FGDC Steering Committee Meeting Summary
October 3, 2005
FGDC Chair - Tom Weimer acting for Lynn Scarlett, DOI
FGDC Vice Chair - Karen Evans, OMB
Steering Committee Representatives
Jerry Williams for Chris Neidermayer, USDA
Harold Gregory Smith, DOD
David Morehouse for David Caruso, DOE
Charles M. Croner, DHHS
Jon Sperling, DHUD
Ronald Wilson acting for Thomas Feucht, DOJ
Carol Brandt (acting), DOT
Brenda J. Smith, EPA
Donald Campbell acting for Bruce Franca, FCC
Stan Kaczmarczyk, GSA
Dr. John Hebert, LOC
Myra J. Bambacus for Ronald Birk, NASA
Tom Spence for Dr. Margaret Leinen, NSF
Alan Voss, TVA
Coordination Group and Others
Scott Cameron, DOI
Stacie Higgins, OMB
Karen Siderelis, DOI/USGS/GIO
Ivan Chueng, AAG
Mark Purdy, AAG
Bill Burgess, NSGIC
Zsolt Nagy, NSGIC
Tony Spicci, NSGIC
Colleen Cahill, LOC
Bill Lefurgy, LOC
Butch Lazorchak, LOC
Mark Reichardt, OGC
Wendy Francis, URISA
Dan Parr, URISA
Bert Jarreau, NACo
Dennis Goreham, WGA
John Palatiello, MAPPS
Kevin Neimond, NACo
Robert Austin, GITA
Ann Frazier, NRC
Randy Fusaro, Census
John J. Moeller Northrop Grumman
Susan DeLost, USFS
Dennis Crow, USDA
Shirley Hall, USDA
Hope Mentore-Smith, USFWS
Barbara White, USFWS
Michael Howell, USFWS
Carolyn Austin-Diggs, US Treasury
John Clark, GSA
Bob Harding, GSA
Betty O'Connor, GSA
Monica DeAngelo, FERC
Robert Mandzi, BLM
Jason G. Racette, BLM
Bob Bewley, BLM
Don Buhler, BLM
Dave Ridley, DHS
Lee R. Warren, NGA
Nancy Blyler, USACE
Col. Brian Cullis, DOD
George Dudley, DOE
Lisa Warnecke, GMA
Nora Rice, DOJ
Frank Bullard, DOJ
Pat Cummens, ESRI
Hank Garie, USGS/NGPO/GOS
Leslie Wollack, USGS/GOS
Robert Dollison - USGS/GOS
Denver Makle, USGS
John Mahoney, USGS
Roxanne Lamb, USGS
Michael Lee, USGS
Stan Ponce, USGS
Ivan DeLoatch, FGDC
Leslie J. Armstrong, FGDC
Eliot Christian, FGDC
David Painter, FGDC
Milo Robinson, FGDC
Allan Stevens, FGDC
Milo Robinson, FGDC
Doug Nebert, FGDC
Kathy Covert, FGDC
Bill Tolar, FGDC
Julie Binder Maitra, FGDC
Bonnie Gallahan, FGDC
Tricia Gibbons, Lead Alliance/FGDC
Kathleen Cleary, Lead Alliance/FGDC
Welcome and Introductions
Welcome and introductions – Convener: Tom Weimer, co-chair: Karen
Evans
Following introductions Tom Weimer with Karen Evans welcomed Steering Committee members to the meeting. Mr. Weimer noted that the event of hurricane Katrina highlights the important work to coordinate more effectively on providing access to the best geospatial data. It is encouraging to see representatives of FGDC and our strategic partners as key participants in this effort. It is critical that the FGDC continue the implementation of a National Strategy for Geospatial Information.
• FGDC Business Update - Ivan DeLoatch, FGDC
- Steering Committee & Coordination Group Charters
Draft Steering Committee
Charter (Word)
Draft Coordination Group
Charter (Word)
The NSDI Future Directions effort has identified a number of actions for implementation. Mr DeLoatch discussed the FGDC's progress in implementing Governance Team Report Recommendation 1: Enhance Role and Functions of the FGDC that the SC approved at its June 23rd meeting.
Charters for Steering Committee & Coordination Group in final review period.
Action: Steering Committee and Coordination Group will be distributed for final comment period and vote within 30 days
- Subcommittee and Working Group Charters
Status
of Subcommittee and Working Group Charters and Workplans (Word)
Updating current subcommittee and working group charters and work plans. Part of Recommendation 1 – Governance Report
Action: Those subcommittee and working group leads that have not updated charters and 2006 work plans should do so by October 31, 2005. Please submit documentation to David Painter (dpainter@fgdc.gov).
- Data Access and Security Guidelines
Data
Access and Security Guidelines (PDF)
Security guidelines were recently approved by vote. Ivan thanked all those who participated on the guidelines development. Question arose on how these guidelines are being implemented.
Action: FGDC was requested to poll agencies regarding what each is doing to implement the security guidelines.
- Framework Standards
Mr DeLoatch updated Steering Committee on current status of Framework standards. These standards are 95% complete. Technical issues are being reviewed currently. Once complete these standards will be submitted to the INCITS L1 and ANSI process. ANSI review period is expected early next year.
Profile of Federal Geospatial Enterprise Architecture – OMB has
asked FGDC to lead.
OMB would conduct review through FGDC process. Steering Committee requested
status at its next meeting.
