NSB-99-6
January 25, 1999
MEMORANDUM TO: Members and Consultants of the National Science Board
SUBJECT: Preliminary Report of the Public Hearing and Third
Meeting of the CPP Task
Force on the
Environment 14-15 January 1999, Portland, OR
Below are summaries of the Public Hearing on Environmental Research, Education and Assessment of the Task Force on the Environment held on January 14, 1999, and the Meeting of the Task Force on the Environment held on the evening of January 14 and on January 15, 1999, in Portland, Oregon. (Materials for committee summaries are provided by executive secretaries.)
Hearing on Environmental Research, Education and Assessment
The NSB Task Force on the Environment Hearing on Environmental Research, Education and Assessment was held on 14 January. In a public hearing, the Task Force heard presentations from Dr. Paul Portney (Resources for the Future), Dr. James Sedell (U.S. Forest Service), Dr. Steven Carpenter (University of Wisconsin), Dr. Gordon Orians (University of Washington), Dr. Diana Liverman (University of Arizona), Dr. Christopher Field (Carnegie Institution of Washington), Dr. Richard Ostfeld (Institute for Ecosystem Studies) and Dr. Harold Mooney (Stanford University). The panelists addressed issues of research, including knowledge gaps and challenges of interdisciplinary research; education, including gaps and biases; and assessment, including the interdisciplinary transmission of research findings, and the state of the environment.
Meeting of the Task Force on the Environment, January 14 and 15, 1999
Subsequently, in regular session the Task Force discussed several issues related to interdisciplinary programs of research and how those might interdigitate with changing information requirements of environmental managers. There was also discussion of what was required to initiate novel crossdisciplinary research activities at NSF and how starting such programs affected the sunsetting of other special programs and the funding available to core programs.
On 15 January, the Task Force reviewed the status of its activities. The Web site (http://www.nsf.gov/nsb/tfe/) is now operational and is being populated with information. Most of the meeting was spent discussing the symposium being planned for the February 1999 National Science Board meeting in Los Angeles, as well as other mechanisms for gathering information relevant to the Task Force deliberations. The Task Force agreed to solicit views of a variety of organizations and individuals by requesting 2-page letters via email. These "views" letters would be requested for a 28 February deadline.
Marta Cehelsky
Executive Officer