Consulting Soil Scientist News and Views

This Blog is moving.

2008-11-23T22:16:00.003-05:00

I am pleased to announce the new, improved NSCSS website. Using Drupal, NSCSS members (not just yours truly) will be able to post blog entries.

Science 2.0

2008-04-23T09:33:00.001-05:00

From Scientific American:

...blogging, tagging and social networking, dubbed Web 2.0, have ... expanded people’s ability ... to publish it, edit it and collaborate about it—forcing such old-line institutions as journalism, marketing and even politicking to adopt whole new ways of thinking and operating....

A small but growing number of researchers ... have begun to carry out their work via the wide-open tools of Web 2.0. And although their efforts are still too scattered to be called a movement—yet—their experiences to date suggest that this kind of Web-based “Science 2.0” is not only more collegial than traditional science but considerably more productive.

In principle, ... scientists should find a transition to Web 2.0 perfectly natural. After all, since the time of Galileo and Newton, scientists have built up their knowledge about the world by “crowdsourcing” the contributions of many researchers and then refining that knowledge through open debate. “Web 2.0 fits so perfectly with the way science works. It’s not whether the transition will happen but how fast,” ...

... for Science 2.0 advocates, the real significance is the technologies’ potential to move researchers away from an obsessive focus on priority and publication toward the kind of openness and community that were the supposed hallmarks of science in the first place. “I don’t see the disappearance of the formal research paper anytime soon,” Surridge says. “But I do see the growth of lots more collaborative activity building up to publication.”

Scientific Research and Scientific Education Need Your Help Today!

2008-04-08T12:17:00.001-05:00

from Karl Glassener:

Support Scientific Research and Science Education	Take Action!
Call Congress Today

The National Science Foundation and Department of Energy Office of Science did not receive sufficient funding in accordance with America COMPETES Act for fiscal year 2008. Please call the President and your Representative and Senators today and urge them to provide additional funding for scientific research and science education in the supplemental appropriations bill for fiscal year 2008. The failure to appropriate the funds called for last year in the America COMPETES Act, endorsed by both the President and Congress, is now having significant ramifications for U.S. universities, research centers and laboratories. This action is consistent with both the President and Congress' promises to support science funding. It would prevent the permanent loss of critical scientific jobs and national scientific and technological capabilities and it will keep America competitive. The additional funding also would send a clear signal to students studying in these fields that both Congress and the President do, in fact, assign a high priority to science and engineering. It is not too late to fix this funding problem, so call and ask that Congress and the President restore funding for critical science programs by including it in the upcoming fiscal year 2008 supplemental funding bill. Thank you for supporting scientific research and science education! Note to USDA and University employees: Please be advised to check with your supervisor about any regulations concerning citizen advocacy prior to taking part in this action. American Society of Agronomy Crop Science Society of America Soil Science Society of America

2008-04-05T10:24:00.004-05:00

As of last week, NSCSS' LinkedIn membership rose above 10%. We also now have an NSCSS LinkedIn group, which 3% of our members have joined. A link to the group has been placed on the NSCSS home page.

It only takes a few minutes a day (8 minutes is enough), to get the most out of LinkedIn:

Add Job Details to Your Profile. Let viewers know about your interests and accomplishments.

Add Education to Your Profile. Make it easy for fellow alumni to reconnect.

Choose Your Vanity URL. (www.linkedin.com/in/yourname) This professional touch makes it easier for colleagues to catch up with you when you enable your public profile.

Import Your Address Book. This is the most effective step you can take in expanding your network.

Install the Outlook Toolbar. If you have Outlook (I don't).

Install the Internet Explorer Toolbar. I don't use MSIE much so I installed the alternative companion for Firefox. Now, when I use Gmail, I can click through to see if a senders email address is registered with LinkedIn. An invitation to join my trusted network is one-click away.

Enable Your Public Profile. Places your LinkedIn profile in web search results so that the professional image you earned is presented to the world.

Please Help Support Senate Resolution 440

2008-02-08T10:31:00.000-05:00

Please call your Senators Today- Support National Soil Resolution (S RES 440)

Showing appreciation and support for the soil resource, Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and George Voinovich (R-OH) introduced S. RES. 440, the National Soil Resolution, on February 5. Today they are circulating the Resolution to their 98 fellow Senators seeking additional co-sponsors. The more co-sponsors a bill has, the greater likelihood that it will be passed.

