Highlights for August 1, 1997
USGS Center for Biological Informatics

I. Key Department News:

• Children's Butterfly Web Site Now on SuperSite for Kids: On July 25, the editors of Bonus.com announced the inclusion of the BRD Children's Butterfly Web site (http://www.mesc.nbs.gov/butterfly.html) on The SuperSite for Kids (http://www.bonus.com). The SuperSite for Kids provides access to a rich selection of entertaining and educational works on the WWW. Bonus.com currently presents the works of more than 500 individual authors at this address. (Paul Opler, Fort Collins, CO, 970/226-9409)
  

• USGS Participates in NISBA/BEST Conference: On July 30, Dave Duran of CBI gave a presentation on "Internet and USGS Educational Resources on the Web" at the National Indian School Board Association/Building Exemplary Schools Together 1997 National Training Institute and Summer Conference, Children Are Sacred. (Dave Duran, Denver, 303/202-4248)
  

• USGS-NPS Vegetation Mapping at Scotts Bluff National Monument: On August 4-8, Karl Brown, Ralph Root, Mike Mulligan, and Tom Owens (all of CBI) will conduct an Accuracy Assessment for the USGS-NPS Vegetation Mapping Program at Scotts Bluff National Monument. Using Global Positioning System receivers and vendor maps, the team will visit over 500 sample points at the Monument. (Karl Brown, Denver, 303/202-4240)
  

• Joint Metadata Proposal Results in FY 1998 NSDI Benefits Grant: On July 29, CBI staff received notification of the award of a FY 1998 National Spatial Data Infrastructure Benefits Grant to design a State-level implementation plan for the National Biological Information Infrastructure (NBII) Metadata Profile of the Federal Geographic Data Committee Geospatial Metadata Standard. The project will develop a pilot biological metadata training workshop specifically oriented to State fish and wildlife information managers. The proposal was a cooperative effort by OBIO, CBI, and the Fish and Wildlife Information Exchange, with assistance from the USFWS National Conservation Training Center, USFWS Region 9, and the Organization of Fish and Wildlife Information Managers. (Sharon Shin, Denver, 303/202-4230)
  

• New NBII Internet Domain Approved: On July 30, Peter Strong of CBI received approval of a new Internet domain (nbii.gov) for the National Biological Information Infrastructure Home Page. Strong also created a new virtual Web server, www.nbii.gov, which will soon allow easier and more logical user access to the NBII Home Page. (Peter Strong, Denver, 303/202-4246)
  

• FGDC/ISO Metadata Working Group: On August 5 and 6, Susan Stitt of CBI will participate in the Federal Geographic Data Committee/International Standards Organization (FGDC/ISO) Metadata Working Group Meeting at the USGS National Center in Reston. The Federal Government's current policy is to use appropriate International Standards where they exist; thus, development of an international metadata standard for geographic information could have significant impacts on the Federal geospatial data community and the Nation's geospatial data community at large. The FGDC/ISO Metadata Working Group, made up of representatives from the Federal Government, the National States Geographic Information Council, the University Consortium on Geographic Information Systems, and private vendors, is reviewing and attempting to identify and resolve issues relating the existing FGDC Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata with the ISO Draft Standard. (Susan Stitt, Denver, 303/202-4234)
  

IV. Press/Media Inquiries: No report.

V. FOIA Requests: No report.