Quarterly The Environmental Technical Information System Newsletter
is to keep users tlp to The purpose of the ETIS Quarterly date on the systems and programs available through ErIS. If you have any questions or comments rega~Jing ErIS. please contact the Program Office: ETIS Program Office University of Illinois 909 West Nevada Urbana, IL 61801 (217)333-1369
PIP, a new service offering data through the Department of Urban and Regional Planning. is available to ETIS Program subscribers, local and regional planners. and governmental agencies. The Planning Information Program is an expansion of the Environmental Technical Information System. In addition to the programs available on-line through ETIS. PIP offers data on a wide range of subjects including demographics,
economic
and environmental
impacts,
current
research, published work. and data tailored for specific planning issues. The client defines the question or issue to be addressed. and the information desired is researched by a PIP staff or graduate assistant. The staff does not purport to provide advice or recommendations. but rather offers a research service with many information sources at its disposal including an on-line data base of socioeconomic statistics for every county in the U.S •• a series of computerized forecast models. the College of Law Library. and the extensive library holdings of the University of Illinois. The final form of product delivered will vary dependent upon the nature of the question and the form in which it is submitted. Typical responses to a PIP inquiry may include a research note of information found including "on-line" data. referrals to experts. references to published work. or a printout from an impact model. The fee for PIP services will be $25 per hour plus the cost of anyon-line services, phone charges. postage and other out-of-pocket expenses. A minimum fee of $50 will be charged to take on a project. Clients may pre-set a maximum cost.
The Department of Urban Planning's ErIS Program office will offer a three and a half day hands on Training Workshop September 15-18. 1987. This workshop will introduce users to the University of Illinois' Pyramid computer. cover background. basic capabilities. and limitations. and application of the following ErIS components: 1. 2. 3. 4.
5. 6.
Economic Impact Forecast System. Environmental Impact Forecast System. Computer-aided Environmental Legislative Data System. Soils System a. Soils Information Retrieval System b. Multiple Parameter Series Search. Hazardous Materials Management System UNIX Electronic Mail.
This workshop will not address how to create processing procedures.
files or word
The workshop format will be alternating presentations by professors from the University of Illinois, Department of Urban and Regional Planning, Department of Geography.
Department of Agronomy's Cooperative Extension Service, ErIS Program Office and CELDS personnel. and hands on sessions at the computer terminals. The afternoon of the third day will address the miscellaneous systems that CERL is retaining responsibility for; presentations will be made by CERL personnel. The workshop site will be open during the evenings of September 16th and 17th to provide additional hands on time with the computer. There will be ETIS personnel present to provide assistance. On the morning of the 18th. participants may visit CERL to see their facilities and other projects. or spend the morning at the workshop site working with the systems.
The workshop will be held at the University of Illinois. Urbana-Champaign. in room 407 of the Levis Faculty Center, 919 West Illinois, Urbana. Illinois 61801. It is scheduled to run from Tuesday, September 15 - Thursday, September 17, with an optional morning session Friday, September 18.
The registration fee for the course is $150. (NOTE: The fee is prepaid by CERL for Army. Air Force, and Civil Works personnel). Please return the attached sheet with your registration information to the address below. or register by phone or electronic mail '(login: engelman). There will be a limited enrollment of 20 for this . workshop. Registration Forms, or notice of intent to attend must be,received by September 1. 1987.
Attendees are responsible for making their own arrangements for accommodations. A list of local motels. with addresses. telephone numbers. and government rates (where applicable), will be forwarded upon registration.
All correspondence concerning the workshop addressed to the ETIS Program Office. 1003 Urbana, Illinois 61801, (217)333-1369.
should be W. Nevada,
The Soils System is an interactive. user friendly, family of programs for efficient retrieval. analysis. and use of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Soil Conservation Service (SCS) solIs data. The system originally consisted of three programs: (1) the Soils Information Retrieval System (SIRS). (2) the Line Printer Soils Information Retrieval System (LPSIRS). and (3) the Multiple Parameter Series Search (MPSS). Each of these accessed the SCSSoils 5 (Soil Interpretation Records) database. Recently. a number of additions have been made to the Soils System Program. A new database. the Soils 6 (Map Unit Records) database, has been added along with 'two programs that access that data: (1) the Map Unit Use File System (MUUFS) and (2) the Computer Assisted Land Evaluation System (CALES). Altogether, the S01-5 and SOI6 databases include information on more than 16,000 soil series and more than 175.000 soil mapping units. The Map Unit Use File System (MUUFS) runs much like the existing HPSS except the result of this search is a list of mapping units (not soil interpretation records) that fit the search criteria. The Computer Assisted Land Evaluation System (CALES) is an outgrowth of two SCS activities, the Soils Potential Ratings system and the Agricultural Land Evaluation and Site Assessment (LESA) System. (CALES does not include the site assessment part