[APWG] Fw: S&T Seminar, Please feel free to forward to others!

[Jil_Swearingen at nps.gov]

Please see notice below.

----- Forwarded by Jil Swearingen/NCR/NPS on 02/10/2004 04:20 PM -----

USDA NRCS
Science and Technology
Consortium Seminar

A Decision Support Approach to Farm Bill Conservation Efforts:

A Potential Partnership Project between NatureServe, Environmental Defense,
and NRCS

Topic:   Using a spatial decision support systems approach to integrate
information on threats, opportunities, and costs of restoring imperiled
species and ecosystems into conservation planning efforts.

Presenter:  Patrick J. Crist, Science Applications Manager, NatureServe*

Through new and enhanced Farm Bill programs, NRCS has tremendous potential
to conserve and restore biodiversity across the U.S.  Prioritizing areas
across multiple programs and activities is a highly complex task that can
benefit from specialized software tools and an integrated conservation
methodology.  NatureServe and partners have been working for 3 years on a
decision support system (DSS) to support conservation planning suitable for
use by those without expertise in conservation biology or GIS.  This
seminar presents NatureServe's work to date, and will provide NRCS
professionals with an opportunity to evaluate the approach for potential
application in the delivery of its conservation programs.

NatureServe spun off from The Nature Conservancy approximately 4 years ago
and includes central conservation science and information technology
divisions in a home office and 4 regional offices.  NatureServe also
encompasses the network of state Natural Heritage Programs and CDCs across
the western hemisphere.  The NatureServe Network represents the largest
database on the occurrence of rare and imperiled species and ecosystems in
the U.S. and is a frequent source of information and expertise for NRCS.

Date:       February 23, 2004
Time:       2:00 to 3:00 p.m.
Place:      Room 5140-S
Contact:    Patrick Crist, 703-908-1821 or Bill Boyer, 202-720-0307
Sponsor:    The NRCS Deputy Areas of Science & Technology

Open to the public

Enter USDA South Building, 12th and Independence Ave. SW, Wing 1

Use the Smithsonian METRO Station