News

The Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) has developed a new National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI) Strategic Plan (pdf). The plan, which covers the years 2021-2024, was approved by the FGDC Steering Committee in November 2020.  The NSDI strategic plan was developed with inputs from a variety of sources, including FGDC agencies, the National Geospatial Advisory Committee, and geospatial partner organizations. The plan describes a broad national vision and mission for the NSDI, and includes goals and objectives for the continued sustainable development of the NSDI. The FGDC will work collaboratively with partners on implementation of the plan.  Additional information will be posted here regarding the implementation phase. 

The Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) is seeking public comment on the draft strategic plan for the National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI). Comments are due by September 17, 2020.

Instructions:

1. The draft plan is posted here: Draft 2021-2024 NSDI Strategic Plan (pdf)
2. Please provide comments using this comment form: NSDI Strategic Plan Comment Form (xls)
3. Comments should be submitted electronically by September 17, 2020 to: nsdicomments@fgdc.gov

Background

The FGDC operates under the authority of the Geospatial Data Act of 2018 (GDA) and Office of Management and Budget Circular A-16. One of the FGDC’s responsibilities under the GDA is to “prepare and maintain a strategic plan for the development and implementation of the National Spatial Data Infrastructure in a manner consistent with national security, national defense, and emergency preparedness program policies regarding data accessibility.” The GDA describes the NSDI as “the technology, policies, criteria, standards, and employees necessary to promote geospatial data sharing throughout the Federal Government, State, tribal, and local governments, and the private sector (including nonprofit organizations and institutions of higher education).”

The draft NSDI strategic plan has been developed with inputs from a variety of sources, including FGDC member agencies, the National Geospatial Advisory Committee, and geospatial partner organizations. The plan describes a broad national vision for the NSDI, and includes goals and objectives for the continued sustainable development of the NSDI. Following the public comment period, a revised version of the plan will be prepared for final review and adoption by the FGDC Steering Committee. Following adoption of the strategic plan, the FGDC will work with partners to develop implementation plans for the goals and objectives in the strategic plan.

NSDI Strategic Plan Public Comment Period – Federal Register Notice (pdf)

If you have any questions or need additional information, contact: fgdc@fgdc.gov

FGDC Steering Committee,  

It is my great pleasure to announce that the recipient of the 2019 Doug D. Nebert National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI) Champion of the Year Award is the multi-agency partnership responsible for developing the NSDI Hydrographic Framework Datasets.  The award honors Doug Nebert, who was a respected Federal Geographic Data Committee colleague, technical visionary, and recognized National and International leader in the establishment of spatial data infrastructures. The awardee was selected by a panel of geospatial representatives from Federal agencies and National Geospatial Advisory Committee members.  

In the early 1990’s, the FGDC Subcommittee on Spatial Water Data, chartered as a joint subcommittee with the Advisory Committee on Water Information (ACWI), began developing the national vision and guidance for water-related geospatial framework data to advance the use of geospatial data to support understanding and managing of the Nation’s water resources. These efforts resulted in the development of the National Hydrography Dataset (NHD) and the Watershed Boundary Dataset (WBD)––geospatial datasets that map the Nation’s surface water network and hydrologic drainage areas. The NHD represents the Nation’s rivers, streams, canals, lakes, ponds, glaciers, coastline, dams, streamgages and related features.   The WBD is a comprehensive aggregated collection of hydrologic unit data representing drainage areas of the Nation. The NHD and WBD are the most up-to-date and geographically inclusive hydrography datasets for the Nation and have been cited ~6,400 times in an array of scholarly publications. Approximately 50,000 downloads of NHD and WBD geospatial datasets occur annually, and web services of the data receive 2-4 million hits per day. The NHD is also part of the USGS Topographic Base Map (nearly 10 million hits per day) as well as many other popular web maps provided by the private sector.   