• NSDI Governance - Dennis Goreham,
Presentation (PPT)
Governance Team Update
(Word)
Dennis Goreham, co-chair of the FGDC Governance Team, discussed the results of further deliberations on governance – with the goal to develop a national governance framework that engages all sectors and includes processes for setting goals, leveraging resources, and ensuring accountability. Recommendations include - enhancing the role and function of the FGDC, establishing a National Geospatial Coordination Council (NGCC) to provide national NSDI leadership, and improve oversight and management of federal geospatial programs and investments.
The FGDC Steering Committee agreed to continue the discussion and examination of Recommendation 2 at this Steering Committee meeting.
Discussion followed regarding next steps. It was suggested that policy level members develop the model further using the key characteristics as a foundation for NSDI governance.
Decision: Key Characteristics of NSDI Governance as outlined in the Governance Report and the Governance Team Update (9/22/05) were accepted and endorsed by the members of the Steering committee.
Action: FGDC Staff Director will work with agencies to establish and charter an executive NSDI Governance team to move this initiative to the next level and report back at next Committee meeting.
• The Fifty-States Initiative - Bill Burgess,
NSGIC
Fifty States
Initiative Modification (Word)
Fifty States Resolution (Word)
Bill Burgess, Washington Liaison for National States Geographic Information Council (NSGIC), reported on action taken to address questions asked at the June 23rd Steering Committee meeting for the Fifty States Initiative.
The modifications to the Fifty States Action Plan were reviewed with the Steering Committee members and participants. NSGIC met with NACo and counties regarding their concerns. The resolution was presented to the membership and discussed. Four agencies (TVA, DoD, EPA, & DOE) voiced their support for the initiative.
Decision: The Fifty States Initiative Action Plan Resolution as modified (V. 2 9/23/05) was endorsed by the Steering Committee.
Follow-up Action: FGDC is preparing a funding category for strategic and business plan development in support of the NSDI Future Directions Fifty States Initiative for the 2006 NSDI Cooperative Agreements Program (CAP).
• The GOS Portal and Katrina: GIS for the Gulf
- Hank Garie, USGS
Presentation
(PPT)
Hank Garie is the Executive Director of the Geospatial One Stop Project and Chief, Geospatial Information Integration and Analysis of the National Geospatial Programs Office at USGS. Mr. Garie discussed the improved functionality of the GOS portal and its use in supporting efforts responding to Hurricane Katrina (http://gos2.geodata.gov/wps/portal/gos/communities/Katrina) with focus on the demonstration, “GIS for the Gulf.”
The presentation demonstrated the capabilities of the Geodata.gov 2 Portal, and solicited support for GIS for the Gulf. Some of the points made in the presentation.
o GOS facilitates discovery, portal organizes data with a tapestry of
content
o Portal builds the clearinghouse
o The National Map (TNM) is a critical asset – US needs a seamless
base of topographic data and TNM and GOS rely on partnerships
o Interoperability standards allow TNM to be leveraged by GOS
o FGDC promotes community use of metadata and other standards, facilitates
coordination and partnerships
o Portal can be personalized
o GOS facilitates cross – agency knowledge sharing
o Communities must be organized before events take place
o There is need stewards for communities
o Populate the hurricane community with your agency’s resources
o Market Place is key to leveraging investments and partnership, It is
easy to publish and populate the Market Place with your agency’s
planned investments
o GOS Portal can be operated in a secure environment
o Integrated database (local, regional, national) is key
o GIS for the Gulf is an example of integrating data into a single data
model
o Delivering GIS via the Web is here – data, tools and applications
Key Messages: GOS has been built in concert with the GIS community to provide a gateway and window for delivering GIS resources. Populate the communities with your agency’s resources. Populate the Market Place with your agency’s planned investments.
o Questions & challenges ahead were discussed and included:
o How to come to agreement among state, local and federal agencies?
o How to ensure alignment with TNM, NSGIC, other – set of best practices
o How does the Gulf data model fit FGDC standards?
o How to differentiate first responder secure access from all others?
• Imagery for the Nation - Ivan DeLoatch/Bill
Burgess
Proposal Factsheet
(PDF)
Ivan DeLoatch introduced Imagery for the Nation proposal, prepared by
NSGIC and other stakeholders, to develop a sustainable and flexible national
digital aerial imagery program that meets the needs of local, state, regional,
tribal, federal and private partners. Bill Burgess provided background
on the proposal. Imagery for the Nation proposal was introduced and proposal
details were reviewed
Steering Committee vote endorsed and supported the proposal, and to task
key federal members of the National Digital Orthophoto Program (NDOP)
and NSGIC to review the proposal and develop a business plan and budget
strategy, guided by current funding levels, for consideration by Steering
Committee by next meeting.
Decision: The Committee endorsed a request to task key members of NDOP, NSGIC, the private sector and other stakeholder groups to review the proposal and develop a business plan and budget strategy.
Action: A framework for the committee and membership will be in place and reported at the next Committee meeting. Formal request will be submitted to NDOP to lead the committee.
Action Follow-up: As a result of an October 3rd FGDC Steering Committee (SC) decision, a memorandum has been submitted to Anne O'Connor (Census), Chair, National Digital Orthophoto Program (NDOP) Steering Committee, requesting that NDOP take the lead in forming a task force of key members of NDOP, NSGIC, the private sector, and other stakeholders to review the NSGIC proposal "Imagery for the Nation," and develop a business plan and budget strategy to accomplish the goals of this proposal. The FGDC Steering Committee requests a charter, workplan and membership of this taskforce by the next SC meeting in late January 2006.
Meeting Adjourned