Please take a moment today and call your Senators and urge them to co-sponsor S. RES. 440, the National Soil Resolution! To view the text for the Resolution please visit http://science-policy.blogspot.com/2008/02/please-help-support-senate-resolution.html.

Note to USDA and University employees: Please be advised to check with your supervisor about any regulations concerning citizen advocacy prior to taking part in this action.

Thanks for supporting the National Soil Resolution!

IUSS Elections

2008-02-04T15:50:00.000-05:00

The International Union of Soil Sciences (IUSS) is the global union of soil scientists. Its objectives are to foster all branches of the soil sciences and their applications. The main mechanism for this work is the divisions and commissions of the Union. Any interested soil scientist may participate in the activities of the Union – there is no need to be an individual member as scientists are represented by national members. In the United States, the National Academy of Sciences is the IUSS national member, representing all U.S. soil scientists regardless of professional society membership through its U.S. National Committee for Soil Science.

All U.S. soil scientists are invited to participate in the elections for IUSS division and commission officers, who will serve from 2010-2014. Each national member of the IUSS is conducting the election for its own membership, thus the U.S. National Committee is hosting an election for U.S. soil scientists. For the purposes of this election, a "U.S. soil scientist" is defined as one who views the United States as his or her home country, regardless of national origin or citizenship. If you are a scientist resident in the United States, but consider another country to be your home, please vote through that national society to participate in the IUSS elections. Likewise, if you are a U.S. soil scientist currently living abroad, you may choose to vote through the U.S. national member. Please vote in the IUSS elections only once, through one national member.

Please go to the website to cast your vote by March 1, 2008.

Registration Opens for 2008 Annual Meeting

2007-12-26T22:40:00.000-05:00

The Annual Conference will be held February 20th through the 23rd, at The Beach Cove Resort in Myrtle Beach, NC.

Three Vital Links:

Online Registration: Register by January 30th for best rates.
Annual Meeting Forum: Agenda, highlights, and news.
Room Reservations or 1-800-331– 6533. Ask for the NSCSS Conference rate.

The All Oceanfront Beach Cove Resort of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina is the perfect tropical retreat for your next beach getaway. The Beach Cove Resort's tropical setting allows you to experience this breath taking oceanfront retreat while being set among Myrtle Beach's most popular attractions, shopping, dining and golf. Featuring all oceanfront luxury one bedroom suites and two and three bedroom condominiums, Beach Cove has superb accommodations options for couples, families and groups of all sizes.

Single bedroom suites have been blocked at a negotiated rate of $80/night (double or single), which is a VERY reduced rate for Myrtle Beach. These prices are good until January 30th, after which the rooms will be released and price is not guaranteed. Individuals are responsible for making room reservations by calling the Beach Cove Resort at 1-800-331– 6533. Make sure you identify that you are with the NSCSS Conference.

ATTENTION VENDORS! Contact either Larry Baldwin, NSCSS Program Coordinator at LBaldwin@ec.rr.com or 910-452-0001 OR Sue PaDelford, NSCSS Exec. Secretary at sue@intermountainresources.com or 208-263-9391 to receive a Vendor Registration Packet.

Golf: The 7th Annual High Intensity Soil Survey of Environments Highly Disturbed for Recreational Purposes (Golf Outing) is coordinated by the NSCSS via The Beach Cove Golf Pro and Concierge. (This event is huge fun each year and several of your peers have had this event be their first introduction to golf.) So if you’re new to the game, give it a try! If you’re an Old Pro, it will not disappoint you and be a challenge for a worthy cause —Proceeds benefiting the NSCSS Scholarship Fund. Just remember to replace your data plot divot!

Silent Auction: We are soliciting items of interest to be auctioned for the benefit of the NSCSS Scholarship Fund. Please donate items of regional interest or just plain neat stuff from your shelves. Contact NSCSS Member Barret Kays at BLKays@aol.com or call him @ 919-696-6930. Winners will be announced at the conclusion of Business Meeting.

Fall 2007 Newsletter

2007-11-01T17:10:00.000-05:00

The fall issue of Soil Profiles has been posted to the website. Feature articles include a member biography for President-elect Larry Baldwin, the preliminary agenda for the 2008 annual meeting (February 20-3, Myrtle Beach, SC) a message from President Kari Sever, as well as other various calendar items, news, and views.

