Highlights for August 22, 1997
USGS Center for Biological Informatics

I. Key Department News:

• Vegetation Mapping Program in Agate Fossil Beds: During the week of August 25, Tom Owens (CBI) will travel to Agate Fossil Beds National Monument in Nebraska to continue work on the USGS-NPS Vegetation Mapping Program. Owens will work with NPS staff and personnel from The Nature Conservancy to collect field data for an accuracy assessment of the vegetation map being prepared. (Tom Owens, Denver, 303/202-4259)
  
  
• USGS Participates in National GPS Meetings: On September 15 and 16, Karl Brown (CBI) will represent the DOI and USGS at the U.S. Coast Guard's Civil Global Positioning System (GPS) Interface Committee meeting in Kansas City, Missouri. The Department of Transportation will present results of the Differential GPS Study and will announce a recommended inland expansion of the U.S. Coast Guard differential system for the Continental United States. Brown will also attend the GPS Interagency Advisory Committee meeting on the afternoon of September 16. (Karl Brown, Denver, 303/202-4240)
  
  
• USGS Scientist Leads Invasive Plant Mapping in South Africa: Vice President Gore and Secretary Babbitt, in their respective leadership roles in the Conservation, Environment, and Water Committee of the U.S.-South Africa Binational Commission, have offered assistance to the Republic of South Africa in locating and mapping exotic invasive plants that are causing problems in wetlands (e.g., streams, rivers, reservoirs). The DOI has designated Dr. Maury Nyquist (CBI) to lead initial investigations and to produce a draft plan for assistance. Nyquist has made a number of preliminary contacts with South African scientists and officials to discover the type of assistance required by the South Africans and to get detailed background information on this issue. Once this information has been obtained, Nyquist, with the assistance of James Getter (OBIO) will prepare the draft plan for DOI review and implementation. (Maury Nyquist, Denver, 303/202-4217)
  

III. Notable Congressional Activity: No report.

IV. Press/Media Inquiries: No report.

V. FOIA Requests: No report.