================================================ MAPS-L ** MAPS-L ** MAPS-L ** MAPS-L ** MAPS-L ================================================ Subject: NGA to go Forward with Proposal to Remove Aero Data Date: Tue, 29 Nov 2005 From: Julie Horns <[log in to unmask]> To: Angie Cope <[log in to unmask]> CC: <[log in to unmask]>, <[log in to unmask]>, "NGA" <[log in to unmask]>, "Howard Cohen" <[log in to unmask]>, "Donald Collier" <[log in to unmask]> Dear Maps-L: Many of you may recall the announcement about one year of NGA's intention to withdraw all aeronautical charting products, paper and digital, from public sale. East View Cartographic immediately took a public stance on this issue and tried to raise its visibility as best we could by issuing a white paper showing what this meant in practice and also by working with various professional organizations and news media outlets, as well as lobbying NGA ourselves. (Our white paper can still be found on our website at http://www.cartographic.com/news/corporate.asp?NEWS_YEAR=2005&SYS_NEWS=2 0 <http://www.cartographic.com/news/corporate.asp?NEWS_YEAR=2005&SYS_NEWS= 20> .) Today NGA has announced its intention to proceed with its plans to remove its FLIP and DAFIF products from public access in a phased manner, beginning January 2006. Its paper charts from 1:250,000 scale (JOG) to 1:5,000,000 (GNC) will continue to be available. The reasons for the data withdrawal have to do with the complexities of administering large databases which involve content from source providers who wish to retain copyright and control over their intellectual property. Details below in the attached NGA release. EVC regrets the disappearance of valuable data from the public domain, and we feel that the great majority of public-domain content in the affected databases could have remained available while respecting the concerns of the foreign providers and simultaneously not imposing an undue administrative burden on NGA. However, we are also grateful that NGA did open up the matter for public comment (in fact NGA extended the period of public comment for five months from its initial deadline) and has allowed some valuable materials to remain for public sale. We congratulate General James Clapper on his organization's willingness to consider public opinion in their decision-making processes. Not all organizations are as open-minded. Best regards, Kent Kent D. Lee President/CEO East View Cartographic, Inc. [log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]> www.cartographic.com <http://www.cartographic.com> -----Original Message----- From: Mohan, James Sent: 11/29/2005 10:08 AM Subject: NGA to go Forward with Proposal to Remove Aero Data The enclosed information is available for immediate release. On Tuesday, November 29 and Wednesday, November 30 Jim Mohan will be in Bethesda, Maryland and can be contacted at 301-227-3105. Starting Thursday, December 1, he can be reached at 314-263-4142. As an alternate, Stephen Honda can be reached at 301-227-2057 National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency NEWS RELEASE November 29, 2005 Contact: Jim Mohan, 314-263-4142; [log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]> Release Number: 05-17 Stephen Honda, 301-227-2057; [log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]> THE NATIONAL GEOSPATIAL-INTELLIGENCE AGENCY TO GO FORWARD WITH PROPOSAL TO REMOVE AERONAUTICAL DATA FROM PUBLIC ACCESS BETHESDA, MD -- The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) will go forward with its previously announced proposal to remove its Flight Information Publications (FLIP) and Digital Aeronautical Flight Information File (DAFIFTM) from public access. NGA is taking this action due to the increased numbers of international source providers claiming intellectual property rights of their data. Many of these sources forewarned NGA they intended to copyright their aeronautical data. NGA's public release of data produced by others violated claimed copyright, forcing NGA to discontinue the release of this data to the general public. Government agencies and authorized government contractors are not affected by this action. "The removal of this aeronautical data from general public access will assure the continued availability of information vital to national security," commented NGA Director, Lt. Gen. James R. Clapper, Jr., USAF (Ret). NGA officially announced its proposed intention to remove the aeronautical products from public access on Oct. 1, 2005 in the Nov. 18, 2004 Federal Register. As a result of the feedback received from organizations and individuals, NGA invited public comment on this proposed action between Dec. 17, 2004 and June 30, 2005. Numerous comments were received and addressed from private citizens and special interests groups. As a result of input from the public comment period, NGA will phase in the removal of the affected NGA products from public access over a 22 month period. NGA, in consultation with the Federal Aviation Agency has determined this action will not affect chart products for US airspace or Caribbean and South American charts and also Pacific, Australia, and Antarctica charts in areas considered part of the US Flight Information Region. NGA has decided not to withdraw paper map products to a scale of 1:250,000 to 1:5,000,000. These products will continue to be available to the public. The first phase of the product withdrawal begins in January 2006 with the removal of worldwide DAFIF from public sale. The electronic distribution of DAFIF over the World Wide Web (www) and public sale of NGA FLIP outside US airspace will cease in October 2006. The remaining NGA FLIP will be removed from public access in October 2007. The NGA is a Department of Defense combat support agency and a member of the National Intelligence Community. The Agency's mission is to provide timely, relevant and accurate geospatial intelligence in support of our national security. Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., NGA has major facilities in the Washington, D.C., Northern Virginia, and St. Louis, Mo., areas with NGA support teams worldwide. -- 30 -- --