Highlights for October 25, 2001

I. Key Department/Bureau News

• U.S. Prepares for Convention on Biological Diversity: Dr. Michael Ruggiero, USGS Center for Biological Informatics, will serve on the U.S. Delegation to the 7th Meeting of the Convention on Biological Diversity's Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technological and Technical Advice (CBD/SBSTTA 7) on November 12-16 in Montreal, Canada The Convention on Biological Diversity is the major framework Convention for conservation, use, and sharing benefits of biological diversity. SBSTTA is the principal scientific body that advises the Conference of the Parties, the decision making body for the Convention. 179 countries have ratified the CBD; the U.S. has signed but not ratified the Convention and has observer status. Major topics will include forest biodiversity, agricultural biodiversity, pollinators, and biodiversity indicators. For more information, see www.biodiv.org. (Mike Ruggiero, ITIS, Smithsonian/Washington, 202-786-3117).

• GIS and DSS in Libraries: Two CBI staff members, Mike Mulligan and Susan Fayad, will be presenting at the annual Colorado Library Association Conference in Colorado Springs on October 28. The presentation will focus on Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Decision Support Systems (DSS), their structure and applications as well as their use and value in library services. Of course, information on the National Biological Information Infrastructure (NBII) will also be provided. In addition to these basic objectives for the program, the presenters' intent is to create awareness and involvement by libraries in community planning using DSS, while hoping to identify, through the librarians, a possible site for a biodiversity DSS pilot project in a Colorado community. (Susan Fayad, Denver, 303-202-4224)

• Helping Librarians to Use Spatial Data: The upcoming Colorado Library Association Annual Conference (October 26-29, Colorado Springs) will be the venue for announcing a new GIS training program for librarians. Facilitated by CBI staff members, Susan Fayad and Mike Mulligan, arrangements have been made for Joseph Kerski, of the USGS, to provide GIS training to librarians through the Bibliographical Center for Research (BCR - www.bcr.org) in Denver, Colorado. This partnership will bring USGS experience and expertise to the library community through BCR, which is a nonprofit, multistate library cooperative serving more than 3,000 libraries, thereby expanding the use and availability of GIS in local communities. Making information accessible and easy to understand is the goal of libraries. Librarians and their patrons can manage census data, zoning and tax assessment maps, USGS digital aerial photographs, and satellite images, providing public access to information that previously was difficult to use. (Susan Fayad, Denver, 303-202-4224)

II. Agency Work on Presidential Initiatives
Nothing to report this week.

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.