Request for Information Submitted January 5 CPCRW as the Core Site for the Taiga Domain

1. Request for Information Submitted January 5 • CPCRW as the Core Site for the Taiga Domain • One core site per domain • Information submitted largely focused on: • Site logistics • Existing infrastructure • Long-term land permissions • Representative site of the domain

2. NEON Review process: • Week of Feb 5: • USGS hosted an RFI evaluation workshop to complete a site-by-site and synthetic analysis of the RFI responses. • Week of Feb 12: • Site selection team convened to use the RFI responses, the USGS evaluation and supporting GIS information to develop a proposed NEON network. • Feb 21: • NEON presented the plan to NSF and an interagency group. • Feb 22: • Site selection team presented plan to the NEON, Inc. Board of Directors and the Board voted to approve or modify the plan. The plan will contain some contingency (e.g. in some cases we will choose a first choice and a backup site in the case of uncertainty).

3. NEON Review process continued: • Feb 26: • The proposed sites will be identified and the NEON web site will display cartographic and tabular identifications of the sites and research questions that will comprise the initial proposed NEON network. • Plan will form the basis of the NEON Project Execution Plan, which will go through a series of review steps during the summer of 2007, including review by the National Science Board.

4. Site Review: • CPCRW only response for the Taiga Core site • NEON will be conducting site reviews of the Core Sites and Gradient Sites • ~4 core sites will be visited between March 1 – 24 • Initial visits will be sites that are the most challenging logistically and scientifically for NEON infrastructure • For example, sites to be visited may be selected based on uncertainty in logistics (e.g., tower location relative to complex terrain, availability of facilities, distance to roads) and/or science concerns (e.g., difficulty in collection of FSU measurements). • Initial sites will be contacted after Feb. 26

5. Site Review: • Details for visit have not been provided yet • Preliminary information for visit: • Basic preparations would include arranging logistics for 4-5 site team members to tour the research site and facilities • Ensuring that key site personnel will be available for discussions with the team, and identifying alternative tower locations to be visited • Visit will last ~1 ½ days

6. Components of Core Sites: • Instrumented Watershed • Networking Infrastructure • Potential for Laboratory and Dormitory Space • Proposed to be located at Poker Flats

7. Components of Core Sites: • One Advanced BioMesoNet Tower System and four Basic BioMesoNet Tower Systems permanently installed • Three of the Basic BioMesoNet Tower Systems are meant • to provide information on environmental heterogeneity within the core wildland site • Fourth Basic BioMesoNet Tower System deployed at the experiment set-aside

11. Planning: • Site Visit • Identify people that should be involved with site visit • Land-use permissions • Poker Flats personnel • USFS • GVEA • LTER & other scientists

12. Planning: • Implementation of Core Site • Locations of towers and sensors arrays • Advanced BioMesoNet tower near confluence of Poker and Caribou Creeks • Core watershed C4 • Laboratory and dormitory • Cyber structure • Educational outreach

13. Planning: • Integrated Science and Education Plan • www.neoninc.org/documents/ • Prepare for a meeting