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November 17, 2000
Request for Information regarding Geographic Information and FirstGov

The Federal Geographic Data Committee is requesting information: The recent launch of "FirstGov" on the World Wide Web is a significant step toward providing a single point of access to government information and services. FirstGov is evolving into a site that citizens can easily use to rapidly find, get and use government information and services tailored to their needs. At this early stage in its development FirstGov cannot yet offer geographic information and services by location, a capability that will truly improve government accountability for Americans. The Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) is requesting information to this effect. View the CBD Announcement HERE

November 15, 2000
FGDC Releases Accuracy Standards for Hydrographic Surveys for Public Review

This standard provides minimum standards for the horizontal and vertical accuracy of features associated with hydrographic surveys that support nautical charting. Such features include, but are not limited to, water depths, objects on the seafloor, navigational aids, and shoreline. For these Standards, hydrographic surveys are defined as surveys that are conducted to determine the configuration of the bottom of water bodies and to identify and locate all features, natural and man-made, that may affect navigation. Nautical charts are compilations of data from numerous sources, principally hydrographic surveys, designed specifically to meet the requirements of marine navigation.

Persons interested in reviewing Geospatial Positioning Accuracy Standards, Part 5: Standards for Nautical Charting Hydrographic Surveys may download the public review draft in Microsoft Word (.doc) format. All reviewers should use the Review Comment Template when preparing and submitting comments. Reviewers shall send their comments to gdc-part5acc@www.fgdc.gov. For more information about this standard, please visit http://www.fgdc.gov/standards/status/sub1_4.html.

POC:
Ms. Julie Binder Maitra
FGDC Standards Coordinator
Phone: (703) 648-4627
E-mail at jmaitra@usgs.gov.

October 20, 2000
Metadata Trainer Registry

The Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) is pleased and excited to announce the development of a Metadata Trainer Registry. Metadata training is critical to understanding the importance of metadata and the Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata. From 1994 to 1998, the FGDC staff and partners sponsored or conducted in excess of 150 metadata training workshops. There was also significant metadata training as part of the FGDC Don't Duck Metadata Cooperative Agreement Program. In 1999, the FGDC initiated an effort to create a self-service web portal enabling folks to post and find available metadata training classes. This was accomplished successfully via the FGDC Metadata Training Calendar (http://www.fgdc.gov/cgi-bin/people/META/WebEvent/WebEvent). To date, numerous metadata training classes have been posted on the web-based metadata training calendar. Since then, the FGDC has worked to develop an application that enables metadata trainers to self-register* (see http://www.fgdc.gov/metadata/toollist/trainers_reg.html).

The combination of the training calendar and the metadata trainer registry will enable individuals or organization to find scheduled metadata training and trainers local to them to address their specific metadata requirements. To help develop metadata trainers, the FGDC, along with its partner the USGS/Biological Resource Division and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Proctection, has developed a metadata Train-the-Trainer program. To date over 25 individuals have received this training and are making themselves available as metadata trainers to their organization and partners. The FGDC encourages all metadata trainers to register.

A list of the self-registered metadata trainers is located at the Metadata Trainers link (http://www.fgdc.gov/metadata/toollist/trainers.html)on the FGDC Metadata home page. Folks should bookmark this page since this list is expected to grow quickly over the next several months.

For further information on the Metadata Trainer Registry, please contact Rick Pearsall, FGDC Metadata Coordinator at email: rpearsall@usgs.gov

* Registration at the FGDC Metadata Training Registry is not an endorsement by the FGDC.

October 12, 2000
Special Reports Added Under Publications Section

A new section has been added to the FGDC web site. The Special Reports web page highlights documents important to the implementation of the NSDI.

Special Reports

May 31, 2000
Improving Federal Agency Geospatial Data Coordination

Report on "Improving Federal Agency Geospatial Data Coordination" is now available. A study team commissioned by the FGDC has completed a report that recommends a number of actions for improving the coordination of Federal geospatial data activities. The study was conducted for several reasons; It has been almost 10 years since the current functions and structure of the FGDC were established. In that time, many things have changed in the geospatial data environment.

An initiative is underway to establish a national entity. This effort is titled the GeoData Alliance Organizational Initiative and includes broad representation of the geographic information and technology community. It will do the work needed to define and establish a new type of national entity. When this new structure is established, the FGDC will be able to refocus on Federal Coordination and on effective Federal participation in the new national entity.

The next steps for this report will be for the FGDC to develop an implementation strategy.

May 25, 2000
FGDC Statement on the METADATA Trademark issue

Recently the FGDC received a letter from the The Metadata Corporation advising the Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) that the word METADATA ia a registered trademark word owned by The Metadata Corporation.

To read more about the Trademark issue and a FGDC Statement, go to FGDC Metadata Trademark

May 24, 2000
Evaluation of FGDC's NSDI Grants Programs

Accountability is a growing trend in our society. Outputs and outcomes, performances and results are emphasized in all sectors, especially in government. This project will document successes and search for failures of past FGDC funding opportunities. Project investigators will attempt to determine what might have happened if the funding had been spent differently, by surveying un-funded as well as funded proposals. This project will yield recommendation that will help FGDC set policy regarding types and mechanisms for future funding.

