Soil Data Subcommittee 1999 Progress Report


PROGRESS FOR CALENDAR YEAR 1999:

 

The subcommittee has been inactive during 1999.   There are various reasons including:


            Other collaterally assigned responsibilities of members, including the chair, which seem to have a higher priority.

            Attempts have been by the chair to call for a meeting or teleconference with little or no response from other members, so nothing happens.

            No burning need is evident for action, although there has been an agency request to prepare/propose a standard for soil point data as identified in Goal 2 below.

 

Goal Two -- Develop common solutions for discovery, access, and use of geospatial data in response to the needs of diverse communities.

 

       Objective 2 -- Support the evolution of common means to describe geospatial data sets.

           

                

            Action 1 -- Begin the development of a standard dealing with soil data from a specific location on the Earth=s surface -- point data.

 

                   Results:  This did not get started.

                   Status: Pending

                   Barriers:  Due to subcommittee members= time commitments to other activities, we have not been able to get together to begin this task.  There has also been a problem of contacting committee members and getting a response.

                   Next Steps:


                           The chair will contact individual members, and schedule a teleconference to begin task.  A proposal will likely be presented to SWG for approval process.

                           There may also be a need to restructure the subcommittee with new agency representatives.

 

            Action 2 B Review the Soil Geographic Data Standard to identify maintenance needs.

                    Results: This did not get started.

                    Status: Pending

 

Goal Three -- Use community-based approaches to develop and maintain common collections of geospatial data for sound decision-making.

 

       Objective 3 -- Promote common classification systems, content standards, data models, and other common models to facilitate data development, sharing and use.

 

                   Action 2 -- Begin the development of a standard dealing with soil data from a specific location on the Earth=s surface -- point data.

 

                   Results:  This did not get started.

                   Status: Pending

                   Barriers:  Due to subcommittee members= time commitments to other activities, we have not been able to get together to begin this task.  There has also been a problem of contacting committee members and getting a response.

                   Next Steps:

                           The chair will contact individual members, and schedule a teleconference to begin task.  A proposal will likely be presented to SWG for approval process.

                           There may also be a need to restructure the subcommittee with new agency representatives.

 

 

Funding level:  The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service is providing approximately $10, - 15,000 per year towards participation on the Soil Data Subcommittee.