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	Laura Norman
	Research Physical Scientist
	Tucson, AZ
	lnorman@usgs.gov
	520-670-5510

Geographic Regions:	US-Mexico Border, Arizona-Sonora region, Ambos Nogales, Patagonia Mountains, Naco/Naco, Bisbee, Douglas, Agua Prieta, Lower Colorado River, Cibola, Imperial National Wildlife Refuges.

Current/Recent Projects:	According to a climate-change-model consensus, the most severely affected region of the United States will stretch across the Southwest from southern California to west Texas and intensifies even more over northern Sonora, Mexico. Limited rainfall, reliance on ground water, high rates of population growth and poverty combine with a complex binational, bicultural environment to place unique pressures on human and ecosystem health in the US-Mexico border Surface water is scarce and unreliable, making ground-water the primary?and in some areas the only?water source. Declining water tables and increasing use of border ground-water resources by municipal and other water users have raised serious concerns about the long-term quality and availability of this supply. Managing shared water resources requires cooperation in assessing and understanding these resources and their impact on human and ecosystem health. Urban development, mineral contamination, irrigation, sewage effluent, and even global climate change all have the potential to alter the stability of the fragile systems in the borderland region. Inequitable distributions of environmental burdens including pollution and industrial facilities have been identified along the U.S.-Mexico border. Environmental goods like nutritious food, clean air and water, parks, recreation, health care, education, and transportation are not always available to borderland residents. Measurements and predictions of the impacts of climate change on ecosystem services and the magnitude and distribution of those impacts can be made by physical scientists. Social science can provide an understanding of how people are affected by climate change and urban development. An application of the knowledge generated by both physical and social sciences can benefit effective public decision making. Participation in the decision-making processes is a key component of environmental justice that can be addressed using a decision support tool and an ecosystem services approach. In 1994, Executive Order 12898 mandated that federal agencies make environmental justice part of their mission, by focusing on the human health and environment relationship that exists in lower socio-economic and high minority communities. The focus of my future work with environmental issues has shifted from investigations of environmental effects to strategical planning for sustainable development. I am currently Project Chief for three related projects in the USGS: Developing appropriate land-use, watershed-management, and flood-attenuation plans are critical in the cross-border environment I have derived results from coupling urban growth, hydrological, and nonpoint source pollution models in the Ambos Nogales binational watershed to make estimates of current, future, and hypothetical conditions using Geographic Information Systems (GIS), remote sensing, and a watershed approach. Products from this research are being used in a comprehensive plan for sustainable development (http://geography.wr.usgs.gov/science/us_mexicoBorder.html) The U.S.-Mexico Border Environmental Health Initiative (BEHI) have developed transboundary datasets, standards, and web mapping services (http://borderhealth.cr.usgs.gov/IMS.html) in close collaboration with the Mexican Geography and Census Bureau (INEGI) and the International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC). I am part of a multidisciplinary team of scientists leading the next four years of the BEHI research and monitoring program within the Upper Santa Cruz Watershed, located at the Arizona and Sonora, Mexico border. The objective of this program is to understand and document the complex movement of natural and anthropogenic contaminants through the Upper Santa Cruz River Watershed (http://borderhealth.cr.usgs.gov/PDFs/WR-website.pdf). In cooperation with the US EPA, Southwest Ecosystem Services Project, the USGS is moving forward with some seed money to begin developing a Santa Cruz Watershed Ecosystem Portfolio Model (SCWEPM). The SCWEPM tool will help to formalize and broaden the scope of the decision-making process by representing ecosystems services equally via economic valuation to be considered more readily in scenario and trade-off analyses in this crossborder watershed(http://geography.wr.usgs.gov/science/ecoSevicesSCWatershed.html).

Collaborations:	My research is in collaboration and consideration of many partners including the Arizona Department Emergency and Military Affairs (ADEMA), Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR) Arizona Land and Water Trust (ALWT), Arizona State University (ASU), Bureau of Land Management (BLM), City of Nogales-Sonora, El Colegio de la Frontera Norte (COLEF), Friends of the Santa Cruz River (FOSCR), Global Community, the Instituto Tecnológico de Nogales(ITN), International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC), Santa Cruz County Flood Control, Sonoran Institute (SI), Sustainable Santa Cruz, The Nature Conservancy (TNC), Tucson Audubon Society (TAS), University of Arizona- Bureau of Applied Research and Anthropology (UA-BARA), University of Arizona-Geography, University of Arizona-Hydrology and Water Resources, US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), US Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Station (USDA-ARS), US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), US Geological Survey (USGS), and Watershed Management Group (WMG). .

