Highlights for January 22, 1998
USGS Center for Biological Informatics

I. Key Department News:

• COMSEC Refresher Supports National GPS Efforts: On January 12-16, Karl Brown (CBI), completed the required 2-year refresher course in communications security (COMSEC), including the Distributed INFOSEC (information security) Accounting System (DIAS). Certification is required for maintenance of classified COMSEC materials. Brown supports the Global Positioning System (GPS) crypto keying for the Department of the Interior. Crypto keying provides DOI users with 4-8 meters of accuracy when using GPS technology. (Karl Brown, Denver, 303/202-4240)

• USGS Participates In Development of International Metadata Standard: On January 15, Susan Stitt (CBI), a participant in the Federal Geographic Data Committee International Organization for Standardization (FGDC/ISO) Metadata Working Group, reviewed and submitted comments on the Version 3.1.5 working draft of the ISO Metadata Standard for Geographic Information. These comments will help develop and communicate the U.S. position on the ISO Metadata Standard. Once approved, this international standard is expected to be adopted by the FGDC, when it will become the required standard for documentation of geographic metadata for all Federal agencies. The version currently under review is expected to be the last working draft, and the next version will be proposed as the ISO Committee Draft at the March ISO meeting. (Susan Stitt, Denver, 303/202-4234)

III. Notable Congressional Activity: No report.

IV. Press/Media Inquiries: No report.