Data Gaps and Monitoring Infrastructure
Sound reporting on ecosystem condition requires that the right data be collected. This entails filling key data gaps, maintaining existing sources of data, and creation of an appropriate organizational structure to house and report the information. The Heinz Center is engaged in several activities that focus on these important components of our nation's environmental monitoring efforts.
Ecosystems and Climate Change: Information Systems and Tools to Support Adaptation
Coping with disruption to our climate, often called “adaptation,” will require sound feedback about changing ecosystem conditions and the effectiveness of programs and policies. In the fall of 2007, The Heinz Center initiated a project to explore whether existing environmental observation and reporting systems are adequate to meet the information needs of managers and decision makers responsible for the nation’s ecosystems and natural resources. Three meetings were held, the first for executive-level scientists and planners, and subsequently a one-day workshop and a breakout session at the 2008 National Conference on Science, Policy and the Environment, Climate Change: Science and Solutions in Washington, DC. At the workshop, senior scientists, planners and resource managers from federal agencies and other data providers shared information on how they are identifying priorities for monitoring and responding to ecosystem changes related to climate disruption, discussed linkages and interdependencies between agencies, identified some key gaps affecting multiple agencies, and described “clients” for the data, information and tools they are currently producing or planning to generate.
December 18, 2007 – meeting notes (pdf, xxKB)
January 7, 2008 – meeting notes (pdf, xxKB)
January 17, 2008 – meeting notes (pdf, xxKB)
Heinz Center Convenes Congressional Forum on Marine Fisheries Management
On September 25, 2006, the Heinz Center convened a roundtable discussion on Marine Fisheries Management: What We Need to Know in the House Science Committee’s hearing room. Representatives from commercial and recreational fishing associations, management agencies, conservation groups and universities discussed information needs for effective fisheries management and near-term strategies for expanding ecosystem-based approaches using existing information.
Agenda
Presentation by Gregg Waugh [.pdf, .7 MB]
Presentation by Doug Rader [.pdf, 1.8 MB]
Presentation by Gil Sylvia [.pdf, 1.1 MB]
Meeting Summary (.pdf, 1.8 MB)
Heinz Center Releases Filling Data Gaps Report
The Heinz Center has released a new report: Filling the Gaps: Priority Data Needs and Key Management Challenges for National Reporting on Ecosystem Condition. The report recommends “urgent action” to fill 10 key environmental indicator information data gaps that are preventing better environmental decisionmaking.
The 10 data gaps are identified as needing “special attention” from among 103 national indicators identified in The Heinz Center’s landmark 2002 report on managing lands, waters, and living resources of the U.S. In that report, the Heinz Center concluded that adequate monitoring data existed for reporting on only 58 of those 103 national indicators, with inadequate data preventing reporting on another 45 indicators.
Filling Data Gaps report (full version) (.pdf, 2.3MB)
Press Release
Frequently Asked Questions
Expert Perspectives on the report
Interview with Robin O’Malley on Data Gaps (On Point, E&E TV, 6/21/06)
Interagency Meeting on the National Land Cover Dataset
The Center, at the request of the U. S. Geological Survey, convened an interagency meeting concerning the need to move a key data set from research and development to operational status on a predictable 5-year cycle. The National Land Cover Dataset (NLCD), which provides data for the report's landscape pattern indicators, has met with delays in the timeline for release of updated data, which may impact data availability for the 2007 State of the Nation's Ecosystems report. As a result, an interagency working group will be convened to develop a long term business plan for the project.
Meeting Summary and list of participants
Heinz Center Responds to GAO Report
On September 21, 2005 , the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report entitled Environmental Information: Status of Federal Data Programs That Support Ecological Indicators. This report assesses the status and future prospects of the federal programs that provided data used in the Heinz Center 's 2002 State of the Nation's Ecosystems report. The GAO report was prepared in response to a request from the Chairmen of the House Science Committee and the Subcommittee on Environment, Technology and Standards. The report is an important step in achieving the important national goal of having consistent, timely, and relevant data on the condition and use of America 's ecosystems.
The Heinz Center has prepared a response to the GAO report. Also, based on this report as well as delayed timelines for the release of the 2001 National Land Cover Dataset, the Center has compiled a list of indicators from the first State of the Nation's Ecosystems report that may be adversely affected by constrained data sources for the 2007 report.
Environmental Information: Status of Federal Programs That Support Ecological Indicators
Response to GAO Report - September 2005
Monitoring Summit
In May of 2005 the Heinz Center convened a meeting of senior representatives from agencies and organizations with a significant role in planning, funding, and/or managing key elements of the nation's environmental monitoring infrastructure. The discussion focused on risks, benefits and strategies for increased integration of monitoring efforts and allowed the Heinz Center to gain further insight into the key challenges identified in the draft report on data needs.
Meeting summary and list of participants
Data Gaps Survey
Responding to interest in the data gaps identified in the 2002 State of the Nation's Ecosystems report, the Heinz Center conducted a survey to identify the highest priority gaps which must be filled in order to effectively report on the condition of U.S. ecosystems. Heinz Center staff analyzed the survey results and, in consultation with the Design Committee, have produced a draft report on high priority data needs. Please do not quote or cite sections from this draft which we are releasing for review and discussion only.