NSCSS - Upcoming SSSA Meeting: RPSS Ethics Seminar

2007-09-28T16:20:00.000-05:00

NOTIFICATION OF ETHICS PROGRAM FOR ALL NSCSS REGISTERED PROFESSIONALS and NSCSS MEMBERS PLANNING TO BECOME REGISTERED (RPSS)

As part of the Technical Program / Sessions at the upcoming SSSA Annual Meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana, the NSCSS will be presenting an all day Business Symposium entitled "National Society of Consulting Soil Scientists Career Opportunities" (listed in the Official Program as Session 178, 11/6/07, Tue. 9:25 am–5:30 pm @ Hilton Riverside, Jefferson Ballroom, Third Floor, meeting area)

Within that program and presentation, the NSCSS Ethics Seminar will be conducted at 3:00 pm to 5:30 pm. As a reminder, the qualifications for the RPSS is that one be a consulting Soil Scientist; obtain 3 peer letters of recommendation; have the requisite number of years of work experience; and attend a NSCSS Board of Examiners endorsed Professional Ethics Seminar. In order for one to obtain or maintain RPSS status, attending a NSCSS Endorsed Ethics Seminar is required at least once every 3 years.

While the SSSA Annual Meeting is an event not to be missed - especially one held in New Orleans! - this is a great opportunity for existing RPSS or those wanting to obtain RPSS status, to fulfill the Ethics Seminar requirement at an alternative location than the NSCSS Annual Meeting.

For more information on the upcoming SSSA meeting please visit: https://www.acsmeetings.org/registration/

Note: There will also be an Ethics Seminar during the Annual NSCSS Meeting, this year being held in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, February 20-24, 2008. Meeting details will be available soon via the NSCSS website and in the next issue of Soil Profiles - due out shortly!

PAPPS Meeting, Williamsport, PA, October 5, 2007

2007-09-09T22:43:00.000-05:00

Pennsylvania Association of Professional Soil Scientists
2007 Annual Meeting & Fall Technical Session

Friday, October 5, 2007
8 AM to 6:30 PM

Penn College of Technology, Williamsport, PA

Technical Session: National Cooperative Soil Survey Standards

Link to pdf with agenda, directions and registration.

NCSS Newsletter Available

2007-08-23T11:17:00.000-05:00

Issue 40 of the National Cooperative Soil Survey (NCSS) Newsletter is available (pdf ftp).

Articles:

New Soil Data Access Web Site: A new NRCS Web site that allows customers direct query access to the Soil Data Mart database was placed online in March 2007. "Soil Data Access" is a suite of Web services and applications, the purpose of which is to delivering soil survey spatial and attribute data that are not being met by the current Soil Data Mart or Geospatial Data Gateway download capabilities.

National Technical Committee for Hydric Soils (NTCHS)Announces New Members: Dr. Randy Dahlgren, Professor of Soil Science and Biogeochemistry at the University of California at Davis, has replaced Dr. Herb Huddleston of Oregon State University, who retired in 2006. Dr. Steven Monteith, MLRA Soil Survey Project Leader for the Mississippi Delta, is headquartered at the NRCS Delta Conservation Demonstration Center in Metcalf, Mississippi. He is replacing Mike Lilly, who retired in 2006. Bill Ypsilantis, Soil Condition and Health Specialist and Acting Soil Lead for the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), is located at the National Science and Technology Center in Denver, Colorado. Bill is replacing BLM member Bill Volk, who retired in May 2007.

California Soil Scientist Named National Park Service Liaison: Sue Southard, USDA Soil Scientist in Davis, California, has been selected for a newly created position as liaison for soil survey work on National Parks throughout the Nation.

Language Matters: There must be some value in getting the name of NCSS cooperators right.

Web Soil Survey Improved and Now Online: A much-loved site by NSCSS members, the newest version of Web Soil Survey (2.0) appeared online May 29, 2007. Since its beginning, the WSS has attracted a wide array of online visitors from all over the world. During the first few months of its existence in 2005, the site averaged about 1,000 visitors per day. It is now averaging about 3,500 visitors per day. Improvements include improved navigation and refinements in area selection and data presentation.

NGDC Develops New Communications Options: Two new methods of sharing information and ideas about digital soil mapping have been established by National Geospatial Development Center (NGDC). First, a DSM listserv was developed to facilitate discussion. Second, a Microsoft Share Point Site has been created. Both are hosted by West Virginia University and are open to the entire NCSS partnership, which includes NSCSS members.

