Alaska Purpose of the Procedure Flood insurance studies search for geospatial data during prescoping and scoping tasks. If needed data are not available, studies might fund the collection of new data and would like to know about other organizations that might share in these costs. Detailed information about the role geospatial data coordination plays in studies is in the Geospatial Data Coordination Implementation Guide, which is available at , and in Scoping Guidelines: Pre-scoping and the Scoping Meeting, which is available through the Regional Management Center (RMC). Resources developed through FEMA’s geospatial data coordination activities provide information about data and contacts for organizations that have geospatial data that cover large areas (like states) in which many studies are interested. Studies can avoid wasting time with dead-end searches and cold calls by starting with these proven sources of information. One resource is this Geospatial Data Coordination Procedure. It outlines sources of geospatial data and contact information, preferences for base map data and state geospatial participation in studies, and other useful information for the State. If you have questions about this procedure or other geospatial data coordination resources, contact the geospatial data coordination lead in your Regional Management Center: Oren Gruber, Geospatial Data Coordination Lead Regional Management Center X 206-553-9794 Oren.gruber@mapmodteam.com We appreciate the help in developing this report provided by A.C. Brown of the U.S. Geological Survey, Anchorage, Alaska. Default Flood Hazard Base Map for the State There is no preference state-wide. The majority of Alaska is unsurveyed, and a state-protracted grid, spanning five meridians, is used. Geospatial Data Coverage Find below information about and links to statewide (and Federal agencies’ national) geospatial datasets. The list is provided to save time during pre-scoping and scoping activities when building a list of candidate geospatial datasets available for the study; it is not a prescription of datasets that must be used in a flood insurance study. Major State Holdings Orthophotos Dataset name: Anchorage/Kenai Peninsula and Fairbanks areas Data currentness: varies Accuracy/Scale: varies Ground sample resolution: 1 meter; finer resolution for Anchorage Horizontal datum: NAD 83 Fee associated? No Available for redistribution? Yes Dataset source: USGS through http://seamless.usgs.gov Dataset contact: US Geological Survey Notes: Data will also be available through the Alaska Geographic Data Committee site at http://agdc.usgs.gov/ Transportation (roads, railroads, and airports) Dataset name: Differential Global Positioning System Centerline Data Data currentness: 1997-2002 Accuracy/Scale: Horizontal 2-d RMS values for road centerline features typically range from four to eight feet. Known positional accuracy problems (as great as 35 meters) exist in places; the Department is in the process of obtaining new base station files for the files in question and hope to update the three roads as soon as possible. Horizontal datum: NAD 27 Fee associated? No Available for redistribution? Yes Are road names part of the dataset? Yes Dataset source: Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities web site at http://www.dot.state.ak.us/stwdplng/mapping/dgpscenterline.shtml Dataset contact: Alaska Department of Transportation, Division of Statewide Planning, Statewide GIS Mapping Section, (907) 465 8957, gis@dot.state.ak.us Notes: Hydrography (rivers, streams, lakes, and shorelines) Dataset name: National Hydrography Dataset Data currentness: 1999 Accuracy/Scale: 1:63,360 for most of the state Horizontal datum: NAD 83 Fee associated? No Available for redistribution? Yes Are hydrography names part of the dataset? Yes Dataset source: USGS at http://nhd.usgs.gov Dataset contact: nhd@usgs.gov Notes: No coverage of western Aleutians or Bering Sea islands at this point Political boundaries (county, municipal) Dataset name: Alaska Boroughs and Alaska Municipalities Data currentness: 1997 Accuracy/Scale: 1:250,000 Horizontal datum: NAD 27 Fee associated? No Available for redistribution? Yes Dataset source: Alaska Department of Natural Resources - Land Records Information Section. Available through the Alaska State Geo-Spatial Data Clearinghouse at http://www.asgdc.state.ak.us/ Dataset contact: AK Department of Natural Resources - Land Records Information Section, 907 269 8833, gis_public_access@dnr.state.ak.us Notes: Dataset name: Incorporated City Boundaries of Alaska Data currentness: 2003 Accuracy/Scale: varies Horizontal datum: NAD 27 Fee associated? No Available for redistribution? Yes Dataset source: AK Department of Community and Economic Development. Available through the Alaska State Geo-Spatial Data Clearinghouse at http://www.asgdc.state.ak.us/ Dataset contact: AK Department of Natural Resources - Land Records Information Section, 907 269 8833, gis_public_access@dnr.state.ak.us Notes: Public land survey system (PLSS) (township and section lines) Dataset name: Spatial Data Management System Corner Layer, Surveyed Corners, Alaska Data currentness: 2005 Accuracy/Scale: Unknown Horizontal datum: NAD 27 Fee associated? No Available for redistribution? Yes Dataset source: Bureau of Land Management. Available through