Highlights for June 18, 1999
USGS Center for Biological Informatics

I. Key Department News:

• USGS Kicks Off Fire Island Vegetation Mapping. On June 17-18, as part of the USGS-NPS Vegetation Mapping Program, the USGS Center for Biological Informatics (CBI) will sponsor a scoping meeting to plan for the vegetation mapping and classification of Fire Island National Seashore in Ronkomkoma, New York. Participants from the USGS Biological Resources Division, the National Park Service, The Nature Conservancy, and the New York Natural Heritage Program will discuss issues relating to the assessment of specific park needs and the organization and implementation of the Vegetation Mapping Program at Fire Island. Possible applications of data developed by the Program include coastal dune monitoring, monitoring of rare plants and communities, and creation of an invasive plant inventory. CBI provides management oversight and scientific guidance to the Program. (Tom Owens, Denver, 303-202-4259)

• Planning for Sequoia-Kings Canyon Vegetation Mapping. On June 21-22, the USGS Center for Biological Informatics (CBI) will participate in a scoping meeting to plan for the vegetation mapping and classification of Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Park as part of the USGS-NPS Vegetation Mapping Program. Participants from the USGS Biological Resources Division, the National Park Service, The Nature Conservancy, and the California Natural Heritage Program will discuss issues relating to the assessment of specific park needs and the organization and implementation of the Vegetation Mapping Program at Sequoia-Kings Canyon. Possible applications of data developed by the Program include fire program management, monitoring of rare plants and communities, and creation of an invasive plant inventory. CBI provides management oversight and scientific guidance to the Program. (Tom Owens, Denver, 303-202-4259)

• USGS Leadership Development. On June 7-12, the USGS sponsored a Leadership Development Course at the USFWS National Conservation Training Center in Shepherdstown, West Virginia. Participants included USGS scientists, administration and personnel staff, and managers. Tom Owens of the USGS Center for Biological Informatics attended. The course, developed by Jeff Armbruster, concentrated on principle-centered leadership based on vision and ethics. Course speakers included a diverse array of USGS leaders who epitomized the leadership concepts developed in the class. Attendance at this training session was also an excellent opportunity to build cross-divisional relations to enhance the concept of integrated programs. (Tom Owens, Denver, 303-202-4259)

• USGS Moves Forward with Lotus Notes: On June 17-25, John Clark of the USGS Center for Biological Informatics will participate in Lotus Notes training in preparation for the upcoming deployment of the USGS Notes/Domino Pilot. The class is being held for Pilot Notes administrators, who will be bringing up the first production USGS Notes/Domino servers and migrating the first 700 Pilot users to the new mail system. All sessions will be held at the Denver Federal Center. (John Clark, Denver, 303-202-4244)

• USGS Explores County Planning DSS with University of Arkansas. Ralph Root of the USGS Center for Biological Informatics is working with the director of the Center for Advanced Spatial Technologies (CAST) at the University of Arkansas to develop a decision support system (DSS) for county planning efforts in Benton and Washington counties in northwest Arkansas. The Northwest Arkansas Council is sponsoring an effort with CAST to develop a database for the two counties, called the Community Asset Decision Information System (CADIS). USGS will assist CAST in developing an interface to CADIS that will enable stakeholders in the two-county area to generate geographical scenarios balancing development and natural resource "quality of life" issues. A prototype DSS is expected to be developed by Fall 1999, with plans for a demonstration at the annual meeting of the Aurora Partnership in Fayetteville, Arkansas, in September 1999. This cooperative effort will result in the integration of local and county geospatial data with national USGS datasets to assist local community decision making. (Ralph Root, Denver, 303-202-4232)

II. Agency Works on Presidential Initiatives: No report.

III. Notable Congressional Activity: No report.

IV. Press/Media Inquiries: No report.

V. FOIA Requests: No report.