Issues of this newsletter are available on the USDA-NRCS Soils website. Under Quick Access, click on NCSS, then on Newsletters, and then on the desired issue number. NSCSS members are invited to submit stories for this newsletter to Stanley Anderson, National Soil Survey Center, Lincoln, Nebraska. Phone-402-437-5357; FAX-402-437-5336; email-stan.anderson@lin.usda.gov.

Site Specific Soil Survey Standards

2007-07-28T19:04:00.000-05:00

Why are site specific standards needed? Because it protects the public, it protects the consultant, and it lays the groundwork to advance the science.

The familiar county soil mapping publication is designed for planning, not parcel level permitting. On-site stormwater and wastewater treatment capacity, along with erosion and sediment control, drives landowner investment in more detailed soils information.

Site specific standards require more intensive procedures than used for NCSS Order 2 and 3 county soil surveys. It is not about just digging more holes. Consistent with NCSS Order 1 standards, all soil boundaries must be observed in their entirety, all soil unit bodies must be visited.

The site specific standard for Georgia for complex soil conditions requires 4 pedons observed per acre of soil mapped (see this pdf, pages 16-17). A corresponding intensity is implied in the other standards when soil complexity warrants, with some flexibility: the Rhode Island example depicted above has about 1 pedon observed per acre.

The most important and authoritative site specific standards we have are National Cooperative Soil Survey (NCSS) products developed by cooperators for use within individual states. Vermont and New Hampshire have a well established standard, now in version 3, published December 2006 (pdf). NCSS cooperators are developing a similar standard for Rhode Island, described in a pdf. A non-NCSS product is Georgia's Criteria for Level III, aka High Intensity Soil Survey, established in the Georgia Department of Human Resources' current Manual for On-Site Sewage Management Systems. There are likely others I am not aware of.

These have strong similarities. They all set the map scale to between 10 and 200 feet per inch, require contours of 5 feet or less, and specify that the work be performed be certified professionals. They depart in oversight, giving approval authority to the NCSS in the northeast, and to the state in Georgia. As more states adopt site specific standards, they will likely be closely aligned with one of these two oversight models. Your comments are invited.

Further Reading:

Order 1 Soil Survey Standards (from NSSH Part 655 Technical Soil Services)

Order 1 soil survey standards are operational procedures and criteria used to conduct order 1 soil surveys. These standards do not preclude the development of additional criteria.

(1) A soil map, a legend with map symbols and soil names, and soil map unit descriptions that address the soil properties are standards for order 1 soil surveys. The maps include the geographic location and size of the site, the date the soil map was produced, the surveyor's initials, and the map scale.

(2) Order 1 soil surveys require detailed soil pedon descriptions for all map unit components. Taxonomic placement of soil components is not required but may be helpful in the application of the data to other areas.

(3) Describe soil properties according to the procedures outlined in Chapter 3 of the Soil Survey Manual.

(4) Order 1 standards require field observation of the soils within all soil map delineations and of each soil boundary.

(5) Georeference all point data for transects and grid sampling.

NSCSS Smithsonian Soils Exhibit Pledge

2007-07-28T12:48:00.000-05:00

Soil is the hub connection of the natural environment. The changes to the earth, the climate, the macro and micro organisms, and the relief/ topography all manifest themselves in the formation of the soil. The history of the world and the history of each parcel of land is reflected in the soil. More important, the capacity of the land is a direct function of the capacity of the soil. Understanding our soil resources is critical to the survival of the human race. With understanding, comes respect. With respect, comes a willingness to protect. By protecting our soils, we preserve our future.

The National Society of Consulting Soil Scientists is excited to have the opportunity to assist in the efforts to increase the understanding of Soils by helping to make the Soils Exhibit at the Smithsonian a reality next year. The NSCSS Board of Directors has authorized a $10,000 pledge in the name of our members to this program. We will formally present this donation at the SSSA Annual Meeting in New Orleans in November.

By NSCSS Board of Directors July 11, 2007

Summer Newsletter

2007-07-10T14:15:00.000-05:00

The summer issue of Soil Profiles has been posted to the website. President Kari Sever reports on the June Board Meeting in Las Vegas, NV. NSCSS has selected Myrtle Beach SC for the 2008 annual meeting, scheduled for February 20-24. NRCS announces the new and improved Web Soil Survey. SE Director Kevin Raley and David McMillen (NRCS) report on soil science licensure in Tennessee. Other articles cover registration as an RPSS, job shadowing, LinkedIn.com, updated member contact information, and a recap of the NCSS meeting in Madison WI, June 4-8.

