[agenda]
Action 1: Geospatial Grant Guidance language will be sent for comments on May 12, please send comments to Alison Dishman (adishman@fgdc.gov) by May 26.
Action 2: Vaishal Sheth will provide the Subcommittee and Working Groups directions to update and maintain the FGDC webpages.
Action 3: Subcommittee and Working Group chairs will designate someone to maintain their webpages on the FGDC site. Please send their names and contact information to Alison Dishman (adishman@fgdc.gov).Action 4: Federal members, please attend the May 10 meeting at Silo Smashers to go through the RFI responses.
Action 5: The Homeland Security Working Group (HSWG) will present a fleshed out plan for the Homeland Security Data Model at the June Coordination Group meeting.
Action 6: Mike Lee will distribute a one pager together regarding the Homeland Security Data Model to the Coordination Group ASAP.
Action Items from last Meeting – Leslie Armstrong, FGDC
Action 1: Geospatial Grant Guidance language will be sent for comments on May 12, please send comments to Alison Dishman (adishman@fgdc.gov) by May 26.
A co-chair for the Outreach Working Group is still needed; please contact Leslie Wollack (lwollack@usgs.gov).
The Geospatial LoB RFI is open from April 6 - May 5.
OMB’s request for agency information is open mid April - June 15.
SC & WG chairs are asked to designate the person to maintain their webpage. Please contact Alison Dishman (adishman@fgdc.gov) with your webmaster’s information.
Action 2: Vaishal Sheth will provide the Subcommittee and Working Groups directions to update and maintain the FGDC webpages.
Action 3: Subcommittee and Working Group chairs will designate someone to maintain their webpages on the FGDC site. Please send their names and contact information to Alison Dishman (adishman@fgdc.gov).
Geospatial Line of Business Update – Ivan DeLoatch, FGDC
- Over 150 people attended Practitioner’s Day -- approximately 80% were from industry.
- Only 2 RFI’s have been submitted so far.
- State Partners are encouraged to submit their ideas.
Q: Will the RFI will go to different subcommittees for review?
A: It will go to subgroups if it is necessary. We are planning a workshop at Silo Smashers on May 10 to go through a cleaned up version of the responses and summarize that information. The contractors are building a database.
Q: Are the comments going to be pulled out of context?
A: We will review all documentation if necessary but the information will be put in different buckets for ease of review. The responses will be weighted by response to the various topics.
FGDC member agencies that are preparing responses to the RFI include: Commerce, FCC, DOI, USFS. NSGIC is preparing a response for all NSGIC agencies.
Action 4: Federal members, please attend the May 10 meeting at Silo Smashers to go through the RFI responses.
The LoB Subcommittees are meeting at least once a week, sometimes more often.
Q: Who is eligible to receive the FAQ info? Can other agencies outside of the LoB participants view this?
A: Yes, it will be available on public website – Core.Gov
Comment: Practitioner’s Day and the RFI are the only chances for non-Feds to comment. The format where you submit questions on cards did not work as well as a live discussion for the Q&A portion of future meetings.
Response: After May 5 there will not be any other opportunities for non-Feds to provide comment because it is going to be difficult to complete this work by August in such a short timeframe.
Governance Update – John Mahoney, USGS
A governance update was provided at the last Steering Committee meeting. Of the three Future Directions recommendations, two are currently being implemented. The internal operation recommendations for FGDC – enhancing role and functions of FGDC – are being implemented. The Geospatial Line of Business activity is addressing the financial issues.
The recommendation to form a National Geospatial Coordinating Council – by establishing a FACA committee or Intergovernmental Subcommittee similar to the GOS Board - is being explored. The DOI attorneys have raised concerns about the Intergovernmental Subcommittee because it might invoke FACA. We are going to be working again with OMB and the attorneys to lay out our options and will create a white paper with our options to allow the highest level of participation to occur. Our big concern is the limitations placed on us by FACA.
We are still wrestling with the FACA issue and it is not going to go away. The interpretation of what is permitted under FACA has been tightened up over the past few years due to litigation. The FACA issue has also been called out in the Geospatial LoB. We need some creative thinking to develop a mechanism to share accountability for developing the NSDI.
There have been discussions with OMB regarding an Executive Order, but that would only apply to Federal agencies so it is not a possible solution.
Homeland Security Data Model – Mike Lee, DHS/USGS
[1 pager]
Action 5: The Homeland Security Working Group (HSWG) will present a fleshed out plan for the Homeland Security Data Model at the June Coordination Group meeting.
The Homeland Security Data Model will be:
- Vendor neutral
- Through the DHS Geospatial Management Office (GMO) to support, extract, transform and load for the next hurricane season
- Use local data – load and share in the DHS community
- The GMO wants FGDC support/recognition for this activity
Comment: To date most of the data modeling activities have been stamped for official use only. State and local partners couldn’t see the data models. This effort will make this data model available to non Feds. This will get it to a point that states and locals can help in the effort in time for hurricane season.
Action 6: Mike Lee will distribute a one pager together regarding the Homeland Security Data Model to the Coordination Group ASAP.
This is not a comprehensive data modeling effort for every scenario. It is a list of 25 layers that the Gulf States stated that they need in the first couple weeks of response.
At last week’s HSWG meeting – the information content subgroup took an action to take the Gulf States’ requirements and map them into the data model we have so far. We need to identify the layers that are not currently in the data model to ensure they are included in the next version.
If this model is out there people will know what to gather against.
Q: How is this data model covered by the CONOPS?
A: This is an excellent question we should have it on the table tomorrow for discussion. There is a connection.
National Geodetic Survey Presentation – Joe Evjen, NGS
Q: How sensitive is the distributed network – GPS base stations? Can you view tidal patterns?
A: Yes, you can see the earth tide two times a day. Scientists are trying to predict earthquakes through this means.
Suggestion: Vendor products should state that it is ellipsoidal height.
The Federal Geodetic Control Subcommittee has been relatively dormant, other than its participation in standards activities. It has not held a meeting in several years but one should be planned for this year. There is work that could be done integrating the OPUS into the NILS system.
Q: Are there any plans to resurvey the coast of Louisiana?
A: It is difficult to say, not aware of any specific plans.
Q: Are the shoreline data available as a vector?
A: Yes, there is a limited set of data online for download.
Q: Are there plans for additional CORS stations in Alaska?
A: The plate boundary observatory (NSF) is placing numerous CORS stations in Alaska. The Canadians are also doing a little work in eastern Alaska. But NGS doesn’t do much in the field, instead using the information provided by states and locals.
Upcoming Meetings:
The next Coordination Group meeting will be on June 6 at NCPC.
The next Steering Committee meeting will be on June 19 at the AIA Boardroom.