The NHD and WBD are managed under OMB Circular A-16 and as a part of the FGDC National Geospatial Data Assets Inland Water Theme, with collaboration, support, formalized stewardship agreements and cost-sharing with many other federal, state, and local entities.  Since their initial release, these components of The National Map have played vital roles in the management of water resources for the Nation. The first 1:100,000-scale NHD, released in 2000, was collaboratively produced by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), and several cooperating states. Early NHD success generated interest in a more detailed NHD that led the USGS to partner with the U.S. Forest Service and numerous state cooperators to produce the high resolution NHD at 1:24,000-scale or better, which was completed in 2007. The states and other partners now support the NHD’s maintenance through a USGS-led data stewardship program that provides guidance, tools, and coordination.  

The foundational work completed by the NHD and WBD teams was instrumental in the development of the FGDC Geospatial Information Framework data standard adopted in 2008. More than 150 applications that rely and build upon the NHD and WBD can be found in the NHDPlus Applications Catalog.  Applications of note include NOAA’s National Water Model, the Defense Threat Reduction Agency’s incident command tool for drinking water protection, USGS SPARROW water quality modeling, EPA National Aquatic Resources surveys, EPA Waters GeoViewer and the national Open Water Data Initiative. The framework established by this community has been taken up by the Aspen Institute and is being used in the development of the future Internet of Water initiative.    

The teams responsible for developing these datasets and coordinating to leverage standards, shared data, tools, and systems enabled previously unimaginable advances in digital hydrography data and fostered more effective management and understanding of the nation’s water resources.  Doug Nebert was a pioneer and active team member who participated in the design, development and promotion of the NHD.  

The NSDI Hydrographic Framework Datasets were developed and are now maintained through the collective efforts of many hundreds of people to the benefit of many thousands of users from all levels of government, private industry, academia, non-profit and international organizations.  The NSDI Hydrographic Framework Datasets initiative embodies the principles in OMB Circular A-16, applies National Geospatial Data Asset (NGDA) data for decision-making, and meets all eight foundational precepts of the Doug D. Nebert Award selection criteria.   

While many individuals contributed to these geospatial data development projects, the following core team members responsible for the initial development of the datasets are being recognized:  

I also want to thank all of the participants that submitted nominations. We had a number of excellent nominees and we appreciate the interest from the community.  

Please join me in congratulating the multi-agency partnership responsible for developing the NSDI Hydrographic Framework Datasets on their award.  

Sincerely,

Timothy Petty, Ph.D
Chair, FGDC

April 11, 2019

The Department of the Interior has appointed 12 individuals to serve as members of the National Geospatial Advisory Committee (NGAC). The NGAC provides advice and recommendations on national geospatial policy and management issues, the development of the National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI), and the implementation of the Geospatial Data Act of 2018. The NSDI promotes geospatial data sharing across all levels of government, the private and non-profit sectors, and the academic community.

Interior has also appointed a new NGAC Chair, Keith Masback, who currently serves on the board of directors and is the former Chief Executive Officer for the U.S. Geospatial Intelligence Foundation. Mr. Masback previously served as the NGAC Vice Chair. Interior appointed a new NGAC Vice-Chair, Mark Reichardt, who is the Director of Strategic Opportunities with the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC). Mr. Reichardt formerly served as President and Chief Executive Officer for the OGC.

The NGAC includes up to 30 members, selected to achieve a balanced representation of the varied interests associated with geospatial programs and technology. NGAC members serve staggered three-year terms on the committee. The new appointees to the NGAC are:

• Frank Avila, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (reappointed to a second term)
• Sarah Battersby, Tableau Software (reappointed to a second term)
• Byron Bluehorse, University of Alaska Fairbanks
• Mike Hussey, State of Utah
• Xavier Irias, East Bay Municipal Utility District (reappointed to a second term)
• Sanjay Kumar, World Geospatial Industry Council
• Tony LaVoi, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
• Mark Reichardt, Open Geospatial Consortium
• Amber Reynolds, City of Lawrence, KS (reappointed to a second term)
• Christine Stinchcomb, Paulding County, GA
• Gary Thompson, State of North Carolina
• May Yuan, University of Texas – Dallas (reappointed to a second term)

The NGAC meets three to four times per year. The public is invited to comment and make suggestions at all committee meetings, which will be announced by publication in the Federal Register at least 15 days before the meeting date. The U.S. Geological Survey, a bureau of the Department of the Interior, provides support services for the NGAC.