NC State's Soils and On-Site Wastewater Training Academy

2007-07-04T17:09:00.000-05:00

North Carolina State University's Soils and On-Site Wastewater Training Academy is in its 9th year and its success continues to grow, with a great line up of classes for the remainder of 2007.

Web 2.0 for Scientists

2007-05-10T16:17:00.000-05:00

Thanks to busines|bytes|genes|molecules (at the interface of biology and information technology) I have been introduced to a new blog. It is by Andrew Walkingshaw who is at the Unilever Center for Molecular Informatics at Cambridge University. He has prepared a series videos on YouTube from his seminar seminar on Web 2.0 for Scientists. Here is the complete set of videos:

Scientists of today are not particularly enamored with Web 2.0. Andrew Walkingshaw points out in his seminar that the generations of scientists a-coming, starting with the class of 2008, will have grown up using Web 2.o and we can't expect them to empathize with the currently prevailing reticence to adopt open access nor our reluctance to take advantage of the collaborative, dynamic interactive venues freshly available. Web 2.0 enables collaborative science too well, is too powerful a query tool, is too easy to implement, too satisfying, and too easy to participate in to be dismissed.

What does this mean for soil science in general, and for private sector soil scientists in particular? As Andrew tells us, this changes ... everything.

2007 MOU with SSSA

2007-04-24T17:14:00.000-05:00

Yesterday NSCSS inked a Memorandum of Understanding (PDF) with the Soil Science Society of America. We have gone several lonely years without one, and, needless to say, the NSCSS leadership is pretty happy about this. Special thanks to Rattan Lal, SSSA President, for seeing this through for us.

One apparent consequence of the interest generated by the MOU is that a new special presentation division (Z09) has been set up by SSSA for NSCSS member presentations at the annual meeting in New Orleans this fall. You can see it listed at the bottom of this page, where it showed up earlier today. This helps tremendously: prior to this we probably would have submitted under Division S-11: Soils and Environmental Quality, on OK fit but not one which encourages our members to come forward. Z09 gives us much more room to present content from the perspectives soil science consultants are most familiar with. Three presentation abstracts are being submitted for Z09 dealing with career opportunities, ethics, and business skills, all in the context of soil science consulting. Even though the deadline for abstract submittal is a week from today, we are in solid position to move forward on this.

Future Directions of Soil Survey

2007-04-22T11:56:00.000-05:00

The following request for comments was sent to all NRCS State Soil Scientists for distribution by Phillip Owens, Chair, Future Directions Committee, 2007 National NCSS Conference. NSCSS members are encouraged to comment and to attend the Conference.

This year at the National Cooperative Soil Survey Conference (June 3-8 in Madison WI http://soils.usda.gov/partnerships/ncss/conferences/2007_national/), an emphasis will be placed on advanced planning for the future of Soil Survey. Below, we have listed the official mission of the soil survey. Specifically, the law directs the Soil Survey Program of the United States to shift to a more balanced program focusing on four main areas:

1. Make an inventory of the soil resources of the United States;

2. Keep the soil survey relevant to ever-changing needs;

3. Interpret the information and make it available in a useful form; and

4. Promote the soil survey and provide technical assistance in its use for a wide range of community planning and resource development issues related to non-farm and farm uses.

These four functions are the core mission of the soil survey program. In addition to these four core functions, the NRCS has a unique responsibility to lead the Federal part of the National Cooperative Soil Survey. Thus, the Soil Survey Division has a fifth mission function separate from, but related to the core functions of the Soil Survey Program.

The Future Directions of Soil Survey committee is charged with stimulating thought and discussion about how the soil survey will change to meet the emerging needs of new and existing stakeholders. This is an important task as the initial mapping is nearing completion and the soil survey will move in new directions. We all recognize the value of soil survey and would like to see it continue to be the source of accurate data distribution and interpretation data that can be easily used to make land-use and management decisions. The charges of the committee are:

Review Report from 2006 North Central Region Committee on Future Direction of Soil Survey. Gather recommendations from past national and regional committee reports for material on this subject.
Invite members of NCSS to produce white papers for discussion and possible presentation in the Future of Soil Survey Forum in conference.
What are the reasons that students do not apply for federal jobs when they are made available?
Explore options for electronic or internet clearinghouse that improves information flow on positions, student applicants, scholarships, grants, and contacts within NCSS.
Promote internships and career intern program in federal government to provide more opportunities for high school and college age students to consider soil science as a career.

