Progress of the NSDI: Geospatial Data Access in the US John Moeller, Staff Director Federal Geographic Data Committee United States of America.

Progress of the NSDI:Geospatial Data Access

in the US

John Moeller, Staff DirectorFederal Geographic Data Committee

United States of America

Today’s Presentation

• US National Spatial Data Infrastructure

• NSDI Clearinghouse

• NSDI Community Demonstration Project

• Global Spatial Data Infrastructure

• Future Activities

• Summary

The NSDI Established by Executive Order 12906 in April

1994 to:

Advance goals of the NII

Reduce duplication of effort

Promote effective management by all levels of

government

Improve the acquisition, distribution and use

of geographic information

The Vision of the NSDI

• A Geographic Information Resource for the 21st Century

• Current and accurate geospatial data are:– Readily available: locally, nationally and

globally

– To contribute to: economic growth, environmental quality and social progress

The NSDI

Partnerships

MetadataMetadata

GEOdataGEOdata

Clearinghouse (catalog)Clearinghouse (catalog)

FrameworkFramework

StandardsStandards

The Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC)

• 17 Cabinet and Executive Level Agencies

• Numerous Stakeholder Members

• Chaired by Secretary Babbitt

• FGDC Staff provides support

VI

A Network of NSDI Organizations

UCGIS OGC

NLC NACo ICMA

IGC

Federal Geographic Data Committee

NSGIC

The NSDIClearinghouse

• Distributed service to locate geospatial data based on their characteristics expressed in metadata

• Clearinghouse allows one to pose a query of all or a portion of the community in a single session

• Like a spatial AltaVista

What is Clearinghouse?

Clearinghouse Method

Metadatapreparation

Metadatavalidation/

staging

Metadatapublication

Useraccess

Metadata and Data Discovery

• The Clearinghouse is a distributed network that includes a registry of servers, several WWW-to-Z39.50 gateways, and many Z39.50 servers

• A primary goal of Clearinghouse is the ability to find spatial data throughout the entire community, not one site at a time

• Clearinghouse will not operate without Metadata

• Defined by Executive Order 12906 in April 1994 as formal format for Federal use

• To be applied to all new data sets, effective January 1995; all legacy data on a schedule

• To be used as vocabulary for search in National Geospatial Data Clearinghouse

FGDC Metadata

Metadata Transition

• FGDC Metadata Version 2 approved in August (minor modifications)

• ISO TC-211 convened to work on International Metadata Standard

• ISO Metadata Standard is nearing completion• FGDC endorses ISO metadata and will develop

implementation strategy and training

NSDI Clearinghouse Growth

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

Jun-95 Jun-96 Feb-97 Dec-97 Sep-98 Mar-99 Jun-99 Sep-99

International Domestic Gateway

Nu

mb

er o

f S

ites

NSDI: Clearinghouse Nodes

FGDC CAP Awards

Clearinghouse Nodes

VI

NSDI Community Demonstration Projects

Tijuana River Watershed (Commerce)

Tillamook County, OR(Interior)

City of Baltimore(Justice)

Upper Susquehanna/LackawannaRiver Watershed

(EPA)

Gallatin County, MT(Interior)

Dane County, WI(Agriculture)

City of Baltimore

Crime Mapping and Analysis

• Baltimore Police and Dept of Justice

• Uses GIS for crime analysis, police accountability, and community-based police

Dane County, Wisconsin

• Focus on citizen involvement in planning decisions

• Partners include Department of Agriculture, Dane County, and University of Wisconsin

Gallatin County, Montana

• Smart growth project• Developing first

comprehensive county plan

Tijuana River Watershed

• Environmental restoration

• Focus on Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve

• Partnership with Mexico

Tillamook County, Oregon

• Flood mitigation and fish habitat restoration

• GIS to help solve location issues for mitigation and restoration efforts

Upper Susquehanna/Lackawanna Watershed

• Flooding and environment

• Pennsylvania GIS Consortium and EPA are partners

• American Heritage River

Global Spatial Data Infrastructure

SDI’s Around the World

• Over 30 nations have or are planning national Spatial Data Infrastructures

• Wide variations exist:- Economic - Organizational

- Legal - Scale

• Common themes:- Core geospatial data - Standards

- Metadata - Clearinghouses

Source: Onsrud, University of Maine, 1998

Global Spatial DataInfrastructure

• Why? Collaboration at the global level is critical to SDI success

• Issues extend beyond political boundaries • Common principles and guidelines to address:

