----------------------------Original message----------------------------
[Crosslisted on GIS-L and MAPS-L.]
 
          Update on National Spatial Data Infrastructure Activities
 
This note is to update you on activities related to developing the National
Spatial Data Infrastructure in the United States.
 
In May 1993, several private companies, professional societies, and Federal
agencies cosponsored the National Geo-Data Policy Forum.  The summary report
of the forum has been published.  Topics discussed in the report include
trends in technology and data; perspectives of the public and private
sectors; partnerships; standards; issues of data pricing, liability, and
privacy; and the National Spatial Data Infrastructure.  Free copies may be
requested from Internet address [log in to unmask]  Please be sure to include
your complete postal mailing address in your request.  The text of the
report is available from the anonymous ftp site isdres.er.usgs.gov
(130.11.48.2), user name:  anonymous, password:  your Internet address.  The
file is ngdpf.doc under the gdc/documents directory.
 
At the forum, participants urged that all sectors be involved in work on
these issues.  A public "geo-data meeting" was held in July in Atlanta
before the URISA conference to begin this work.  At that meeting, the
participants identified five topics critical to the success of the
infrastructure:  current components of the infrastructure, impediments to
the infrastructure, identifying communities that should be involved in the
infrastructure, geospatial data coordination in the States, and the need for
and characteristics of a multisector alliance to develop the infrastructure.
Working groups of volunteers are developing on white papers on these topics.
 
The work of these groups will be presented and discussed at the next
"geo-data meeting."  The meeting will be held on November 1, 1993, from 9
a.m. to 5 p.m., in room 209 A-B of the Convention Center, 1301 South Second
Avenue, Minneapolis, Minnesota.  The GIS/LIS'93 conference will immediately
follow the meeting.  We hope to make the reports of these groups available
through the Internet before the meeting.
 
Persons planning to attend the meeting should provide their name and address
to Marge Dunlap, FGDC Secretariat, U.S. Geological Survey, 590 National
Center, 12201 Sunrise Valley Drive, Reston, Virginia 22092; telephone
(703) 648-4150; facsimile (703) 648-5755; Internet "[log in to unmask]".
Admittance will be limited to the seating available.
 
Also discussed at the July meeting was a strategic plan for the National
Spatial Data Infrastructure developed by the Federal Geographic Data
Committee (FGDC).  The plan has been revised based on comments received at
the meeting.  The revised plan is available from the anonymous ftp described
above.  The file is strpln.doc under the gdc/documents directory.  Paper
copies may be requested from the Internet address [log in to unmask]
 
Finally, for those of you following the "reinventing government" activities
in the United States, the development of the National Spatial Data
Infrastructure was recommended in Vice President Gore's report "From Red
Tape to Results:  Creating a Government that Works Better and Costs Less."
 
Michael A. Domaratz
FGDC Executive Secretary
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