Highlights for April 25, 2002

I. Key Department/Bureau News

• Stakeholder Involvement in NBII’s Urban Biodiversity Theme: Urban and suburban growth affect the nation’s biodiversity in many ways. To inform researchers, resource managers, and the general public about these effects, the National Biological Information Infrastructure (NBII) is conducting a pilot project to synthesize data and information on urban biodiversity in metropolitan Washington, DC. In order to enhance the value of the materials provided, the USGS sponsored a half-day stakeholders meeting on April 19th to involve 30 participants from all levels of government, nonprofit organizations, and academia. This event was the second of a series of meetings designed to gain project support and collect significant input. (Rob Dietz, Reston, 703-648-4215)

• NBII Metadata Workshop "Preserving Data Value": May 16-15, 2002, Sharon Shin, USGS/NBII Metadata Program Coordinator and Theresa Ely, National Park Service Intermountain Support Office GIS Coordinator will present a computer-based training workshop on the FGDC Biological Data Profile and metadata creation. Metadata, critical characteristics and information regarding a data set, is key to preserving the outlay, expertise, and time spent developing data sets. Attendees at the workshop will represent an array of agencies and organizations including National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Geological Survey and others. (Sharon Shin, Denver, Colorado, 303-202-4230).

II. Management Reform
Nothing to report this week.

III. Notable Congressional Activity
Nothing to report this week.

III. Press/Media Inquiries
Nothing to report this week.

V. Key FOIA Requests
Nothing to report this week.