Recent Publications:	Norman , Laura, Tallent-Halsell, Nita, Labiosa, William, Weber, Matt, McCoy , Amy, Hirschboeck , Katie, Callegary, James, van Riper III, Charles, and Gray, Floyd, 2009 In Review, Impacts of Climate Change and Urban Growth on Ecosystem Services in the Upper Santa Cruz Watershed; Where We Live, Work, and Play: submitted to the Advanced Forum for Sustainability Development (ISSN 2071-1050,)http://www.mdpi.com/journal/sustainability) Norman,Laura M., Huth,Hans, Levick, Lainie,Burns, I. Shea, Guertin, D. Phillip, Lara-Valencia, Fransisco, and Semmens, Darius, 2009 In Review, Flood Hazard Awareness and Hydrologic Modeling at Ambos Nogales, US-Mexico Border, submitted to the Journal of Flood Risk Management. Norman, Laura M., and Parcher, Jean, 2009 In Press, Understanding and mitigating the effects of anthropogenic activities along the border corridor; accepted for publication in ?Borderlands Circular?, edited by Randy Updike, Gene Ellis, W. Ric Page, and William Horak, to be published by the U.S. Geological Survey. Norman, Laura, 2009 In Press, Urbanization and Environmental Degradation in Arizona Colonias; accepted for publication in "The Colonias Reader", edited by Dr.s Adrian X. Esparza, Bob Czneriak, and Angela Donelson, to be published by University of Arizona Press. Norman, Laura M., Feller, Mark, and Guertin, D. Phillip, 2009, Forecasts of Cross-border Urban Growth Using the SLEUTH Model; Ambos Nogales Watershed, United States-Mexican Border, Computers, Environment, and Urban Systems, 33: pp. 150-159. Norman, Laura M., Guertin, D. Phillip, and Feller, Mark, 2008. An Approach to Prevent Nonpoint-Source Pollutants and Support Sustainable Development in the Ambos Nogales Transboundary Watershed, p. 29-32 In Norman, Laura M., Hirsch, Derrick D., and Ward, A. Wesley, eds., 2008, Proceedings of a USGS Workshop on facing tomorrow's challenges along the U.S.-Mexico border; monitoring, modeling, and forecasting change within the Arizona-Sonora transboundary watersheds: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 1322, 63 p.(http://pubs.usgs.gov/circ/1322/ ). Norman, Laura M., Hirsch, Derrick D., and Ward, A. Wesley, eds., 2008. Proceedings of a USGS Workshop on facing tomorrow's challenges along the U.S.-Mexico border; monitoring, modeling, and forecasting change within the Arizona-Sonora transboundary watersheds: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 1322, 63 p. (http://pubs.usgs.gov/circ/1322/). Norman, Laura M., Gray, Floyd, Guertin, D. Phillip, and Wissler, Craig, 2008. Analysis of a Watershed Model of Soil and Waste Rock: Using GIS to Predict and Track the Fate of Acid-Mine Drainage and Impacts on Surface Water Quality in Historic Ghost Town of Southeast Arizona, Journal of Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 145 (1-3): 12 p. Gu, Ailiang, Gray, Floyd, Eastoe, Chris J., Norman, Laura M., Duarte, Oscar, and Long, Austin, 2008, Tracing Ground Water Input to Base Flow Using Sulfate (S, O) Isotopes, Ground Water, 46(3), 502-509. Norman, Laura M., Guertin, D. Phillip, and Feller, Mark, 2008. A Coupled-Model Approach to Reduce Nonpoint Source Pollution Resulting from Predicted Urban Growth: A Case Study in the Ambos Nogales Watershed, Journal of Urban Geography, 29 (5): pp. 496-516. Norman, L.M., and Wallace, C.S.A., 2008, Mapping land use/land cover in the Ambos Nogales study area: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2008-1378, 42 p. [http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2008/1378/]. Norman, Laura M., 2007. United States-Mexican Border Watershed Assessment: Modeling Nonpoint Source Pollution in Ambos Nogales, Journal of Borderland Studies 22 (1): 20 p. Lam, Alven H., Norman, Laura M., and Donelson, Angela J., 2006. Accessible Information Technology for Equitable Community Planning, In Equity and Sustainable Development: Reflections from the U.S.