Issue

Busy schedules often hinder the lines of communication between state coastal management programs and state geographic information offices. This can lead to redundancy in data acquisition, contracts for inappropriate data, or missed joint funding opportunities.

Process

The National States Geographic Information Council (NSGIC) and state coastal management programs are communicating more through the Digital Coast partnership. One of the goals of the partnership is to unify groups that might not otherwise work together, building a strong collaboration of coastal professionals intent on addressing coastal resource management needs. The Digital Coast partnership is composed of nine organizations that include NSGIC and the Coastal States Organization (CSO).

The partnership helps facilitate communication between NSGIC and state coastal management programs through coastal caucus meetings held during NSGIC mid-year and annual conferences. Before each conference, NSGIC state representatives are encouraged to speak to their coastal management programs about geospatial needs. This information is then shared with fellow NSGIC members during the coastal caucus meetings.

Impact

Through the coastal caucus meetings, NSGIC and the state coastal programs have fostered new working relationships and identified areas for collaboration. For example, the Ohio NSGIC representative and staff members at the Ohio Office of Coastal Management now communicate regularly and are coordinating and leveraging resources for data acquisition.