This committee would like to get as much input as possible to help provide guidance as soil survey moves into a new phase. Thus, the committee is requesting any input you may have on the future direction of soil survey and particular issues and data gaps that might be addressed. We are requesting a document that is two pages or less with your thoughts and ideas on the future directions. These papers will be listed on a website and will be citable. We will also like to have less formal suggestions (such as bulleted text) if you have a time limitation. If you choose to not have your suggestions published, indicate that to the committee in the e-mail and we will use the comments in the final report, but do so anonymously.

Additionally, we would like you to forward this request to your field staff and have them submit their thoughts separately. We feel that field personnel may have a perspective that we may overlook. Also, if you know of consultants who could provide a different perspective, please pass this request on to them.

All of the submissions will be reviewed and included as part of our committee report. We may ask some of you who will be attending the National Cooperative Soil Survey Conference in Madison, WI (June 3-8) to provide a short 10 minute presentation of your thoughts. The Future Directions Committee would greatly appreciate your help.

Please send your suggestions to prowens@purdue.edu by May 9, 2007.

All the Best,
Phillip R. Owens
Assistant Professor
Dept. of Agronomy
Purdue University

Photo CD from San Antonio Meeting Mailed Out

2007-03-26T13:28:00.000-05:00

Member David Ralston, Soil Tech, Inc. is a shutterbug. For each of the last five meetings, David has been doing us the great service of taking many photos of our field trips and his own side trips. Those of us who attended the San Antonio meeting have received his latest CD with a great selection of high quality photos as always. Most appreciated!

Board Votes Support for Smithsonian Exhibit

2007-03-14T13:21:00.000-05:00

The NSCSS Board of Directors met during the annual meeting in San Antonio and agreed, by unanimous vote, to contribute to the Smithsonian Worlds Underfoot soil exhibit. Our initial discussions established a significant contribution amount (at least $10,000). This is a very big deal for our organization. We have been meeting as an organized group for 20 years and this is our first contribution of this magnitude. The Board of Directors will meet again in June to make the final decisions regarding our contribution.

Central to the Worlds Underfoot project is a 5,000 square foot soil exhibit to be located at the National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. The projected opening for the exhibit, is 2008. The exhibit will occupy one entire hall of the museum and will be displayed for 1.5 years. It will feature state soil monoliths and interactive soil displays. Each of the 50 states and three U.S. territories will ~~donate~~be included in the display with a monolith of their state soil that has been loaned to the Smithsonian by USDA-NRCS. A separate mobile exhibit will travel to dozens of museums, schools, and libraries and, depending on funding, the project may include soil education kits, web-based activities, curriculum, teachers' workshops, public lectures, and career information.

The exhibit is expected to require 2+ years for the Smithsonian to design, build and install. Sponsored by the SSSA, the final decision about exhibit building, design, and content rests with the host: Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History. The total cost is projected to be $4 almost $3.5 million, of which more than $2.1 million has been raised. The lead sponsor for the exhibit is The Fertilizer Institute/Nutrients for Life Foundation.

The exhibit will emphasize the living, biological nature of soils, the variation in soils from one region or locality to another, the dynamic nature of soil, the role soil plays in linking the earth's air, land and water resources, and the importance of taking care of our non-renewable soil resources.

This project is very important to the soil science profession and the deadline for corporate sponsorships -- as well as individual donations -- is this summer. Others wishing to contribute are encouraged to contact the Soil Science Society of America.

[Updated per emailed comments 3/14/2007]

Sign, Promote New Public Access Petition

2007-03-14T10:53:00.000-05:00

This came to me earlier today. It is especially important that scientists, like ourselves, understand these issues and take a position on them. Consistent with NSCSS's support for FRPAA, NSCSS members are encouraged to sign this new public access petition. ...

Dear Friends,

Momentum for public access to publicly funded research reached a height last month with the celebration of a National Day of Action by students across the U.S. and the presentation of over 21,000 individual and organizational signatures to the European Union’s Commissioner for Science and Research.

To build on this momentum, several leading American organizations – representing libraries, health groups, students, and consumers – are jointly supporting a Petition for Public Access to Publicly Funded Research in the United States.