The FGDC Secretariat, through the University Consortium for Geographic Information Science, is sponsoring this evaluation. The research team for this project, all from the University of Buffalo, is comprised of Dr. Allan MacPherson, Dr. David Mark, and Dr. Hugh Calkins. This project was awarded in April, 2000, and is scheduled to have preliminary results by Fall 2000.

May 2, 2000
USGS Hosts National Seminar on GIS and Public Health

Contact:
Karen Wood, 703-648-4447, kwood@usgs.gov
Jon Campbell, 703-648-4180, joncampbell@usgs.gov

On May 11, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Center in Reston, Va., will serve as a public viewing site for a nationwide satellite broadcast on GIS in Public Health: Using Mapping and Spatial Analysis Technologies for Health Prevention. Sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Agency for Toxic Substance and Disease Registry (ATSDR), the broadcast will be shown in the USGS Auditorium at noon EDT.

GIS (geographic information system) technology has become an important tool that enables public health professionals to better understand health issues they encounter every day. Computer-assisted GIS programs allow the visual layering of health, demographic, environmental and other data sources. Based on the location of the data on the Earth's surface, many types of data can be analyzed separately and in combination according to their spatial relationships. GIS applications can serve a wide range of purposes in public health research.

The 2 1/2 hour broadcast seminar will provide information on essential GIS concepts and terminology, entering data into a GIS, issues regarding the use of GIS in public health applications, and examples of GIS applications in public health. The program will feature a live question and answer session, during which participants nationwide can ask instructors questions via toll free telephone lines, by fax, or via TTY lines. Continuing education credits will be offered for various professions.

There is no cost to register or view the program, but registration is required to support coordination of this national endeavor. On-line registration is available at: http://www.cdc.gov/phtn/gis/gis.htm. This site also provides more information on the course and the location of other viewing sites across the country.

If you do not have Internet access, you can also register by phone if you have a fax number to which a document can be faxed. Call 1-888-232-3299, an automated fax back system (or 1-877-232-1010 for the hearing impaired), and follow the prompts. Request document #130029 when prompted to do so. The registration form will then be faxed to the number you provided. After completing the registration form, call 1-800-815-8152 or fax the completed form to the course registrar at 1-850-784-3081.

Driving directions and a map to the USGS National Center are available at:
http://mapping.usgs.gov/mac/visitors/

As the nation's largest water, earth and biological science and civilian mapping agency, the USGS works in cooperation with more than 2000 organizations across the country to provide reliable, impartial, scientific information to resource managers, planners, and other customers. This information is gathered in every state by USGS scientists to minimize the loss of life and property from natural disasters, to contribute to the conservation and the sound economic and physical development of the nation's natural resources, and to enhance the quality of life by monitoring water, biological, energy and mineral resources.

In-depth information about USGS programs may be found on the USGS home page at http://www.usgs.gov. To receive the latest USGS news releases automatically by e-mail, send a request to listproc@listserver.usgs.gov. Specify the listserver(s) of interest from the following names: water-pr; geologic-pr, geologic-hazards-pr; biological-pr; mapping-pr; products-pr; lecture-pr.
In the body of the message write:
subscribe (name of listserver) (your name).
Example: water-pr joe smith.

April 21, 2000
FGDC CSDGM Metadata Workbook

The FGDC is pleased and excited to announce the availability of the Metadata Workbook, Version 2.0 in electronic form (Adobe PDF - bookmarked enabled). The workbook if free of charge and is easily down-loadable (130 pages, 1Mb). The workbook complies with the latest version of the FGDC Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata (CSDGM), FGDC-STD-001-1998 and contends both textual and color graphical information about the FGDC CSDGM including background information, how to read and use the Standard, a color graphical and textual representation of the content information of the Standard, a description of Profiles and User-defined metadata extensions, and some metadata examples. Please feel free to download the workbook and distribute it among your organization.

To read more about and/or download the new electronic workbook, go to FGDC Metadata Workbook

For more information, please contact Rick Pearsall, FGDC Metadata Coordinator, by phone at 703-648-4532 or E-mail at rpearsall@usgs.gov.

March 14, 2000
Report on Financing the NSDI

The report "Financing the NSDI: Aligning Federal and Non-Federal Investments in Spatial Data, Decision Support and Information Resources" was prepared for the Federal Geographic Data Committee by Bruce B. Cahan, President of Urban Logic, Inc. (www.urbanlogic.org) a non-profit organization founded in 1991 by Mr. Cahan and David L. Kuhns.

Bruce Cahan has been invited to brief senior-level government officials on his findings and recommendations at the White House conference center on March 29, 2000.

