Great Lakes Observing System (GLOS) UPDATE
Aug. 12, 2005

The GLOS Steering Committee had its monthly conference call on Aug. 11. Topics included the following:

• Status of year 3-5 funding through the NOAA-Coastal Services Center grant cycle
• Legislative update (IOOS authorization and appropriation bills)
• Incorporation status of the GLOS Regional Association
• Draft GLOS bylaws
  • Federal involvement in RAs
  • Other required changes
• Observing system components
  • Lake St. Clair Light upgrade
  • Upcoming remote sensing workshop
• Regional DMAC initiative
• Industry Day for the Great Lakes Observing System (planned for October 2005 in Chicago)

• Planning for a GLOS Industry Day is underway, tentatively scheduled for late October 2005 in Chicago.
  
  
• GLOS is the focus of an article in the latest newsletter of the Ocean Research Interactive Observatory Networks (ORION), see www.orionprogram.org/PDFs/Newsletter/newsletter_Summer05.pdf. ORION is a pioneering effort to develop and implement observing technologies for marine research. The centerpiece of the ORION Program is the Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI), an ambitious plan by the National Science Foundation to advance ocean research for coming decades through the investment of approximately $260M in observatory infrastructure. For more information, visit www.orionprogram.org.
  
  
• The next meeting of the National Federation of Regional Associations will take place Sept. 19 in Washington, D.C., preceding the MTS/IEEE Oceans 2005 Conference.
  
  

The Great Lakes Regional Collaboration (GLRC) - a wide-ranging, cooperative effort to design and implement a strategy for the restoration, protection and sustainable use of the Great Lakes - unveiled its draft plan on July 7 in Duluth, Minn. A 60-day public comment period is occurring now through Sept. 9, 2005. A new web site, www.glrc.us, provides the full text of the draft plan, background information and options for submitting comments.

Eight issue-specific strategy teams developed the proposed action plan over the past seven months. Representing a major milestone for the region, more than 1,500 people from federal, state, local and tribal governments; nongovernmental entities; and private citizens participated in this process.

GLOS is a high priority of the ongoing Regional Collaboration and is specifically being addressed in recommendations developed by the Indicators and Information Strategy Team, co-chaired by Roger Gauthier and NOAA-GLERL Director Stephen Brandt. Information about the Collaboration is available at http://www.epa.gov/greatlakes/collaboration/.

The Senate passed S.361, Ocean and Coastal Observation System Act of 2005, by unanimous consent on July 1. The measure was received in the House on July 11 and referred to the Resources and Science Committees. Both of these committees have already begun work on H.R.1584, the companion bill to S. 361, and H.R. 1489 which is similar in scope to the other two bills, but with less detailed provisions. A hearing has already been held on April 19 for H.R. 1489 by the House Resources Committee, Subcommittee on Fisheries and Oceans. This bill is considered most likely to eventually make it out of the Resources Committee. Nonetheless, it is uncertain which of the House bills will be voted out by the Science Committee. Read more at www.glos.us/updates/GLOS_congress_update050810.pdf