The NGAC was authorized under the Geospatial Data Act of 2018. The NGAC operates under the Federal Advisory Committee Act, enacted by Congress in 1972 to ensure that advice rendered to the executive branch by advisory committees, task forces, boards, and commissions formed by Congress and the President, be objective and accessible to the public. The Act formalizes a process for establishing, operating, overseeing, and terminating these advisory bodies.

Additional information about the NGAC, including a complete list of the committee members, is available at www.fgdc.gov/ngac.

A PDF version of this release is available here.

October 11, 2018 

Dear Colleagues,

I am pleased to let you know that on October 5, the President signed the Geospatial Data Act of 2018 (GDA) into law.  The GDA was included as a component of HR. 302, the FAA Reauthorization Act.

We would like to recognize the bipartisan sponsors of the GDA, Senators Hatch and Warner, and Representatives Westerman and Moulton, for their leadership in sponsoring the Act and seeing it through to final passage.  I would also like to thank the many geospatial organizations who have advocated for the GDA and worked with Congress to develop consensus on the final bill language.  The GDA reflects broad agreement from many different stakeholders across the geospatial community.

The wide support for the GDA reflects growing recognition of the essential role of geospatial data and technology and highlights the need to support their continuing development as critical infrastructure.  Collaborative relationships and partnerships are fundamental components of the GDA and the National Spatial Data Infrastructure, and we look forward to continued engagement with our partner organizations as we address the requirements of the Act. 

In the coming weeks and months, we will be working with FGDC agencies and with partners to develop thoughtful implementation strategies for the GDA.  The GDA includes new responsibilities and processes, and will change the way that we manage geospatial programs across government.  We are committed to working collaboratively to implement the GDA in an effective manner.  We will continue to keep you informed as we work through the implementation process.  We have set up a new page on the FGDC website, www.fgdc.gov/gda, where we will post updates and information about the implementation of the Act. 

We look forward to working with all of you on this important new legislation, and to supporting our shared interest in advancing the National Spatial Data Infrastructure. 

Regards,

Timothy Petty, Ph.D.
Assistant Secretary, Water and Science, Department of the Interior

July 13, 2018

The Department of the Interior and the Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) are seeking nominations for appointment to the National Geospatial Advisory Committee (NGAC).  The NGAC provides advice and recommendations to the Secretary of the Interior through the Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) related to management of Federal geospatial programs, development of the National Spatial Data Infrastructure, and the implementation of Office of Management and Budget Circular A-16 and Executive Order 12906.  The NGAC reviews and comments on geospatial policy and management issues and provides a forum for views of non-Federal stakeholders in the geospatial community.  The NGAC conducts its operations in accordance with the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) and functions solely as an advisory body.

Nominations for appointment to the NGAC should be submitted electronically to ngacnominations@fgdc.gov by August 27, 2018.  Nominations may come from employers, associations, professional organizations, or other geospatial organizations.  Nominations should include a resume providing an adequate description of the nominee’s qualifications, including information that would enable the Department of the Interior to make an informed decision regarding meeting the membership requirements of the Committee and permit the Department of the Interior to contact a potential member.  Nominees are strongly encouraged to include supporting letters from constituents, trade associations, alliances, and/or other organizations that indicate the support by a meaningful constituency for the nominee.  Additional information may be requested from nominees. 

