing development pressure.”

A team from the University of Tennessee recently conducted research in Macon County in hopes of quantifying the value the public places on the landscape. Surveys sought to measure the public’s willingness to contribute toward conservation. Tax dollars fund new schools, news roads, new sewer lines, new jails — so why not fund conservation easments, the researchers asked.

Their findings show that homeowners support public funding of conservation easements. Those in upper-income brackets and those who have moved to the area from elsewhere are more likely to support funding of conservation easements, according to the research.

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill researchers will also present research findings conducted in Macon County. The graduate student team used an ethnography approach to measure public perceptions toward development and the mountains, creating a documentary called “Macon Voices” which has in turn spurred local discussion of land-use planning.

While mountain terrain has long been its own best defense against human degradation, one force above all others is slowly undermining the natural protection afforded by isolation. Roger Turner, who is with the WNC Alliance environmental organization and the Smart Roads group in Sylva, will explore the impact of highway construction and expansion to the environment and rural communities.

“Too often the planning and implementation of these corridors has ignored or inadequately dealt with these impacts,” Turner said.

Preserving the landscape and culture has been shown in recent years to have economic benefits in the tourism and outdoor recreation arena.

“The market for nature-based and heritage-based tourism is growing rapidly,” said Katherine Medlock, a conference presenter who will discuss the federal National Heritage Area designation recently bestowed on WNC and currently being sought by East Tennessee as well.

“This program provides a unique opportunity for forgotten or neglected regions to benefit economically from their valuable cultural and natural heritage,” Medlock said.

One segment of the conference will explore the relationship between faith and environmental stewardship. A national movement called “Caring for Creation” is connecting Christians with the environmental movement, emphasizing a mandate from God to care for the earth rather than destroy the gift given to humans by God.

Cherokee’s Principle Chief Michell Hicks will be a keynote speaker at the opening of the conference. Field trips during the conference will explore Cherokee’s long history with the environment.

A fieldtrip to Kituwah, an ancient mound site known as the Cherokee Mother Town, will highlight 12,000 years of human existence on the landscape and show water quality impacts from agricultural methods — both Cherokee and European — over the years. River cane and butternut tree research and restoration is ongoing at the property, a project that epitomizes the spirit of collaboration between science, natural resource management and cultural preservation. The butternut tree has been used for centuries as a dye for Cherokee basketry, but a sustainable supply of butternut tree has been threatened by disease. A researcher at the University of Tennessee has employed genetic engineering to create a butternut species resistant to the disease.

A field trip to a site adjacent to the national park where the Cherokee are building a new school will highlight ongoing archaeological excavations and environmentally friendly site design and construction techniques being used.