MLRA REGION 10 NEWSLETTER--APRIL 1, 1998 WEB SITES OF INTEREST For those of you with internet access, here are a few addresses to try: http://www.statlab.iastate.edu/soils/soildiv/ncss/ncss.html This is the NRCS National Cooperative Soil Survey site; it includes the NCSS newsletter (you need the Acrobat reader 3.01 plug in to read it.) http://pestilence.ftc.nrcs.usda.gov This the national site for NASIS; it contains general information, frequently asked questions, current releases, what's new, staff members, a comment page, and future plans. [Who else has some interesting web sites--soils or NRCS related only, please.] ######################################################################### NEW DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL SOIL SURVEY CENTER On January 18, 1998 Gregg Schellentrager (Soil Scientist on the Northern Plains Regional Office Oversight & Evaluation staff) became the Director of the NSSC. Jim Culver will be on temporary assignment for three months to the Northern Plains Regional Office Oversight & Evaluation staff. ######################################################################### ADDRESSES AND PHONE NUMBER Steve Lawler Lawler Environmental Services 610 East Circle Drive Rochester, MN 55906 1-507-282-4090 slawler@infonet.isl.net [Steve is a private contractor (hired by Fillmore County Minnesota) serving as the Project Leader for the Fillmore County soil survey update.] ######################################################################### NASIS TRAINING RECEIVED The following soil scientists received the NASIS 3.1 introductory training last month: Dale Ceolla Patrick Cowsert Joe Falkenberg Joe Johnson Dave Potts Perry Sullivan Pleas feel free to use the NASIS expertise empowered in these individuals to answer your questions. ######################################################################### STATUS OF COMPRESSION AND CACHING SOFTWARE We are currently continuing our testing of this software using a connection between the MLRA Region 10 Office and a project office. The tests are about 95% complete. The purpose of this software is to speed up the rate of electroni communications between offices. This will be particularly beneficial to those offices running NASIS. Initial measurements indicate a 4 to 10 times increase in speed, with the speed increasing as you use NASIS (due to the caching function). This software (called "DXPC x protocol compression" software) will be available shortly; MLRA Region 10 will provide it to project offices and assist in its installation and operation. ######################################################################### LAST ACRE CEREMONY The last acre ceremony for the Hubbard County Minnesota soil survey was held last fall. For his work in promoting, conducting, and providing presentations the Project Leader, Tom Neuenfeldt, received an award. [We missed this announcement a few months ago--better late than never.] ######################################################################### Last month, the following x3780 files were sent to offices having SSSD: x3780.410frig on Mar 3 ( 6 updated OSDs) @ x3780.411mes on Mar 5 (87 updated OSDs) * x3780.412mes on Mar 9 ( 3 updated OSDs) * x3780.413frig on Mar 16 ( 3 updated OSDs) @ x3780.414frig on Mar 25 (18 updated OSDs) @ @ Sent to offices using soils in the frigid soil temperature regime. * Sent to offices using soils in the mesic soil temperature regime. # Sent to all offices. ######################################################################### ACTIVITY SCHEDULE (through May 15--subject to change) Apr 8-10 ArcView Training DesLauriers Osterman Handler Giencke Hempel Jahnke Apr 13-17 MLRA 105 Steering Committee Meeting Jahnke Hempel Apr 20-24 MLRA 93 Steering Committee Meeting Giencke Handler Walker Apr 27-1 Blackhawk County, IA Initial Field Review Hempel Handler ######################################################################### CONTRIBUTIONS, IDEAS, SUGGESTIONS, AND QUESTIONS ARE WELCOME. Please submit your items at least five days before the end of the month for inclusion in that month's newsletter. Otherwise it will appear the following month. Thanks to those individuals who participated this month. This newsletter is intended to be a forum to distribute information of a general nature that will benefit soil scientists in soil survey project offices. It is hoped that it will foster communications and sharing of knowledge among those soil scientists in MLRA Region 10. The format of this newsletter is intentionally simple so that it can be received, printed, and read by the project office having the least sophisticated computer setup. #########################################################################