This petition, which is open to supporters around the world, will demonstrate clearly to U.S. policymakers the depth and breadth of support for access to federally funded research in the United States. As U.S. lawmakers consider policies and legislation to advance public access, it is critical that supporters step forward and be counted.

Even if you signed the European petition, it’s important that you sign the US petition as well. Here’s why:

- The European Commission petition was written explicitly to support Recommendation A1 of the EC’s Study on the Economic and Technical Evolution of the Scientific Publication Markets of Europe.

- The U.S. petition is written to support public access to research funded by the U.S. government as well as the reintroduction and passage of the Federal Research Public Access Act.

- The U.S. petition collects state-specific information, which is essential to making the case for public access to individual lawmakers.

The Petition for Public Access to Publicly Funded Research in the United States (http://www.publicaccesstoresearch.org) is open to individuals and organizations of all types. If you are a researcher whose work is funded by the federal government, your signature is especially important since it shows that you want your work to be shared and used.

Please distribute this message and invite your members, friends, and colleagues to sign the petition as soon as possible in order that as much progress as possible may be made in the 110th Congress.

Sincerely,

Heather Joseph

Executive Director, SPARC

P.S. – Please don’t delay. Visit (http://www.publicaccesstoresearch.org) now and add your name to the list of public access supporters. Then ask your friends and colleagues to do the same.

--
Jennifer McLennan
Director of Communications
SPARC
(202) 296-2296 ext. 121
(202) 872-0884 Fax
http://www.arl.org/sparc

Technorati Tag: open access research

News from the National Cooperative Soil Survey

2007-03-08T12:20:00.000-05:00

The current issue (February 2007, Issue 38) of the National Cooperative Soil Survey Newsletter newsletter is available on the World Wide Web (http://soils.usda.gov/). Under Quick Access, click on NCSS, then on Newsletters, and then on the desired issue number. You are invited to submit stories for this newsletter to Stanley Anderson, National Soil Survey Center, Lincoln, Nebraska. Phone—402-437-5357; FAX—402-437-5336; email— stan.anderson@lin.usda.gov.

The 2007 NCSS National Conference will be held in Madison, Wisconsin, June 3-8. The theme of the conference is “Soil Survey—Future Directions in Soil Health and Supporting Productive Lands.” For information about registration, accommodations, the agenda, contacts, committees, and tours, click here: The three standing committees and three in-house committees will begin deliberations by email and teleconference in late February and will give final reports at the conference. Any NCSS cooperators or interested parties are welcome to review the charges of the committees and contribute comments to the reports.

The National Society of Consulting Soil Scientists is an NCSS cooperator. NSCSS consulting soil scientists utilize technical standards set forth by the National Cooperative Soil Survey. NSCSS distributed CDs of NCSS standards in San Antonio. Additional CDs are available on request.

F. Consulting Soil Scientist. A consulting soil scientist is an independent professional soil scientist who performs one or more of the disciplines of professional soil science services for clients on a fee basis. A consulting soil scientist is qualified by education, ability and experience to provide competent soil science consulting services and must: ...
4) Utilize standards set forth by the National Cooperative Soil Survey (NCSS) procedures in the conduct of field soil science consulting activities...

(NSCSS Bylaws)

Technorati Tags: soil science

Please Support NSF Funding

2007-03-06T18:00:00.000-05:00

The basic research funded by the National Science Foundation is vital to our profession, to our communities, and to our economy. While those in Washington D.C. continue to support such activities, we know that our federal government can always do better. The Administration and Senators on both sides of the aisle agree. Senators Bond and Lieberman are currently circulating a letter in support of the Administration’s proposal to increase NSF funding for 2008 by 7.8% over 2007 levels.

Please take a moment to let your Senators know that basic research is important to our future and that you'd like to see them join Senators Bond and Lieberman in supporting increased funding for NSF in 2008.

Thanks for supporting NSF funded science.

Technorati Tags: soil science researc legislation

Update: NSCSS Annual Meeting in San Antonio

2007-02-27T10:19:00.000-05:00

For those attending the NSCSS Annual Meeting in San Antonio:

I just wanted to communicate one last time before meeting in San Antonio to let you know details airport shuttle/taxi and parking (for those of you bringing/renting cars).

