Highlights for May 9, 1997
USGS Center for Biological Informatics

I. Key Department News:

• CBI and CRO Host BRD Management Council Meeting: On April 29-30, the Center for Biological Informatics and the Central Regional Office hosted the BRD Management Council Meeting. The CBI obtained the excellent meeting facilities in Building 810--the co-location of CBI and the Rocky Mountain Mapping Center--and provided logistical support for the meeting, including lodging at a nearby hotel; E-mail, phone, and fax access; presentation equipment; box lunches; and the Council dinner. Harvey Fleet (CBI), Karen Kaye (OBIO), and Phil Wondra (CRO) gave presentations and led discussions on the BRD Science Information System (SIS), an automated system to provide rapid access to project-level data on BRD's Scientific Areas and Programs. The SIS, currently in the beta phase of development and testing, is designed to meet the information needs of scientists and resource managers in BRD, partner organizations, client agencies, and special interest groups. Implementation throughout BRD is planned for early summer. (Harvey Fleet, Denver, 303/202-4224)
  
  
• CBI Provides MetaMaker Training to Colorado DOW Interns: During the week of May 5, Sharon Shin of CBI provided NBII MetaMaker training to Colorado Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife (DOW) interns from the University of Colorado at Denver and Metropolitan State College of Denver. NBII MetaMaker is a metadata data entry program developed by the BRD. The students will be developing metadata at the Denver, Colorado Springs, Fort Collins, and Grand Junction DOW sites. (Sharon Shin, Denver, 303/202-4230)
  
  
• CBI Participates in Colorado Ecosystem Partnership: On May 6, Sharon Shin of CBI attended the Colorado Ecosystem Partnership (CEP) IRM Subcommittee meeting, and on May 8 she attended the CEP Steering Committee meeting. A draft workplan for the incoming CEP Metadata Project Manager was begun during the IRM meeting. Shin will draft the Metadata Content section of the workplan. Ruth Mathews of The Nature Conservancy (TNC) Regional Office also attended both meetings. Mathews noted that TNC is interested in developing their metadata and discussed with Shin the possibility of working with CBI on this project. (Sharon Shin, Denver, 303/202-4230)
  
  

II. Agency Works on Presidential Initiatives:

• CBI Participates in FGDC Meeting: On May 6, Maury Nyquist (CBI) participated in the Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) Earth Cover Working Group, via telecon. Nyquist led a discussion on the Earth Cover Classification Standard proposal he developed with Jim Getter (CBI-OBIO). The committee agreed to forward the proposal to the FGDC Standards Working Group for approval. The goal of developing a classification standard is to allow linkage of the various FGDC Subcommittees' thematic classification systems (vegetation, wetlands, soils, geology, and others) into an overarching hierarchy so that seamless and consistent earth cover datasets can be developed for the Nation. To allow broader application, the proposed classification standard takes into account existing international classification systems (UNESCO, FAO, and others). (Maury Nyquist, Denver, 303/202-4217)
  

III. Notable Congressional Activity: No report.

IV. Press/Media Inquiries: No report.

V. FOIA Requests: No report.