If you are experiencing problems viewing the pdf file, you may need to upgrade to Arobat Reader 4.0 available for free at: Adobe Acrobat Reader

Executive Summary (pdf 55kb)
PDF Version (size 2.5 MB)
PDF Version - ZIP file (size 1.9 MB)

February 29, 2000
The Community/Federal Information Partnership

Communities across the nation are calling for greater assistance in dealing with the critical issues that affect their economic, social, and environmental well-being. Because most of these issues do not respect jurisdictional boundaries, collaboration among stakeholders is crucial. Many of these issues can be resolved most effectively through place-based solutions and ready access to coordinated geographic data from all levels of government and private industry. Communities are looking for leadership, information, tools, and support from the federal government to develop place-based processes.

The National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI) provides technology, polices, standards, and resources necessary to improve the way geographic data are acquired, stored, processed, disseminated, and used. It is being developed through the efforts of many organizations throughout the county. The FGDC has provided national leadership for this effort, and although considerable progress has been made, more work is needed to achieve full implementation.

The Community/ Federal Information Partnership (C/FIP) will build on the accessibility of geographic information provided through the NSDI. Spatial information and supporting infrastructure are invaluable to communities' decision-making activities. For example, they can help citizens, businesses, and government administrators visualize, model, and project the impacts of land use change; better distribute resources to deal with crime; and plan for and respond to emergency situations more effectively. The C/FIP is being developed by the federal agencies that comprise the FGDC in cooperation with state, local, and tribal government; the academic community; and the private and not for profit sectors. The aim of the partnership is to. The initiative has two integrated components:

A competitive matching grant program to promote the widespread availability and use of geographic information for community decision-making. This component of the C/FIP will increase the capacity of communities to use geographic data and tools to address the critical issues facing their citizens.

Support for federal agencies to make their geographic data more readily available for communities. This component will help ensure full and rapid implementation of the NSDI in a cost-effective and cooperative manner.

A total of $35M has been requested in the FY 2001 budget to fund the C/FIP: the Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey has requested $30M and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resource Conservation Service has requested $5M. These funds will be aimed at partnerships and projects across the country to develop local solutions using biologic, geologic, hydrologic, soils, land cover, and base map data to make decisions. Of this total amount, approximately three-fourths will be allocated through competitively awarded matching grants and cooperative agreements with communities. This initiative will enable all partners to participate in developing, interpreting, and using geospatial information as part of the NSDI.

February 22, 2000
GeoData Organizational Initiative Under Way

Intense work by an ad hoc team of geodata professionals is leading to a streamlined approach to distributing authority and responsibilities throughout the broad community of individuals and organizations most involved with creating, distributing, and effectively using geospatial data and information.

Evolution of a New Geo Data Approach

Inspired by the experiences and words of VISA International CEO Emeritus Dee Hock at a 1999 National GeoData Forum meeting, a group of more than four-dozen geodata professionals have striven to fashion a proven "bottom-to-top" means of best meeting economic, social, and environmental needs from digital geospatial technologies. Building from Hock's parallel experiences in establishing an international credit system needing to serve diverse interests, the group contemplated new and pioneering organizational concepts, all designed at more equitably spreading responsibilities and authorities...yet all aimed at serving unmet needs and responding to emerging opportunities.

With guidance and counseling from The Chaordic Alliance - the nonprofit organization founded by Hock, capturing the concepts of both "chaos" and of "order" - participants at a fall 1999 follow-up meeting outlined how best to proceed in an expeditious yet inclusive way. A de facto "Stewardship Team" did preliminary planning on fund raising and development, organizational and staffing needs, and general governance matters.

An initial concern identified by numerous participants involved the challenges associated with a two-year developmental stage leading up to the new effort's becoming fully operational. In consultation with The Chaordic Alliance, geodata leaders now have fashioned a more streamlined approach, retaining fundamental aspects of the "chaordic" organizational structure pioneered by Hock and VISA International.

New Directions:

Plans now call for formation of a ten-member "Working Group" to meet four times over the next several months to prepare formal organizational materials and documents, which will be considered by a newly established "Drafting Team" in officially launching the new "GeoData Organizational Initiative."

Over the next eight months, the Drafting Team will approve statements of purpose, principles, and operational procedures for the new geodata governance structure. Individuals with a wide range of professional experience and interest in geospatial community are encouraged to apply by March 6, 2000, to assist in developing these materials. The application form is available online at http://www.geoall.net. Meetings of the Drafting Team are scheduled for March 27-29; May 8-10; July 11-13; and September 6-8.

Organizers of the new initiative are also planning for a series of informal "open house" town-meetings to keep geodata interests and others apprised of plans and progress in better meeting needs of spatial data providers and users. Specific plans and schedules for those sessions will be posted online at http://www.geoall.net.

With a strong push from diverse participants throughout the broad geospatial community since the 1999 GeoData Forum, project leaders now envision an ambitious eight-month schedule for fashioning and implementing ways to meet the burgeoning needs of geospatial data community.

For additional information, visit http://www.geoall.net, or contact Ms. Kathy Covert at (703) 648-4144 or via the Internet at klcovert@usgs.gov.

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[ What's New 1999 ]

FGDC, USGS, 590 National Center, Reston, VA 20192
URL: http://www.fgdc.gov ///whatsnew/whatsnew00.html
Updated: Friday, 21-Mar-2003 19:00:35 GMT
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