Integrating the Nation's Environmental Monitoring and Related Research
Networks and Programs
NATIONAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COUNCIL
COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES
FACT SHEET
National Environmental Monitoring Initiative
Integrating the Nation's Environmental Monitoring
and Related Research Networks and Programs
The National Science and Technology Council's (NSTC's) Committee on Environment
and Natural Resources (CENR) has recognized a high priority need to integrate
and coordinate environmental monitoring and research networks and programs
across the federal government. This effort will allow a comprehensive evaluation
of our Nation's environmental resources and it's ecological systems. It
will provide an integrated scientific information base to support natural
resource assessment and decision-making. Many of today's monitoring programs
are designed with the goal of providing information on single- agency missions.
They also tend to focus on a single resource or issue. By integrating these
monitoring and research activities, the Nation can begin to assess the status
of resources and their multiple uses in the context of entire ecosystems.
Integration will add value to existing programs by linking broad-based survey,
inventory, and monitoring information to research on environmental processes.
The Vice President described environmental monitoring as "the foundation
for the scientific information necessary to make wise decisions key to
meeting the twin goals of continued vigorous economic growth and preservation
of our magnificent natural heritage for generations to come." He challenged
agencies to "work with the scientific community and other interested parties
to produce a "report card" on the health of the Nation's ecosystems by
2001." In accepting that challenge, the initiative is committed to collaboration
with the full range of stakeholders.
All federal agencies that have major environmental monitoring and related
research networks are involved in this cooperative venture. This initiative
is an effort to improve the integration, and thus the effectiveness, of
already-funded programs. A fully integrated and coordinated network can
provide a better understanding of our environmental resources and produce
greater cost-effectiveness, while continuing to meet individual agency
missions. The initiative also provides direct scientific support for policy
recommendations of the President's Council on Sustainable Development
and interagency efforts in ecosystem management.
As an initial step, an interagency working group was established in
July of 1995 and charged to develop a national framework for integration
and coordination of environmental monitoring and related research through
collaboration building upon existing networks and programs. This team
of scientists and program managers produced a hierarchical design for
integration of monitoring activities. The design linked together synoptic
remote sensing schemes, stratified sampling schemes, and intensive monitoring
and process-based studies at a small number of sites. The hierarchical
design is described in the CENR publication, A Proposed Framework.
This conceptual framework was the subject of discussion at a Mid-Atlantic
Regional Workshop which brought together federal and non-federal
stakeholders from that area in April of 1996. This workshop laid the basis
for a pilot demonstration project that is working to test the approach
set out in the framework document.
A National Workshop was held in September of 1996 to review
the overall vision for and integrated monitoring and research system and
to build the broadest possible foundation for cooperation in integrating
a national effort. The objectives of the national workshop were to: a)
identify the science questions that are related to policy goals and that
need to be addressed to evaluate the health of our Nation's ecosystems;
b) review the potential of current monitoring and research programs to
answer the science questions; and c) recommend the best techniques for
measuring the key parameters that address the science questions and policy
goals. The Vice President's "report card" challenge was delivered to participants
at this workshop.
Three major action items were recommended by consensus at the national
workshop:
- Complete within 18 months, a draft national assessment that will iterate
to the 2001 report card and derive from existing monitoring and research;
- Initiate a series of regional pilot projects, starting with the Mid-Atlantic
region, to take monitoring and assessment to a more detailed level and
address institutional issues;
- Develop a pilot study to explore the capability of a national network
of index sites.
The CENR Environmental Monitoring Steering Committee has accepted these
recommendations and is directing efforts to implement them.
The Steering Committee has also endorsed the concept of proceeding with
the "report card" effort in concert with an impartial, non-governmental,
not-for-profit organization or group of organizations which would bring
federal efforts together with those of state and local governments, industry,
academia, and environmental groups.
An Internet home page that includes maps and other information about
major monitoring and related research networks and programs has been established.
This site also contains the documents referred to in this fact sheet as
well as other information about the initiative. The Internet address for
this site is http://www.epa.gov/cludygxb/.
The NSTC is a cabinet-level council established by President Clinton
in November of 1993. It is the principal means for coordinating science
and technology across the federal government. The CENR is charged with
coordination related to environment and natural resources. Participants
in this initiative include the Departments of Agriculture, Energy, Interior,
the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Environmental
Protection Agency, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the
National Science Foundation, and others.
For additional information contact:
Rebecca, Dittmar, Press Assistant
Office of Science and Technology Policy
Executive Office of the President
(202) 456-6020
FAX (202) 456-6019
February 1997
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