<div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_quote"><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif">Having trouble viewing this email? <a href="http://links.govdelivery.com/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTUwNzE2LjQ3MjMwMjgxJm1lc3NhZ2VpZD1NREItUFJELUJVTC0yMDE1MDcxNi40NzIzMDI4MSZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTEwMDEmc2VyaWFsPTE3MzkxMjYxJmVtYWlsaWQ9UGF0cmljaWFfRGVBbmdlbGlzQGZ3cy5nb3YmdXNlcmlkPVBhdHJpY2lhX0RlQW5nZWxpc0Bmd3MuZ292JmZsPSZleHRyYT1NdWx0aXZhcmlhdGVJZD0mJiY=&&&100&&&http://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDAOC/bulletins/10fa152" target="_blank">View it as a Web page</a>.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif">USDA Office of Communications, </span>Jul 16, 2015</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif">Release No. 0208.15</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif">Contact: Office of
Communications (202)720-4623</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif">USDA and NASA Expand
Innovative Partnership to Better Predict Wildfires, Monitor Drought from Space</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif">Updated Memorandum of
Understanding strengthens research and data sharing, promotes STEM and
agriculture to younger generations</span></i><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif">MOFFETT FIELD,
California, July 16, 2015—Agriculture Deputy Secretary Krysta Harden and NASA
Deputy Administrator Dava Newman today announced an expanded partnership
between the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the National
Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) designed to better protect
America's working lands, predict and prevent natural disasters, and inspire
young people to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, mathematics
and agriculture.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif">"Space is a
unique laboratory that can be a gateway to solving some of the greatest
agricultural challenges of our time," says Deputy Secretary Harden.
"This partnership is a powerful opportunity for USDA and NASA to yield new
tools and techniques to help farmers and ranchers as they deal with the ongoing
impacts of climate change and drought. Perhaps most importantly, this
partnership will expose more young people to the power of science and
innovation to solve some of the world's most pressing challenges."</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif">"There are many
areas where NASA and USDA have overlapping interests," said NASA's Deputy
Administrator Dava Newman. "We can now better coordinate and build on the
resources of both NASA and the USDA to help learn more about our planet's vital
resources and inspire the next generation to become better stewards of our
planet."</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif">Among other things,
the agreement will expand cooperation on space-borne remote sensing efforts to
gather soil moisture data. One potential outcome of the expanded partnership
between USDA and NASA could be using satellite data to create a series of soil
moisture maps for California that could be used to improve weather and water
availability forecasting and provide a drought early-warning system to
producers, particularly in California.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif">Under the new
agreement, USDA now has expanded access to data from NASA satellites that will
help Forest Service fire fighters and first responders better detect wildfires
and predict their behavior. USDA and the Department of the Interior have spent
nearly $1.5 billion annually over the past decade on wildfire suppression, but
this new technology has the potential to stop wildfires before they start,
saving money, land, and even lives.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif">Deputy Secretary
Harden and Deputy Administrator Newman were joined by California 4-H members at
NASA's Ames Research Center in Mountain View, California, to sign a Memorandum
of Understanding (MOU) formalizing the expanded collaboration between USDA and
NASA. As hunger and climate change are rapidly escalating threats to public
health and national security, both NASA and USDA have a role to play in
inspiring the next generation of students to pursue careers in STEM and
agricultural fields.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif">Ames Research Center,
one of ten NASA field enters, is located in the heart of California's Silicon
Valley. For more than 75 years, Ames has led NASA in conducting world-class
research and development in aeronautics, exploration technology and science
aligned with the center's core capabilities. The International Space Station
(ISS), operated by NASA, includes a National Laboratory where ground-breaking
scientific research is conducted every day. Currently, NASA has a mini veggie
farm at the International Space Station to grow fresh produce like lettuce.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif">Since 2009, USDA has
invested $4.32 billion in research and development grants. Studies have shown
that every dollar invested in agricultural research now returns over $20 to our
economy. In recent years, research by USDA scientists has led to discoveries of
everything from a potential solution for millions who suffer allergies from
peanuts to safe mosquito control that can help halt the transmission of
diseases they spread, among others. For the latest on discoveries by USDA
researchers, read the <a href="http://links.govdelivery.com/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTUwNzE2LjQ3MjMwMjgxJm1lc3NhZ2VpZD1NREItUFJELUJVTC0yMDE1MDcxNi40NzIzMDI4MSZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTEwMDEmc2VyaWFsPTE3MzkxMjYxJmVtYWlsaWQ9UGF0cmljaWFfRGVBbmdlbGlzQGZ3cy5nb3YmdXNlcmlkPVBhdHJpY2lhX0RlQW5nZWxpc0Bmd3MuZ292JmZsPSZleHRyYT1NdWx0aXZhcmlhdGVJZD0mJiY=&&&101&&&https://www.ars.usda.gov/sp2UserFiles/Place/01090000/FY14_%20Ann_TT_%20Rpt.pdf" target="_blank" title="Opens in new window.">2014
Annual Report on Technology Transfer</a>.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif">If you have questions about USDA activities, please visit
our <a href="http://links.govdelivery.com/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTUwNzE2LjQ3MjMwMjgxJm1lc3NhZ2VpZD1NREItUFJELUJVTC0yMDE1MDcxNi40NzIzMDI4MSZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTEwMDEmc2VyaWFsPTE3MzkxMjYxJmVtYWlsaWQ9UGF0cmljaWFfRGVBbmdlbGlzQGZ3cy5nb3YmdXNlcmlkPVBhdHJpY2lhX0RlQW5nZWxpc0Bmd3MuZ292JmZsPSZleHRyYT1NdWx0aXZhcmlhdGVJZD0mJiY=&&&114&&&http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?navid=ASK_EXPERT2" target="_blank" title="USDA Ask the Expert">Ask the
Expert</a> page. This feature is designed to assist you in
obtaining the information you are seeking.<br>
<br>
<i>USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. To file a complaint of
discrimination, write: USDA, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights,
Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410
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