the Alaska State Geo-Spatial Data Clearinghouse at http://www.asgdc.state.ak.us/ Dataset contact: AK Department of Natural Resources - Land Records Information Section, 907 269 8833, gis_public_access@dnr.state.ak.us Notes: This dataset is a spatial representation of the Public Land Survey System (PLSS) in Alaska, generated from land survey records. Terrain (elevation) Dataset name: National Elevation Dataset Data currentness: varies Accuracy/Scale: 2 arc-second post spacing from 1:63,360-scale maps for the majority of the State Vertical datum: NGVD 29 Fee associated? No Available for redistribution? Yes Dataset source: USGS; download data through http://seamless.usgs.gov Dataset contact: USGS at http://ned.usgs.gov Notes: Data Distribution Process for State Data The state distributes geospatial data through http://www.asgdc.state.ak.us/. Another useful site is the Alaska Geographic Data Committee at http://agdc.usgs.gov. Federal Nationwide Geospatial Data Holdings Information about nationwide holdings and programs of Federal agencies is available from the Mapping Information Platform web site at . Finding and Accessing Other Existing Geospatial Data Find below information about and links to ways of searching for additional geospatial data available for the State. These capabilities can be useful for finding geospatial data other than the statewide and Federal data listed above, including those of special governments, counties and parishes, municipalities, tribes, universities, and other organizations. Clearinghouses and Inventories for the State The state provides a clearinghouse at http://www.asgdc.state.ak.us/. The Alaska Geographic Data Committee provides access to data through http://agdc.usgs.gov/. The University of Alaska provides a clearinghouse at http://www.gina.alaska.edu/. National Digital Orthophoto Program (NDOP) and National Digital Elevation Program (NDEP) Tracking Systems These systems allow the search of orthophoto and elevation project information entered by federal and other organizations. To access the NDOP system, go to the NDOP web site at and follow the link “Project Tracking.” For the NDEP system, go to the NDEP web site at and follow the link “Project Tracking.” TED Query Tool This tool provides access to information about Federal, state, and local government agency and private sector data holdings gathered by the Census Bureau. It is available through the geospatial data coordination lead at the Regional Management Center. Geospatial One-Stop Geospatial One-Stop, available at , provides access to geospatial data from many sources. Two parts of the site that should be investigated are the “data categories” for existing data and the “marketplace” for data that are planned or in-work and for potential partners for new data collection activities. Working with People Useful State and Federal Contacts The main contacts for the State’s geospatial activities and Federal agencies’ representatives in State are available on the Mapping Information Platform web site at The membership of the Alaska Geographic Data Committee is listed at http://agdc.usgs.gov/info/members.html. Involving the State’s Geospatial Coordinator in Flood Studies The Coordinator would like to participate in a conference call at the start of data discovery for each individual project. Contact Richard McMahon, Alaska DNR, (907) 269-8836 , Richard_Mcmahon@dnr.state.ak.us. This state already has a working relationship with the office in the state that is responsible for updating the multi-hazard maps, and they have access to their state’s flood map modernization business plan State Coordination Process for Building Geospatial Partnerships The Alaska Geographic Data Committee (AGDC) was organized in the early 1990s to support the initiatives and goals of the Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) in Alaska through the coordination of geospatial data activities and to promote data sharing among the Federal, state, Native, local, commercial, and non-governmental (NGO) member agencies. The Committee is co-chaired by the Deputy Chief, Alaska Geographic Science Office (AGSO), USGS Alaska Science Center and the Chief, Land Records Information System, State of Alaska Department of Natural Resources. There are currently more than 60 official AGDC members. See http://agdc.usgs.gov/. Finding Local Geospatial Contacts Local contacts, including those from special government districts (for example, a regional planning commission); counties, parishes, or equivalent governments; tribes, municipal governments; and other organizations (for example, local universities) also have geospatial data that can help a flood insurance study. Contact information is available from the FEMA archive and web searches at government link portals such as . The Alaska Geographic Data Committee sponsors a listserv; see http://listserv-ak.wr.usgs.gov/mailman/listinfo for more information. Provide Feedback on This Procedure When you find information in this Procedure or in other FEMA or State resources that are outdated, please tell the geospatial data coordination lead in the Regional Management Center what was wrong and the correct information (if you know it). Use the contact information for the lead listed in the section Purpose of the Procedure. The lead will use your feedback to update this Procedure.