State agencies have significant and extensive biological databases, often developed over many years.
The resulting directory will provide valuable information on the contents and subject matter of each database or information product, institutional and contact information about the source agency, and the status of the electronic accessibility of the data or information. An important objective of this effort is for FWIE and NBS to identify further measures needed to provide increased electronic access to biological data and information products of state natural resources agencies. The National Biological Service of the U.S. Department of the Interior works with others to provide the scientific understanding and technologies needed to support the sound management and conservation of the nation's biological resources. The National Biological Information Infrastructure is an NBS initiative to foster the development of a distributed electronic network of biological data and information maintained by a variety of federal and state government agencies, universities, museums, libraries, and private organizations. The Fish and Wildlife Information Exchange, which is a unit within the Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences Department at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, works to make state fish and wildlife data and information products more available to the public and to assist state natural resources agencies in managing and using their biological databases.