Highlights for May 16, 2001

I. Key Department/Bureau News

• USGS Scientist to Jointly Develop Model Parameters for Leafy Spurge: Karl Brown of the USGS Center for Biological Informatics will collaborate with Dr. Robert Nowierski at Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, for spread prediction and population growth estimates for the invasive plant, leafy spurge. Model development will span May 29-June1, and will involve the efforts of other researchers holding three beetle control databases in Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota. GIS analysis parameters and a spread prediction tool are the planned outcomes of the joint effort. Leafy spurge has taken over millions of acres of Western grazing land. An aggressive, exotic perennial weed, it readily out-competes desirable native vegetation. According to the USDA, the spread of leafy spurge costs ranchers an estimated $35-45 million per year. (Karl Brown, Denver, CO, 303-202-4240)

II. Agency Work on Presidential Initiatives

• Implementation of NBII Clearinghouse Metadata Model to Begin: Staff of the USGS Center for Biological Informatics will visit Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) during the week of May 21 to begin implementation of their Mercury metadata system model for the National Biological Information Infrastructure (NBII) Metadata Clearinghouse nodes. Currently, the NBII has 18 NBII Metadata Clearinghouse nodes across the country that make research data sets available to users. The NBII is partnering with ORNL to take advantage of several in-house developed metadata capabilities and to leverage the existing investment by other federal agencies, NASA, DOE, and so forth, in the Mercury system. The timeframe for prototype implementation is July 2001. (Mike Frame, Reston, VA, 703/648-4164)

III. Notable Congressional Activity: Nothing to report this week.

IV. Press/Media Inquiries: Nothing to report this week.

V. Key FOIA Requests: Nothing to report this week.