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USGS REORGANIZATION
The Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) Coordinating Committee, of
which UCGIS is a member, met on September 21. Jack Sanders, UCGIS
Executive Director, attended. A major focus of the meeting was the current
reorganization of USGS, particularly as it affects the FGDC, The National
Map and Geospatial One-Stop. In August, USGS Director Chip Groat announced
a reorganization plan that would place the FGDC, the Geospatial One Stop
project, The National Map, and the Department of Interior Enterprise
Geospatial Information Management activity under the National Geospatial
Programs Office, within the Geospatial Information Office of USGS.
During the meeting, FGDC Staff Director Ivan DeLoatch discussed the
reorganization with the Coordinating Committee, highlighting some of
developments over the previous six weeks, and addressing the question,
“What’s going on at USGS?” An August press release outlining the
reorganization attributed some of the energy behind the changes to a
report from the National Research Council urging USGS to “give higher
priority to fundamental geographic research. . . directed toward improving
citizen involvement . . . expanding the utility and application of
place-based science . . . enhancing the effectiveness of decision-support
systems with increased geographic input and more effective map-like
products.” The competitive Cooperative Agreement Program (CAPS) is to be
expanded.
The directors of three of the programs that will be consolidated had met
prior to August 17 and suggested some organizational changes, but Director
Groat decided to take more substantial “bold” steps in response to the NRC
and other pressure. Congress and the GAO apparently are pushing for some
quantitative success measures of the federal geospatial investment.
A plan for the development of the National Geospatial Programs Office
within USGS is under discussion and will be completed by December.
Comments are being solicited and can be directed to USGS through an e-mail
address, or more directly. The e-mail address is
geocustomer@usgs.gov.
An additional subject of discussion at the meeting was the draft framework
data standards that have been available for comment since July. The 90-day
comment period will end in October. According to FGDC, “These standards
establish common requirements to facilitate data exchange for seven themes
of geospatial data fundamental to many different Geographic Information
Systems (GIS) applications. The seven geospatial data themes are geodetic
control, elevation, orthoimagery, hydrography, transportation, cadastral
and governmental unit boundaries.” Lockheed Martin and SRA have contracted
to develop the framework. More information and the opportunity to comment
can be found at www.fgdc.gov.
Jack
Sanders
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UCGIS Executive Director
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