– Interoperability - Data sharing

– Policy

• Awareness, acceptance, and support• Needs of developing countries

Expanding the GSDI

• Grow membership, awareness, support• Support international standards to promote

interoperability and exchange– ISO/TC211 - Data discovery, access

– Open GIS Consortium - Spatial referencing

• Address policy, legal, licensing issues• Partnerships

– Build on the successes of nations already engaged in SDI

– Help nations to establish / develop their SDI’s

– Encourage public/private collaboration

– Losses due to disasters average $1 billion dollars weekly in the US, $10 billion a week globally. Dr. Eric Andersen, USGS, 21 July 1999

– “Without the infrastructure, there is isolation” Santiago Borrero, IGAC, Columbia, 20 June 1999

Why Expanded International Coordination ?

GSDI Relationships

Org

aniz

atio

nal

Remits

Data

Policie

s

Technolo

gies

Standar

ds

Deliv

ery

Mec

hanis

ms

Finan

ce/H

uman

Resourc

es

Digital EarthDigital Earth

ISO/TC211ISO/TC211

AP

SD

I

ICD

E

NSDI

ASDI

CG

DI

EGII

NaL

IS

Corine

NS

I F

HU

NA

GI

NSDIPA

SNIG

NG

DF

Global MapGlobal Map

Open GIS Consortium

Global Coordination and Communication

FGDC Perspective

• Assure the integration / sharing of data for local, national, regional, and global use

• Encourage nations to develop compatible NSDIs

• Support coordinating processes

• Identify and build on common interests and needs

• Many crucial building blocks are already in place (standards, clearinghouse, metadata)

Some Future NSDI

Activities

• Develop strategy for action on “12 BOLD STEPS”

• Work with Congress on possible NSDI Legislation

• Seek ways to continue to broaden private sector participation

• Pursue the development of “chaordic” organization

GeoData Forum Follow-up

FGDC International Areas of Focus

• Global Spatial Data Infrastructure (GSDI)– Business Case / Marketing– SDI Implementation Plan (TWG)– Organization Structure

• Regional Permanent Committees for SDI• Americas

• Nation to Nation Agreements - Netherlands/RAVI and USA/FGDC

Areas of Focus (cont’d)

• Support to Global Projects– Global Map (ISCGM)– Digital Earth

• Survey of SDI’s around the world– Maintain initial data– Extend survey – Analysis– Web site

Web-MappingTestbed

• Users easily and rapidly search, retrieve, access & exploit geospatial information from multiple locations on the WWW

Better address the vast opportunities to Better address the vast opportunities to utilize geodata and tools via the WWWutilize geodata and tools via the WWW

• Protocols that enable interoperable web-based exploitation of geodata and sharing of processing services

DISTRIBUTEDDISTRIBUTED

MULTI-MULTI-

VENDORVENDOR

Data Data Data

ServerServer Server

Web Client

Standards, Interfaces

Web-Mapping Testbed

• Bring web mapping technology providers and technology users together (industry/govt/univ.)

• Develop multi-use

technology

• International sponsorship of a collaborative development environment.

“Standards-based commercial off-the-shelf” (SCOTS) technology.

SUMMARY

Spatial data is critical to building livable communities

• Local and regional planning

• Law enforcement

• Natural disaster response

• Environmental monitoring and restoration

• Economic development

US Perspective - NSDI progress

• Strong growth in membership– Federal - State & Local– Associations - Industry & Academia

• Rapid Expansion of Clearinghouse

• Geodata and Metadata Standards

• Training Programs

• Funding Support Continues

• Growing Executive and Congressional support

•Strive for balance

•Keep our goals foremost - Many working for a common purpose

•Promote new ways of thinking & working

•Look for real results

•Far too late for pessimism

•DREAM BIG DREAMS

Some Observations

Contact the Federal Geographic Data Committee

WWW.FGDC.GOV