June 3, 1997 FGDC Coordination Meeting Summary


Persons Attending

Dave Catlin (EPA); Fred Broome (Cultural and Demographic); Bruce Spear(Ground Trans); Charles Roswell (NIMA); Jan Morton (Geologic); Nancy Blyler (Facilities); John Stewart (DOE); Win Lyday (NACo); Cliff Kottman (OGC); Tom Palmerlee (UCGIS); Gerry Barton (NOAA); John Spencer (Geodetic Control); Millington Lockwood (Bathymetric); Lola Olson (NASA); Alan Gaines (NSF); Richard Hogan (Standards); Nancy Lopez (USGS); Rick Pearsall (Metadata); Ruth Hildenberger, Steve Hirsch, Jay Larson (MITRE); Dan Stearns (NAPA); Gene Thorley (Chair, Coordination Group); John Moeller (FGDC Secretariat)

Information Items and Follow-up of May Meeting

NACo Conference: The NACo 62nd Annual Conference will be held July 11-15 in Baltimore. On Sunday July 13, NACo and the FGDC will conduct a Workshop as part of the formal Conference agenda. Win Lyday and Barbara Poore are coordinating the Workshop. At the May Coordination Group Meeting it was agreed that an informal workshop would be scheduled for Monday July 14 to continue the discussions begun in April in preparation for the FGDC Steering Committee Meeting. Discussion at this meeting identified concerns about whether there would be sufficient representation of Cooperating Groups to continue the discussions of the previous meeting. Action: Win Lyday will contact Hank Garie to determine the attendance of State Representatives and the format for the Monday Workshop.

The National Park Service on behalf of a State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) Data Automation Advisory Group has requested that the FGDC aid them in their effort to create standards for cultural resource geospatial data. There was agreement among the Coordination Group that the FGDC should fulfill this request, but uncertain about whether a new Working Group or a Subgroup within an existing Subcommittee is needed. Action: John Moeller, Fred Broome and Kathy Covert will meet with John Knoerl of the NPS to develop a recommended course of action and report back to the Coordination Group.

July FGDC Newsletter: Action: Submit articles to David Painter by June 13.

NAPA Study Update

Gene Thorley reported that the NAPA Study Panel had met in early May and was sponsoring a conference, June 27-28 in Washington D.C., on the future structure, organization and operations of U.S. geographic resources. Mr. Thorley felt that a more complete report would be available after that meeting. The conference is by invitation and several members were interested in which FGDC members received invitations. Actions: John Moeller will follow-up with Roger Sperry regarding FGDC invitations. An update of the conference will be provided at the July Coordination Group meeting. NAPA will be requested to give a briefing on the Study at the August meeting.

(Report from John Moeller - RE FGDC Members invited to the NAPA conference: Specific FGDC invitations were sent to Secretary Babbitt, DOI Deputy Assistant Secretary Schaefer, Gene Thorley and John Moeller. Other persons who are members of various FGDC Committees, Subcommittees and Working Groups have been invited but it is difficult to determine if it is because of agency/organization, mission/program responsibilities or because of FGDC membership.)

(NAPA will provide to a briefing at the August meeting)

SDTS Point Profile Proposed Standard and

Vegetation Classification Proposed Standard

Richard Hogan reported that the Standards Working Group had completed its review of the SDTS Point Profile Standard submitted by the Federal Geodetic Control Subcommittee and is recommending that the Standard be submitted to the Steering Committee for approval. Several questions about the proposed Standard were raised and addressed by Mr Hogan and John Spencer of the Subcommittee. Mr Hogan also reported that in addition to the Point Profile Standard the Standards Working Group will recommend that action be taken on the proposed Vegetation Classification Standard. Copies of the two Standards with the SWG recommendation will be distributed for review prior to the July meeting. Actions: SWG distribute copies of the proposed SDTS Point Profile and Vegetation Classification Standards. Coordination Group member review Standards and recommendation and be prepared to take action on the Standards at the next meeting.

Metadata Working Group Charter

Richard Pearsall discussed the proposed charter of a Metadata Working Group. Mr Pearsall reported that since the draft had been distributed he had received some comments and had revised wording of the charter. Several additional comments were also offered. The Coordination Group however felt that the charter was clear enough that the Working Group could be approved with final modifications of the charter to follow. In addition as the new Working Group is established agencies/organizations will be invited to provide membership/representation. Actions: The establishment of a Metadata Working Group is approved. This will be an ad hoc Working Group and its continued need will be reviewed in one year. Comment on the proposed Charter are due to Richard Pearsall by June 13, 1997. Richard Pearsall will provide a call for participation on the Metadata Working Group for signature by the FGDC Staff Director.

NIMA Geospatial Information Infrastructure (GII)

Charles Roswell and Steve Hirsch provided an overview briefing and update on NIMA"s GII Integrated Products Team (IPT). The GII IPT is intended to be supportive of the National Spatial Data Infrastructure and activities are in place for initial coordination efforts.

The GII is intended to be Department of Defense wide and within the United States to rely on domestic producers for geospatial data. The GII Master Plan will contain annexes to identify and describe linkages between other activities and organizations and the GII and IPT. One of the activities for which NIMA requests an annex is the NSDI and FGDC. While wishing to provide an annex and ensure linkage between the activities, the Coordination Group did not believe that the annex should get into significant detail in the initial submission of the annex. Actions: The FGDC Staff will send the NSDI Strategy along with a short write up of NSDI and GII relationships to NIMA for the initial annex. This first writeup will be further developed for discussion with the Coordination Group to determine the appropriate level of detail for a final version of the annex.

Need for and Extended FGDC Coordination Group Meeting

John Moeller suggested that a number of the issues that have come before the Coordination Group may require more time than is available in the regularly scheduled meetings. Mr Moeller suggested that an extended meeting may be needed in the fall to cover these type of subjects as well as to plan FY 1998 activities. Action: Mr Moeller will put together a proposal for a fall meeting for discussion with the Coordination Group.

Next Coordination Group Meeting

The next meeting is scheduled for:

July 1, 1997 from 9:00-12:00

US Army Corps of Engineers

Pulaski Building Room 8124C

20 Massachusetts Ave, NW

Washington , DC

Directions:

2 blocks west of Union Station

Tentative Topics for July Meeting

Privacy Issues

NAPA Study -Report on Conference

Action on SWG Recommendation for Approval of

SDTS Point Profile Standard

Vegetation Classification Standard

Report/Feedback on Proposal for Cultural Resources Standards

Update on NACo Meeting

Tentative Topics for August Meeting

NAPA Briefing

Status of Actions assigned from Steering Committee Meeting

Discussion of Standards and commitments for development and implementation