----------------------------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 [log in to unmask]