-------- Original Message --------
Subject:        USGS News Release: Interior Department Seeks Nominations for
National Geospatial Advisory Committee
Date:   Mon, 14 May 2007 10:31:52 -0400
From:   Karen Renee Wood <[log in to unmask]>
To:     maps-l






* News Release*

* U.S. Department of the Interior*
* U.S. Geological Survey*

*For release: May 14, 2007*

*Contacts: Karen Wood, USGS (703-648-4447)*
* John Mahoney, USGS (206-220-4621)*


*Interior Department Seeks Nominations for National Geospatial Advisory
Committee*

Interior Deputy Secretary P. Lynn Scarlett announced today the formation
of the National Geospatial Advisory Committee (NGAC). The Interior
Department is currently seeking nominations for membership on the new
advisory group.

The NGAC is being created to advise the Federal government on the
management of national geospatial programs and the development of the
National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI). The NSDI promotes sharing
of geospatial data throughout all levels of government, the private and
non-profit sectors, and the academic community. The Committee will
provide advice and recommendations on Federal geospatial policy and
management issues and provide a forum to convey views representative of
our partners in the geospatial community. The Committee is being formed
by the Department of the Interior on behalf of the Federal Geographic
Data Committee (FGDC) under the authority of the Federal Advisory
Committee Act (FACA).

“Geospatial data has become a critical element in many agencies’
abilities to achieve their goals,” said Scarlett, who serves as chair of
the FGDC. “The Department of the Interior and the FGDC are committed to
working with partners to develop an inclusive geospatial governance
process. We believe that the NGAC will provide an excellent forum for
our partners to participate in the further development of the NSDI.”

The FGDC Steering Committee is the interagency executive group
responsible for providing leadership and direction in Federal geospatial
programs. The effort to establish the NGAC was initiated as a result of
the FGDC “Future Directions” strategic planning effort, which was
completed in 2005. The Future Directions governance report, which was
developed by an intergovernmental team, included a recommendation to
establish a new national geospatial coordination body to be comprised of
representatives of federal, state, local, and tribal governments, as
well as representatives from the private and non-profit sectors. In
addition, the President’s Geospatial Line of Business initiative, which
was established in 2006 to develop better management practices for
Federal geospatial programs, recognized the importance of involving
non-federal partners in the NSDI development process.

The NGAC will include approximately 20–25 members, who will be selected
to generally achieve a balanced representation of the viewpoints of the
various partners involved in national geospatial activities. The
Secretary of the Interior will appoint Committee members and their
alternates to the Committee to serve 2-year terms.


Nominations for Committee membership should be submitted electronically
to [log in to unmask] by June 28, 2007. Nominations should include:

1. A statement summarizing the nominee’s qualifications and interest in
Committee membership and describing the nominee’s ability to represent a
stakeholder group.
2. A biographical sketch, resume, or vita.
3. A list of three references or endorsements.
4. Contact information for the nominee.

Final selection and appointment of Committee members will be made by the
Secretary of the Interior. 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.

The Committee will operate under the requirements of the Federal
Advisory Committee Act (FACA). The purpose of FACA, which was enacted by
the Congress in 1972, is to ensure that advice rendered to the executive
branch by the various advisory committees, task forces, boards and
commissions formed over the years by Congress and the President, be both
objective and accessible to the public. The Act formalized a process for
establishing, operating, overseeing, and terminating these advisory
bodies. The U.S. General Services Administration is responsible for
implementing the Federal Advisory Committee Act. Additional information
about FACA may be found at <www.gsa.gov/faca>.

A draft charter for the NGAC is available at
<www.fgdc.gov/participation/steering-committee/meeting-minutes/feb07-sc/faca-charter-draft>.
To learn more about the Federal Geographic Data Committee, please visit
<www.fgdc.gov>. To learn more about the Geospatial Line of Business
initiative, please visit
<http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/egov/c-6-8-glob.html>.


-USGS-



Karen Wood
Public Affairs Specialist
U.S. Geological Survey, Office of Communications
703-648-4447
Fax: 703-648-4466
Email: [log in to unmask]