Highlights for August 13, 2003

I. Key Department/Bureau News
Nothing to report this week.

II. Management Reform
Nothing to report this week.

III. Notable Congressional Activity
Nothing to report this week.

IV. Press/Media Inquiries

• USGS and NBII in Federal Computer Week: USGS Director Dr. Charles Groat and Gladys Cotter, USGS Associate Chief Biologist for Information, appeared in an article in Federal Computer Week of August 11 discussing the meeting of the Inter-American Biodiversity Information Network and the Clearinghouse Mechanism from August 12-14 in Cancun, Mexico. Cotter co-chaired the meeting, the largest biodiversity information conference in history, which included participants from 34 countries and such other groups as the Global Biodiversity Information Facility. (Ron Sepic, Reston, VA, 703-648-4218)

• NBII in Government Computer News: Mike Frame, Director of NBII technology, was featured in an article in the June 28 issue of Government Computer News. The article explains how a new approach to “tagging” data is helping ensure users find the information products they need. (Ron Sepic, Reston, VA, 703-648-4218)

V. Key FOIA Requests
Nothing to report this week.