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In April, President Clinton issued an executive order on the National
Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI).  One section of the order related to a
data framework for the NSDI:
 
          Sec. 5.  National Digital Geospatial Data Framework.  In
     consultation with State, local, and tribal governments and within
     9 months of the date of this order, the FGDC shall submit a plan and
     schedule to OMB for completing the initial implementation of a national
     digital geospatial data framework ("framework") by January 2000 and for
     establishing a process of ongoing data maintenance.  The framework
     shall include geospatial data that are significant, in the
     determination of the FGDC, to a broad variety of users within any
     geographic area or nationwide.  At a minimum, the plan shall address
     how the initial transportation, hydrology, and boundary elements of the
     framework might be completed by January 1998 in order to support the
     decennial census of 2000.
 
The FGDC Framework Working Group, composed of persons from local, State, and
Federal agencies, developed a draft concept paper for the framework.  This
report will be part of the response to the framework task in the executive
order.
 
This note is to invite interested parties to review and comment on the
draft.  The report may be retrieved by anonymous ftp from:
 
ftp://fgdc.er.usgs.gov/gdc/framework/frame.status.110194.wp5 for Wordperfect
                               "                        .ps  for Postscript
                               "                        .txt for ASCII text.
 
Remember to transfer the WordPerfect version in binary/image mode!
 
Paper copies of the report may be requested by Internet from [log in to unmask],
by facsimile from (703) 648-5755, or by mail from the FGDC Secretariat, c/o
U.S.Geological Survey, 590 National Center, Reston, Virginia 22092 USA.
 
Comments must be received by the FGDC secretariat by Friday, December 16,
1994. Comments may be provided to the FGDC Secretariat using the facsimile
number, Internet e-mail address, or postal mailing address listed above.
 
US and Canadian subscribers to the FGDC Newsletter will receive the draft
with the November issue of the newsletter, the last of which were mailed
from Reston, Virginia today (Nov 21).  The National States Geographic
Information Council mailed the report to its membership earlier this month.
 
Thank you in advance for your comments.
 
Michael A. Domaratz
FGDC Executive Secretary
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