David E. Steitz
Headquarters, Washington, DC                February 23, 1998
(Phone:  202/358-1730)

Walli Haley
University of Texas, El Paso, TX
(Phone:  915/747-7507)

NOTE TO EDITORS:  N98-18

SOUTHWEST CLIMATE CONFERENCE TO BE HELD IN EL PASO

     NASA Administrator Daniel S. Goldin will deliver the keynote 
address at "Tilting the Balance, Climate Variability and Water 
Resource Management in the Southwest," a conference to be held at 
the University of Texas at El Paso, March 2-4.

     The conference is part of an in-depth investigation of 
regional climate variability and its effect on the availability 
and quality of water resources critical to the region.  
Congressman Silvestre Reyes (D-TX) and ten other members of 
Congress will co-chair the event.

     The goal of the conference is to provide farmers, ranchers, 
industry leaders, planners, utility managers and others whose 
livelihoods are affected by climate change with practical 
information about climate variations, such as El Nino, and how 
they can affect regional decision making.  Water resource issues 
will be a special focus of the meeting.  Other sessions during the 
workshop will include topics such as water resources, agriculture, 
understanding change, drought preparedness and management, 
environmental education, regional and urban air quality and human 
health issues.

     The workshop will be supported by the new Undergraduate 
Learning Center, under the auspices of the Pan American Center for 
Earth and Environmental Studies (PACES), a University Research 
Center funded by NASA.  The center's mission is to conduct basic 
and applied research that will contribute to NASA's Earth Science 
enterprise.  The center is providing an opportunity for students 
and researchers to gain an improved understanding of geological, 
ecological and environmental processes and changes in land usage 
taking place in the region.

     Media wishing to cover the conference should contact Walli 
Haley at the University of Texas at El Paso at 915/747-7507.  
Complete information about the conference, including discussion 
papers and background about NASA's Earth Science enterprise, can 
be found via the Internet at URL: 
http://www.southwest.hq.nasa.gov/southwest

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