ANSS Planning Guidance for FY 2002

  1. We are assuming the funds available for FY2002 will be the same as the previous year, about $3.6 million.
  2. In the first year of ANSS activity, we focused on northern California, Seattle, and Salt Lake City urban areas. In the current year, the previous year’s level of activity was sustained in these urban areas and additional work began in Reno, Memphis, and Anchorage.
  3. The problem we face is keeping the momentum going in all regions where we have started, and at the same time involving more urban areas and regions in the ANSS effort. I believe this parallel, rather than serial, implementation approach will help sustain interest in and support of the overall effort. This may mean reducing the levels of effort in the six currently active urban areas, while beginning efforts in the Northeast and Hawaii regions and possibly in additional urban areas in the larger regions currently active.
  4. The general operational focus will continue to be on installing new instrumentation, expanded use of applications (such as Shakemap), and exercising the ANSS management and committee structure. ANSS can provide O&M support for ANSS stations previously installed, but we are reluctant to use ANSS funds (at the anticipated level) for hiring new, permanent staff at regional centers. We also are reluctant to provide ANSS funds to support for new, independent software development by individual regions or networks.
  5. Regions can request support for urban or regional installations within these guidelines; however, we urge you to give strong consideration to installations in urban areas. Regional advice on national stations is welcome.
  6. These general guidelines are provided at the request of the regional coordinators. All of these guidelines should be taken solely in the context of planning for the coming year and in the context of the anticipated funding for FY2002. If the funding situation changes, new guidance will be issued. Regions are encouraged to seek out and develop cooperative efforts with other parties interested in ANSS goals and objectives.

 

John Filson

5 June 2001