12/08
The development of Indiana Statewide GIS programs and funding can be directly supported and leveraged by National GIS legislation, programs and funding.
Our partners at the National States Geographic Information Council (NSGIC) http://www.nsgic.org have been very active this year working to advocate a number of nationwide geospatial data programs and policy issues. IGIC commends NSGIC in these efforts, but we need to figure our how we can help these efforts to support geospatial advancements in Indiana!
So why are federal government legislation and programs so important to the geospatial community? The recently published "Virtual America - A Stimulating Technology" advocacy document from NSGIC provides some real-world examples of how our thriving geospatial industry "owes its very existence to enlightened policy decisions by the United States government over the past 30 years." What would our nationwide geospatial fabric look like without the U.S. Census Bureau DIME and TIGER mapping efforts, or the U.S. Air Force Navstar GPS program, or the GIS Enterprise and Internet software innovations that have been developed and funded through numerous federal programs?
Learning from the past, NSGIC wisely calls for our leaders to take the next steps to create new geospatial policy to help address today's challenges. Geospatial data and technology can support our national efforts to fix our infrastructure, climate, heath care, homeland security, health pandemics, energy independence, economic/mortgage crisis, and many other problems we face today. In the NSGIC document they identify and advocate three opportunities that the federal government can take to provide almost immediate assistance to help address these problems:
* Develop and fund a reoccurring national imagery program (Imagery for the Nation -IFTN) with partnership and buy-up options for all levels of government.
* Remove Title 13 privacy restrictions on U.S. Census Bureau and U.S.Postal Service address points, and work with state and local governments to create and maintain a national address file.
* Revamp the FGDC and NSDI to create an inclusive partnership that empowers equal representation from all levels of government, the private sector and public to eliminate "silos" of information, duplication of efforts and saves everyone money.
It is apparent to me that IF the federal government were to act on these three initiatives it could be very helpful to all of Indiana's current State and Local government geospatial initiatives. With reoccurring nation-wide geospatial data programs in place with base level funding for two key framework data layers like orthophotography and address points the benefits would be quickly realized and become apparent to everyone. With a revamped FGDC and NSDI that promotes partnerships and stewardship at all levels of government, the development of additional nationwide framework layers like elevation data, parcels, road centerlines, local boundaries, local-resolution hydrography, height-modernization, and critical infrastructure would not be far behind.
The good news is that action by our leaders may not be far off:
* Recently the Congressional Research Service published a detailed report on geospatial governance - http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R40625.pdf
* A Congressional oversight hearing on "Federal Geospatial Data Management" was held on July 23. The hearing was webcast live and archived on the Committee's Web site at http://resourcescommittee.house.gov.
* Immediately following this hearing the subcommittee held another hearing on House Resolution 2489 (AmericaView Geospatial Imagery Mapping Program Act). H.R. 2489 (Herseth Sandlin): To authorize a comprehensive national cooperative geospatial imagery mapping program through the United States Geological Survey, to promote use of the program for education, workforce training and development, and applied research, and to support Federal, State, tribal, and local government programs. "AmericaView Geospatial Imagery Mapping Program Act."
* The Congressional Research Services (CRS) has released a report on "Issues Regarding a National Land Parcel Database." According to the Summary section of the report, cadastre -- land parcel data -- is an important part of the National Spatial Data Infrastructure. To view the full report (click here).
* Government Computer News Web site recently published a story – Is a national GIS on the map? outlining a number of national geospatial initiatives.
I encourage you to read the NSGIC and Congressional Research Service publications and view the webcasts of the two Congressional hearings. You can also track NSGIC's legislative initiatives on their blog http://www.nsgic.org/blog/, and you can follow IGIC's legislative initiatives from our newsletter http://www.igic.org/news/ and from our Legislative Committee web page http://igic.org/committees/leg.html.
Our partners at the National States Geographic Information Council (NSGIC) http://www.nsgic.org have been very active this year working to advocate a number of nationwide geospatial data programs and policy issues. IGIC commends NSGIC in these efforts, but we need to figure our how we can help these efforts to support geospatial advancements in Indiana!
So why are federal government legislation and programs so important to the geospatial community? The recently published "Virtual America - A Stimulating Technology" advocacy document from NSGIC provides some real-world examples of how our thriving geospatial industry "owes its very existence to enlightened policy decisions by the United States government over the past 30 years." What would our nationwide geospatial fabric look like without the U.S. Census Bureau DIME and TIGER mapping efforts, or the U.S. Air Force Navstar GPS program, or the GIS Enterprise and Internet software innovations that have been developed and funded through numerous federal programs?
Learning from the past, NSGIC wisely calls for our leaders to take the next steps to create new geospatial policy to help address today's challenges. Geospatial data and technology can support our national efforts to fix our infrastructure, climate, heath care, homeland security, health pandemics, energy independence, economic/mortgage crisis, and many other problems we face today. In the NSGIC document they identify and advocate three opportunities that the federal government can take to provide almost immediate assistance to help address these problems:
* Develop and fund a reoccurring national imagery program (Imagery for the Nation -IFTN) with partnership and buy-up options for all levels of government.
* Remove Title 13 privacy restrictions on U.S. Census Bureau and U.S.Postal Service address points, and work with state and local governments to create and maintain a national address file.
* Revamp the FGDC and NSDI to create an inclusive partnership that empowers equal representation from all levels of government, the private sector and public to eliminate "silos" of information, duplication of efforts and saves everyone money.
It is apparent to me that IF the federal government were to act on these three initiatives it could be very helpful to all of Indiana's current State and Local government geospatial initiatives. With reoccurring nation-wide geospatial data programs in place with base level funding for two key framework data layers like orthophotography and address points the benefits would be quickly realized and become apparent to everyone. With a revamped FGDC and NSDI that promotes partnerships and stewardship at all levels of government, the development of additional nationwide framework layers like elevation data, parcels, road centerlines, local boundaries, local-resolution hydrography, height-modernization, and critical infrastructure would not be far behind.
The good news is that action by our leaders may not be far off:
* Recently the Congressional Research Service published a detailed report on geospatial governance - http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R40625.pdf
* A Congressional oversight hearing on "Federal Geospatial Data Management" was held on July 23. The hearing was webcast live and archived on the Committee's Web site at http://resourcescommittee.house.gov.
* Immediately following this hearing the subcommittee held another hearing on House Resolution 2489 (AmericaView Geospatial Imagery Mapping Program Act). H.R. 2489 (Herseth Sandlin): To authorize a comprehensive national cooperative geospatial imagery mapping program through the United States Geological Survey, to promote use of the program for education, workforce training and development, and applied research, and to support Federal, State, tribal, and local government programs. "AmericaView Geospatial Imagery Mapping Program Act."
* The Congressional Research Services (CRS) has released a report on "Issues Regarding a National Land Parcel Database." According to the Summary section of the report, cadastre -- land parcel data -- is an important part of the National Spatial Data Infrastructure. To view the full report (click here).
* Government Computer News Web site recently published a story – Is a national GIS on the map? outlining a number of national geospatial initiatives.
I encourage you to read the NSGIC and Congressional Research Service publications and view the webcasts of the two Congressional hearings. You can also track NSGIC's legislative initiatives on their blog http://www.nsgic.org/blog/, and you can follow IGIC's legislative initiatives from our newsletter http://www.igic.org/news/ and from our Legislative Committee web page http://igic.org/committees/leg.html.
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