Highlights for July 21, 2000
USGS Center for Biological Informatics

I. Key Department News:

First Meeting of Restructured Geospatial Technology Program. On July 17-18, the BRD Geospatial Technology Program Regional Representatives (Greg Kennedy, USGS Great Lakes Science Center, Eastern Region; Larry Handley, USGS National Wetlands Research Center, Central Region; and George Lienkaemper, USGS Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Western Region) met with Science Program Representative Dan Petit and Acting Geospatial Technology Program Coordinator Tom Owens. This first meeting of the newly restructured group was held at the Great Lakes Science Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The BRD Geospatial Technology Program is a cooperative effort to facilitate the application of geospatial technology in BRD programs through the development of standards (such as metadata standards) and information sharing. Topics of discussion included integration of BRD geospatial technology efforts into the restructured USGS, how to ensure that BRD geospatial technology is included in budget initiatives, and support for a proposed ICEBIRG workshop on geospatial technology in 2001. A meeting of all BRD Geospatial Technology Coordinators was scheduled for December 2000 in Denver. (Tom Owens, Denver, 303-202-4259)

More cc:Mail Post Offices Decommissioned. USGS Center for Biological Informatics (CBI) staff assisted the staff at the USGS Alaska Biological Science Center, USGS Pacific Island Ecosystems Research Center, and USGS National Wildlife Health Center in completing their e-mail migrations to Lotus Notes. Their cc:Mail post offices are now closed and removed from the system. John Clark of CBI continues to work with the remaining Cooperative Research Units, science centers, and field stations in moving to Lotus Notes. (John Clark, Denver, 303-202-4244)

II. Agency Works on Presidential Initiatives:

USGS Provides NOAA with ISO Draft Standards Workshop. On July 12, Susan Stitt of the USGS Center for Biological Informatics (CBI) presented an International Standards Organization (ISO) draft metadata standards seminar at the NOAA facility in Boulder, Colorado. Stitt was invited in follow-up to Sharon Shin's (CBI) seminar and workshop on Federal Geographic Data Committee metadata development. The proposed ISO metadata standards currently are in review, and NOAA's Geophysical Data Center is considering a coordinated commentary on the draft. After the seminar, Stitt helped guide a brainstorming session on the document. (Susan Stitt, Denver, 303-202-4234)

NBII for Science Teachers. On July 13, Terry D'Erchia of the Office of Biological Informatics and Outreach and Sharon Shin of the USGS Center for Biological Informatics presented an NBII Web demonstration and Q&A session for ten participants in the Colorado School of Mines Extended Learning for Science Teachers certificate program. Pete Modreski of the Geologic Division hosted the group. (Terry D'Erchia, Denver, 303-202-4264)

III. Notable Congressional Activity: No report.

IV. Press/Media Inquiries: No report.

V. FOIA Requests: No report.

Last Updated: Friday, 08-Jun-2001 13:55:24 MDT