*Experts Available for Interviews--Media and Public Invited to Attend! Newswise — Friday, July 20, 2012 - Forty years ago, Landsat Satellites began a vigilant watch, protecting and enhancing the quality of life on Earth by tracking changes on the surface over time, and creating a vast global record of amazing land images and data. But could this effort become even more significant during the next forty years, and beyond? The American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America is sponsoring a specially planned congressional briefing in Washington, D.C., "Fire, Food, and Water: 40 Years of Landsat Satellites," on Monday, July 23, 2012. This important briefing is being held on the anniversary date of the first Landsat launch, and hosted by Iowa Congressional Representative Bruce Braley, a Democrat from the 1st District; along with Iowa Congressional Representative Tom Latham, a Republican from the 4th District. It will be held at the Rayburn House Office Building in Room 2325, from 3:30 to 5 p.m. (EST). A panel of experts, including American Society of Agronomy and Soil Science Society of America Member Philip Rasmussen, the Director of the Western Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Center at Utah State University, will discuss how Landsat helps track wildfires, assesses agricultural challenges, and mitigates water management issues, along with highlighting why the Landsat program is essential to remote sensing needs with evolutionary advances planned when a new satellite launches next year. Confirmed to join Rasmussen on the panel is NASA Earth Science Division Director Mike Freilich, University of Maryland's Department of Geographical Sciences Chair Professor Christopher Justice, and U.S. Geological Survey Climate and Land Use Change Associate Director Matthew Larsen. There will be time allowed for questions following the speakers. The media and public is invited to attend this notable briefing which will celebrate the past, while pushing the innovation and importance of Landsat, into the future.
# # # The American Society of Agronomy (ASA) www.agronomy.org, is a scientific society helping its 8,000+ members advance the disciplines and practices of agronomy by supporting professional growth and science policy initiatives, and by providing quality, research-based publications and a variety of member services.
The Crop Science Society of America (CSSA), founded in 1955, is an international scientific society comprised of 6,000+ members with its headquarters in Madison, WI. Members advance the discipline of crop science by acquiring and disseminating information about crop breeding and genetics; crop physiology; crop ecology, management, and quality; seed physiology, production, and technology; turfgrass science; forage and grazinglands; genomics, molecular genetics, and biotechnology; and biomedical and enhanced plants.
CSSA fosters the transfer of knowledge through an array of programs and services, including publications, meetings, career services, and science policy initiatives. For more information, visit www.crops.org
The Soil Science Society of America (SSSA) is a progressive, international scientific society that fosters the transfer of knowledge and practices to sustain global soils. Based in Madison, WI, SSSA is the professional home for 6,000+ members dedicated to advancing the field of soil science. It provides information about soils in relation to crop production, environmental quality, ecosystem sustainability, bioremediation, waste management, recycling, and wise land use.
SSSA supports its members by providing quality research-based publications, educational programs, certifications, and science policy initiatives via a Washington, DC, office. Founded in 1936, SSSA proudly celebrated its 75th Anniversary in 2011. For more information, visit www.soils.org or follow @SSSA_soils on Twitter.
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