United States Group on Earth Observations (USGEO) Kathy Fontaine, NASA USGEO ADM Vice Chair

1. United States Group on Earth Observations (USGEO) Kathy Fontaine, NASA USGEO ADM Vice Chair WGISS-22 Annapolis, MD September 14, 2006

2. Early Days • Interagency Working Group on Earth Observations • Ad hoc group chartered in 2003 by the National Science and Technology Council’s Committee on Environment and Natural Resources to create a strategic plan for developing the Integrated Earth Observation System, and to provide U.S. contributions to the GEO process. • Developed the IEOS Strategic Plan • Adopts the nine societal benefit areas, with some wording changes. • Establishes 6 Near Term Opportunities for integrating existing US efforts • Air Quality Assessment and Forecast System • Improved Observations for Disaster Warnings • National Integrated Drought Information System • Sea Level Observation System • Global Land Observation System • Architecture and Data Management Framework

3. Recent History • USGEO • IWGEO’s charter expired in December 2004. • Became a standing subcommittee under the CENR. • Civil Service only at this level • Co-chaired by NASA, Office of Science and Technology Policy, and NOAA. • Comprises representatives from 15 participating federal agencies and three White House offices. • Released Strategic Plan for the U.S. Integrated Earth Observation System April 6, 2005. • Describes a high-level strategy for developing a U.S. IEOS. • Provides a framework for guiding the U.S. participation in and contribution to the international effort to develop GEOSS.

4. National Context National Science and Technology Council ScienceCommittee Environment & NaturalResources Committee Homeland & NationalSecurity Committee TechnologyCommittee Air Quality ResearchSubcommittee Subcommittee on Global Change Research Interagency Working Group onEndocrine Disruptors Ecological SystemsSubcommittee Toxics & Risk AssessmentSubcommittee Biodiversity and EcosystemInformatics Working Group Interagency Working Group onMercury Subcommittee onDisasterReduction Subcommittee on Oceans (also reports to Committee on Science) Subcommittee onWater Availability &Quality US Group onEarth Observations (USGEO) Subcommittee on Healthand the Environment(also reports to Committee on Science and Commission onHomeland and National Security

5. USGEO Subcommittee Structure USGEO NASA – Bryant Cramer NOAA – Greg Withee OSTP – Teresa Fryberger Planning and Integration Kathy Fontaine, NASA John Lyon, EPA Science & Technology Steve Meacham, NSF Architecture & Data Mgmt. Tom Karl, NOAA Martha Maiden, NASA Capacity Building & Outreach John Jones, NOAA User Interface Mary Gant, NIEHS Ed Washburn, EPA USGEO Working Groups Disaster Margaret Davidson, NOAA David Applegate, USGS Craig Dobson, NASA Sea Level Lucia Tsaoussi, NASA Stan Wilson, NOAA Drought Tom Karl, NOAA Jared Entin, NASA Air Quality Steve Fine, NOAA Richard Sheffe, EPA Global Land Ed Sheffner, NASA Bruce Quirk, USGS NTO Task Forces

6. Current USGEO Members

7. Accomplishments • Sponsored Public Engagement Workshop: Continuing the Dialogue • May 2005 • 360 representatives from industry, academia, non-governmental organizations and federal agencies provided input to NTO process. • Sponsored Earth Observation System Architecture: Enabling an Entrepreneurial Environment • October 2005 • 65 representatives from industry, academia, non-governmental organizations, and federal agencies provided private sector input to key aspects of the IEOS plans.

8. Accomplishments • Participated in Tsunami Working Group • Helped develop a coordinated national plan for tsunami risk reduction, as requested by Congress and the President following the December 2004 tragedy in the Indian Ocean. • Released Tsunami Risk Reduction for the United States: A Framework for Action in December 2005. • Participated in CENR Subcommittee on Disaster Reduction • Worked with CENR to identify requirements for improved use of Earth observations to reduce disaster losses.

9. Status • OMB/OSTP memo to Federal agencies calls out USGEO efforts. • NIDIS, Air Quality, Disasters papers to be released soon. • Sea Level, Global Land, Data Management considered more long-term; more work required. • USGEO continues to meet monthly and continues to provide the formal US response to GEO documents • Member agencies provide agency responses; consolidated into US response.

10. US Involvement in GEO and GEO Tasks (2006 Plan) • US is one of 4 GEO Co-Chairs (VADM Conrad Lautenbacher) • As US • Leads 18 tasks • Contributes to 26 tasks • US Agency representatives through other Participating Organizations contribute to 46 more tasks. • 2007 – 2009 Work Plan roles still being discussed.

11. How This Works • US has defined “Lead” as any agency that has a currently funded, ‘operational’ contribution. • Interpreted slightly differently by each agency, as expected • Can include organized programs (NSF cyberinfrastructure efforts) as well as hardware and software • “Contributor” indicates some interest, but fewer available resources.

12. NASA Activities • In addition to the USGEO assignments shown earlier, NASA contributions include • As Chair of COSPAR Scientific Commission A [Earth's Atmosphere, Ocean and Land], represents COSPAR as a Participating Organization in GEO. • GPM task US POC • ADC participation • Support through SERVIR to several of the tasks (REASoN project) • Regional monitoring and visualization system for Central America

13. For Further Information: US Group on Earth Observations http://usgeo.gov