Highlights for July 18, 1997
USGS Center for Biological Informatics

I. Key Department News:

• USGS Participation in Wildland Fires Workshop: On July 9-10, Ralph Root of CBI represented the USGS BRD as chair of the Modeling Panel at the Wildland Fires Workshop held at the EROS Data Center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. (Ralph Root, Denver, 303/202-4232)

• USGS-NPS-NASA Cooperative Project to be Implemented at Theodore Roosevelt National Park: On July 11-15, Ralph Root of CBI visited with Theodore Roosevelt National Park staff to discuss plans for a cooperative project with NASA to detect leafy spurge at the Park. This project was recently approved by the USGS Hyperspectral Imaging Steering Committee. Gerry Anderson of the Agricultural Research Service met with Root and Steve Hager (NPS) to discuss how the Agricultural Research Service could contribute to the project, including the possibility of collecting low-level digital camera data and ground spectrometer data at the same time as the planned AVIRIS flight in the spring of 1998. (Ralph Root, Denver, 303/202-4232)

• Hyperspectral Imaging Mini-Workshop: On July 23-24, The DOI-NASA Hyperspectral Workshop Steering Committee is holding a Hyperspectral Imaging Mini-Workshop in Denver for the proposal teams selected by the USGS Hyperspectral Imaging Steering Committee. Jim Getter and Ralph Root of CBI will attend the mini-workshop. Participants will develop a pre-plan for those short-term (6 months) actions necessary by NASA and DOI proposal managers to prepare for FY 1998 AVIRIS flights, which will be a precursor to Lewis Satellite hyperspectral data collections for the same sites later in FY 1998-1999. This mini-workshop will also set the stage for the larger Hyperspectral Workshop to be held for DOI technical managers at the EROS Data Center in winter 1997-1998. The four proposals selected are (1) Owyhee Reservoir - Mercury Contamination (BOR), (2) Estimating the Effect of Invasive Woody Species on Grasslands (USGS EROS Data Center), (3) Identify and Map Leafy Spurge Infestations (USGS BRD and NPS), (4) Mapping Vegetation Alliances at Congaree Swamp National Park (USGS BRD and NPS). (Jim Getter, Reston, 703/648-4206)
  

II. Agency Works on Presidential Initiatives: No report.

III. Notable Congressional Activity: No report.

IV. Press/Media Inquiries: No report.