For those who are flying in, the hotel has informed me that taking a taxi (Yellow Cab) from the airport to the Menger is cheaper than taking an airport shuttle because you can share the cost with another rider, if you are not traveling alone. If you have 4, you can ride for the price of 1. Yellow Cab phone # is: (210) 222-2222. If you are traveling alone, then the cost of taking a random airport shuttle or taxi are approximately the same (expect $20 to $22 one way).

For those who are driving in and/or renting a car, here’s info about parking: Valet parking at the Menger is $25 per day, with “In & Out” privileges. As an alternative, you can park at Central Parking at the Rivercenter Mall (< ½ block away from the Menger and very easy to find). At the Rivercenter Mall (Central Parking) you will find covered overnight parking for $18, and also uncovered parking across the street from 4am-4am for $10.00, but there are no “In & Out privileges” at the Rivercenter Mall. In other words, once you park, your car remains there or you loose your spot and have to pay to get back in. Also, please bring some local/regional (your region) artifact or trinket (or something interesting off your shelves collecting dust) for the silent auction. I will be arriving at the Menger on Wednesday. Please call me if you have any questions or concerns. Thank you and see you later this week! Kari Sever, CPSSc Soil Scientist Horizon Business Enterprises, LLC

Technorati Tag: annual meeting

Peter Suber's Comments on Opposition to FRPAA

2007-02-22T15:08:00.000-05:00

As posted yesterday, The Soil Science Society of America opposes FRPAA through its participation in the DC Principles Coalition. NSCSS supports FRPAA. NSCSS is an affiliate of SSSA, an organization which includes most NSCSS members.

Peter Suber, Open Access News, comments on the DC Principles Coalition news release, well worth the read.

Comments. There's nothing new here and I've answered the major arguments many times before.

The long tradition of methodical scientific inquiry and information sharing through publication in scholarly journals has helped advance medicine to where it is today. Yes, publishers have helped. But what aspect of traditional journals has helped? I'd suggest that providing access to knowledge has helped much more than limiting access to paying customers.
We as independent publishers must determine when it is appropriate to make content freely available. This is key: scientists who did the research should have no say, and taxpayers who paid for the research should have no say. Access should be controlled by a group that didn't conduct the research, didn't write it up, and didn't pay for it.
The Coalition also reaffirmed its ongoing practice of making millions of scientific journal articles available free of charge. True and welcome. The DC Principles publishers all accept some form of delayed OA. Some DC Principles publishers even use the same embargo period allowed by FRPAA, the legislation they oppose. For them, it's not the access policy that bothers them but the group deciding the access policy.
The Coalition expressed concern that a mandatory timetable for free access to all federally funded research could harm journals. Yes, it could. But whenever publishers air this fear they don't point out that the best evidence to date is in physics, which has the highest level and longest history of OA archiving. In physics, high-volume OA archiving has not harmed journals; it has even led physics publishers to launch their own mirrors of arXiv. Nor do they point out the publisher-commissioned study finding that high journal prices were a much more significant cause of cancellations than OA archiving.
After articulating the assumption that OA archiving will harm journals, the publishers give reasons to fear it, but not reasons to think it's true.
In enumerating its grounds for fear, the publishers bring in two additional unspoken assumptions: that FRPAA will force TA journals to convert to OA, and that all OA journals charge author-side fees. FRPAA is about green OA, not gold. It regulates grantees, not publishers. If it undermines subscriptions and pressures TA journals to convert to gold, then it free up the money now paid in subscriptions to pay for the OA alternative. And of course, only a minority of OA journals charge author-side fees. See my Twelve reminders about FRPAA for more reminders of what the bill really says.
By establishing government repositories for federally funded research, taxpayers would be paying for systems that duplicate the online archives already maintained by independent publishers. Some publishers are providing OA to some content when it's sufficiently old. But this is a far cry from providing OA to virtually all federally-funded research within six months of publication. If publishers are saying that over time their voluntary efforts will approach what FRPAA would mandate, then they have to give up their claim that this will harm journals. They can't have it both ways.
We believe that a free society allows for the co-existence of many publishing models. We agree on what a free society allows. But that's moot here, since FRPAA doesn't prohibit any publishing models. The publishers' real quarrel is not with a feared ban on some publishing model but with a thoughtful decision to prefer one access policy to another. We'd all do well to keep the debate focused on the question whether interests of science and taxpayers would both be better served by OA to publicly-funded research.

Technorati Tag SSSA FRPAA open access