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Expanding Support for High-Priority USGS Programs with Workshops at the Powell Center

Since 2011, the John Wesley Powell Center for Analysis and Synthesis has delivered Earth science synthesis in support of USGS and the Department of Interior (DOI) goals.

Since 2011, the John Wesley Powell Center for Analysis and Synthesis has delivered Earth science synthesis in support of USGS and the Department of Interior (DOI) goals. As the only Earth Science synthesis center in the world, the Powell Center provides a venue to address topics proposed by USGS scientists and leaders. Beyond our major role in proposal-driven synthesis, the Powell Center is increasingly providing workshop opportunities to advance science planning for high-priority USGS, DOI, and government-wide integrated programs. The Powell Center has hosted these workshops since 2016 on topics that have included developing the science of ecological forecasting (Ecological Forecasting for USGS), quantifying ecological integrity across multiple-use public lands (Carter and others 2019), developing the focus areas for western states for the Earth Mapping Resources Initiative (Earth MRI), and  the Grand Challenges for Integrated U.S. Geological Survey Science (Grand Challenges Report), and more.

Details on recent cross-mission area, cross-agency, and cross-sector collaborative workshops that the Powell Center strives to support are included below. In addition to these science-based initiatives, other interdisciplinary teams are reaching out to us to help them advance USGS and DOI goals, and recently, we hosted the Peer Support Worker Program’s 2024 meeting sponsored by the USGS Civility and Inclusion Council.  

 

Multidisciplinary Natural Resource Assessment  

This science team, sponsored by Core Science Systems (CSS) Mission Area, met in April to develop a vision and workplan for a cross-mission area fiscal year (FY) 2026 and beyond science initiative, accompanied by a CSS-led Land Change Report in FY 2025. The meeting of USGS scientists from the CSS, Ecosystems, Energy and Minerals, and Water Mission Areas successfully developed the outline and brainstormed pilot studies to leverage existing USGS datasets, models, and stakeholder connections to advance an integrated natural resources assessment for selected pilot areas. This cross-mission area initiative is highlighted in the FY25 USGS Bureau Science Priorities

 

Analysis and Synthesis of Headwater Streamflow Modeling and Downstream Effects This working group formed to further headwater streamflow modeling research in support of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) goals under the Clean Water Act. USGS and EPA scientists have long worked together to advance the scientific understanding of stream, wetland, and groundwater hydrology and connectivity to inform management of these systems. Past collaborative synthesis work on these topics documented the cumulative importance of wetlands – especially those not located on the floodplain (e.g., non-floodplain wetlands or “geographically isolated wetlands”) in order to define Waters of the U.S. for the Clean Water Act. Many of the research products from prior Powell Center workgroups contributed to the 2021 “Technical Support Document for the Proposed “Revised Definition of Waters of the United States” Rule.”  The urgent need for local, state, Tribal, and federal stakeholders to understand the functional contributions of additional “vulnerable waters” such as headwaters, brought about this new EPA-USGS collaboration. The Headwaters workgroup is supported by the EPA. 

 

Wildland Fire Leadership Council 

The Wildland Fire Leadership Council (WFLC) in collaboration with the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) Science for Disaster Reduction Interagency Working Group (SDR), sponsored a workshop in June at the Powell Center and the Fort Collins Science Center to address wildland fire science, data, and technology needs. Approximately 60 national fire science, technology, and management leaders from more than 20 agencies and organizations convened to engage and recommend action on wildland fire science, data, and technology topics. Activities included compiling recommendations from eight national fire assessments, reviewing and prioritizing 264 recommendations into tiers, and developing actions for the top recommendations on topics including: interagency fire science coordination and collaboration; integrating Indigenous Knowledge and Western Science; enhancing community resilience from wildland fire; developing a technology roadmap for research to operations; and more.

The Powell Center looks forward to continuing to expand its support for high-priority programs and hopes to hear your ideas about how we can accomplish this goal. At present we do not have a formal process for soliciting events, which range from the practical and necessary to horizon-scanning. However, we welcome your inquiries as to how we can help your next synthesis or planning needs. Please reach out! 

 

Jill Baron 
Director, John Wesley Powell Center for 

Analysis and Synthesis   

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