The NGAC includes up to 30 members, selected to generally achieve a balanced representation of the viewpoints of the various stakeholders involved in national geospatial activities.  NGAC members are appointed for staggered terms, and nominations received through this call for nominations may be used to fill vacancies on the NGAC that will become available in 2018 and 2019.  Members of the Committee serve without compensation.  However, members may be reimbursed for per diem and travel expenses incurred while attending Committee meetings in accordance with the Federal travel regulations as implemented by the Department of the Interior.  

Nominations will be reviewed by the FGDC and additional information may be requested from nominees.  Final selection and appointment of NGAC members will be made by the Secretary of the Interior.  Individuals who are Federally registered lobbyists are ineligible to serve on all FACA and non-FACA boards, committees, or councils in an individual capacity.  The term "individual capacity" refers to individuals who are appointed to exercise their own individual best judgment on behalf of the Government, such as when they are designated Special Government Employees, rather than being appointed to represent a particular interest.

Please note: Before including your address, phone number, email address, or other personal identifying information in your nomination, you should be aware that your entire nomination—including your personal identifying information—may be made publicly available at any time.  While you may ask us to withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.

The NGAC Charter includes additional information about the NGAC’s roles and responsibilities.

Resources

• FGDC Announcement (pdf)
• Federal Register Notice (pdf)
• Informational Webinar, Wednesday, Aug 8, 3-4 pm EDT
• Presentation from August 8 NGAC Nominations Webinar (ppt)

Contact

• For additional information or questions, please contact John Mahoney (jmahoney [at] usgs.gov, 206-220-2621)

The Federal Geographic Data Committee is now accepting nominations for the 2018 Doug D. Nebert National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI) Champion of the Year Award. Doug was a recognized national and international leader in the establishment of spatial data infrastructures and technical visionary as well as respected colleague.

To commemorate Nebert’s varied contributions to and passions for our nation’s geography and cartography, the FGDC is accepting nominations for the newly established award.

"This award commemorates Doug’s influence in promoting the vision of the NSDI," said Ivan DeLoatch, Executive Director of the FGDC. "This is a unique opportunity to honor significant contributions to an individual or group of individuals that have furthered the goal of available and easily integrated data to enhance the understanding of our physical and cultural world."

Eligibility: The nominations are available to an individual or a team representing Federal, State, Tribal, regional, and/or local government, academia, or non-profit and professional organization that has developed an outstanding, innovative, and operational tool, application, or service capability used by multiple organizations that furthers the vision of the NSDI. The nominee must be a US Citizen.

Nomination Process: Each nomination package will be submitted in electronic form through the award Web site and include justification and related nomination information. You may also email your submission to fgdc@fgdc.gov, efrazier@usgs.gov and lfoulkes@usgs.gov. 

Nominations are due by August 24, 2018.

Award Selection: An interagency team of SDI experts from the FGDC will review all nominations and make a recommendation for the award to the FGDC Chair who will make the final decision on the award. The award information will be posted on the FGDC Web site.

This NSDI award will be based on the following foundational precepts:

• Innovation and vision

• Interoperability

• Use of standards

• Advancement of NSDI principles

• Service to communities of users

• Developed once, used by many

• Improved performance and service

• Real-world application

Further questions can be directed to FGDC, Lucia Foulkes and Rich Frazier.  

Colleagues,

The Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) has announced an opportunity to participate in a Disasters Concept Development Study (CDS).  The OGC-led CDS will assess the current state of data exchange technologies as used in the response to, and planning for disasters. The information gained through the CDS will assist in developing a series of future pilots that will in turn advance the state of Spatial Data Infrastructures (SDIs) supporting disaster risk reduction across the globe.

The Request for Information has been announced.  Responses are due March 30.  I encourage your participation in the CDS, and, as appropriate, sharing this opportunity with your communities and stakeholders.  

At the conclusion of this study the collected information will be shared with the community.  Additional information related to the study and the RFI will be accessible on the OGC website.  If you have any questions about this initiative, please contact Rich Frazier at efrazier@usgs.gov.

Regards,

Ivan B. DeLoatch
Executive Director
Federal Geographic Data Committee