-Mexican Border. Ed.s: Clough-Riquelme, Jane and Rabago, Nora L. Bringas. Lynne Rienner Publishers, Boulder, CO. Norman, Laura M., Donelson, Angela, Pfeifer, Edwin, and Lam, Alven H., 2006. Colonia Development and Land Use Change in Ambos Nogales, United States-Mexican Border: U.S. Geological Survey Open File Report: 2006-1112. http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2006/1112 Norman, Laura Margaret, 2005. Modeling Land Use Change and Associate Water Quality Impacts in the Ambos Nogales Watershed, U.S.-Mexico Border. Dissertation. University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona. 216 p. Norman, Laura M., Parcher, Jean W., and Lam, Alven H., 2004, Monitoring Colonias Along the U.S.-Mexico Border: U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet, USGS FS 2004-3070 ?Colonias.http://erg.usgs.gov/isb/pubs/factsheets/fs307004.html Norman, Laura M., Guertin, D. Phillip, Hernández, David Peña, Barnett, Alberto Suàrez and Ashton-Reis, Kelly, 2004, Binational Digital Soils Map of the Ambos Nogales Watershed, Southern Arizona and Northern Sonora, Mexico: U.S. Geological Survey Open File Report 2004-1335.http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2004/1335/ Norman, Laura M., Donelson, Angela, Pfeifer, Edwin, Lam, Alven H., and Osborn, Kenneth J., 2004, Analyses of Urban Sprawl and Colonias Development in Douglas, Arizona and Agua Prieta, Sonora on the US-Mexico Border; A Process Application using GIS and Remote Sensing: U.S. Geological Survey Open File Report 2004-1212.http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2004/1212/ Norman, Laura M., Wissler, Craig A., Guertin, D. Phillip, and Gray, Floyd, 2002, Digital Soils Survey Map of the Patagonia Mountains, Arizona: U.S. Geological Survey Open File Report 02-324. http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2004/1212/ Brady, Laura M., Gray, Floyd, Castaneda, Mario, Boltman, Mark, and Bolm, Karen Sue, 2002, Preliminary United States - Mexico Border Watershed Analysis, Twin Cities Area Of Nogales, Arizona And Nogales, Sonora: U.S. Geological Survey Open File Report: OF 02-112.http://geopubs.wr.usgs.gov/open-file/of02-112/ Brady, Laura M., Gray, Floyd, Wissler, Craig A. and Guertin, D. Phillip, 2001, Spatial variability of sediment erosion processes using GIS analysis within watersheds in a historically mined region, Patagonia Mountains, Arizona: U.S. Geological Survey Open File Report 01-267.http://geopubs.wr.usgs.gov/open-file/of01-267/ Brady, Laura Margaret, 2000, GIS Analysis of Spatial Variability of Contaminated Watershed Components in a Historically Mined Region, Basin And Range Province, Southeast Arizona: Tucson, University of Arizona, Master thesis, 127 p. Gray, Floyd, Brady, Laura M., Caruthers, Kerry, Ailiang, Gu, Velez, Carlos, Bolm, Karen, Chaffee, Maurice, and Wirt, Laurie, 2000, USDA Forest Service Preliminary Assessment (PA) Report on the Alum Gulch-Flux Canyon Watershed within the Northern Patagonia Mountains, Southeastern Arizona: U.S. Geological Survey Administrative Report, December 2000.

Academic Background:	Ph.D. Watershed Resources, Minor in Remote Sensing and Spatial Analysis, University of Arizona, Tucson, Ariz., December 2005. M.S., Watershed Management, Advanced Resource Technology Option, University of Arizona, Tucson, Ariz., August 2000. B.S., Forestry, Minor in Cultural Anthropology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, December 1994. Computer Programming Specialist Certificate for Direct Employment: Programming in Visual Basic, Pima Community College, Tucson, Ariz., December 2002.