N S D I

N A T I O N A L S P A T I A L D A T A I N F R A S T R U C T U R E

The National Spatial Data Infrastructure

(NSDI) Benefits Program was established

by the Federal Geographic Data

Committee (FGDC) to support projects

that assess the benefits of interorganizational cooperation and data sharing for

solving problems in a particular geographic area. In 1997, ten awards totalling

$385,000 were made to projects headed 

by the field offices of federal agencies.

For more information on the 1998 program, which will allow organizations from

all sectors to lead, contact the FGDC at

703-648-5514 or gdc@usgs.gov

Archaeological Resources

Creation of a Spatial Database of

Archaeological Resources for the State of

Arizona

This project will create or enhance existing spatially referenced databases for

archaeological site and survey data from

federal lands in Arizona. These spatial

data themes will be integrated into a

state-wide archaeological database and the

benefits of their use to federal, state, tribal

and private agencies for conducting federal and state historic preservation compliance activities will be examined.

Collaborating Organizations

U.S. Bureau of Land Management;

Archaeological Research Institute, Arizona

State University; Arizona State Museum,

University of Arizona; Coronado National

Forest; Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest;

Coconino National Forest; Prescott National

Forest; Tonto National Forest; Kaibab National

Forest; State Historic Preservation Office;

Museum of Northern Arizona

Principal Contact

Gary Stumpf, BLM, 222 No. Central Avenue,

Phoenix AZ 85004, 602-417-9509,

gstumpf@az.blm.gov

Economic Development

Special Products Development and

Cooperative Data Access

This project will serve as a model for

development of user documentation and

improved access to geographic data. Data

will be used to cooperatively analyze landscape features of interest to the community of Sitka. Predictive models on the availability of understory forest resources will

be constructed and the benefits of using

the data and models to provide sustainable

economic development will be examined.

Collaborating Organizations

U.S.Department of Agriculture, Forest Service,

Tongass National Forest, Chatham Area; Sitka

Conservation Society

Principal Contact

Jim Franzel, Tongass National Forest, Chatham

Area, Sitka Ranger District, 201 Katlian Street,

Suite 109, Sitka, AK 99835; 907-747-6671

Ecosystems and Watersheds

Establishing a Shared Spatial Data

Resource for Kachemak Bay, Alaska

Partners will create an internet-based

resource to share information and implement an ecosystem approach to natural

resource management in the Kachemak

Bay watershed. This project will demonstrate benefits to the management of the

Kachemak Bay watershed and to the education of local citizens by providing

access to relevant information.

Collaborating Organizations

U.S. Department of Commerce, National

Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,

Coastal Service Center; Alaska Department of

Fish and Game.

Principal Contact

Dr. Geno Olmi, NOAA, Coastal Service

Center, 2234 South Hobson Avenue,

Charleston, SC 29405-2413; 803-974-6230,

golmi@csc.noaa.gov

Yolo County Integrated Bioregional

Watershed Project

This pilot social and technical collaboration among public and private sector partners will examine the benefits of sharing

geographic data to improve public decisionmaking capabilities about the future of

a diverse regional community, as defined

by its watershed systems. Integrated GIS,

a document database, and Internet systems

will provide a platform for ecological

planning.

Collaborating Organizations

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural

Resources Conservation Service; City of Davis;

Davis Community Network; Yolo County

RCE; Yolo County, Community Development

Agency; University of California, Davis; Water

Resources Association of Yolo County; Army

Corps of Engineers; Yolo Basin Foundation;

Water Online; Cache Creek Watershed

Stakeholders: Davis Joint Unified School

District; Yolo County Superintendent of

Schools; California Resources Agency;

CIESIN; Tellus Insitute.

Principal Contact

Phil Hogan, USDA-NRCS; 221 West Court

Street #1; Woodland, CA95695, 916-662-

2307, phogan@ca.nrcs.usda.gov

Problem Solving by an Ecosystem

Partnership in the Prince William SoundCopper River Region, Alaska

This project will assist managers in the

Prince William Sound-Copper River

region to make better use of geospatial

data to address issues of tourism growth

and infestation by spruce bark beetles.

The 1997 NSDI Benefits Program
shared through the Alaska Geospatial Data

Clearinghouse, and the benefits of sharing

will be examined. 

Collaborating Organizations

U.S. Geological Survey, Biological Resources

Division; Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and

Preserve; Bureau of Land Management; U.S.

Fish and Wildlife Service; Chugach National

Forest; Minerals Management Service; Alaska

Department of Natural Resources; Alaska

Department of Environmental Conservation;

Alaska Department of Fish and Game; Chitina

Native Corporation; Chenega Corporation;

Alaska Natural Heritage Program; Environmental Systems Research Institute; Trans

Pacific Computing; Resource Data Inc.

Principal Contact

Karen Oakley; USGS-BRD; Alaska Science

Center; 1011 East Tudor Road; Anchorage, AK

99503; 907-786-3579; karen_oakley@nbs.gov

Development of Internet-Based GIS

Applications for Community Involvement

This project will increase public access to

state-wide GIS data in Idaho by making

internet-based GIS application available,

will improve the ability of the partnership

to involve public comment in developing

comprehensive river basin plans, and will

examine the benefits of data sharing.

Collaborating Organizations

U.S. Geological Survey, Water Resources

Division; Idaho Department of Water

Resources; The Henry’s Fork Foundation

Principal Contact

Michael Rupert; USGS-WRD; 230 Collins

Road; Boise, Idaho 83702; telephone 208-

387-1323; mgrupert@usgs.gov

Hazards

Comprehensive Data Sharing as Part of a

Community-based Environmental

Protection Initiative in Charleston and

North Charleston, S.C.

This project will examine the benefits of

using shared data to help support environmental decison making in the Charleston

Area. Data from various sources will be

combined using a geographic information

system to (1) provide information needed

for agency activities, (2) provide a basis

for future modeling that attempts to link

hazards in the environment to qualty of

life of residents, and (3) provide an accessible and ongoing source of information

for residents and others. 

Collaborating Organizations

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region

4; Medical University of South Carolina; South

Carolina Department of Health and

Environmental Control.

Principal Contact

Sherri Fields, U. S. Environmental Proection

Agency, Region 4; Environmental

Accountability Divsion; 61 Forsyth Street,

S.W., Atlanta, GA30303; 404-562-9684;

FIELDS.SHERRI@EPA.GOV

Involving Stakeholders in Land

Management

Grand Staircase-Escalante National

Monument Geospatial Data Sharing

Project

This project will establish a land management process for the Grand StaircaseEscalante National Monument to give data

users and interest groups access to spatial

data. The benefits of data sharing will be

evaluated by decision makers, local residents and the Grand Staircase Escalante

National Monument planning team

through the use of questionnaires and personal interviews.

Collaborating Organizations

U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of

Land Management; Dixie National Forest;

Glenn Canyon National Recreation Area;

Capitol Reef National Park; State of Utah,

Automated Geographic Reference Center;

State of Arizona, Land Resources Information

System; Southern Utah University; Garfield

County Commission; Kane County

Commission; Garfield County Engineer; Kane

County Monument Grant Planning

Administrator; Environmental Systems

Research Institute; Utah State GIS Advisory

Committee

Principal Contact

Jerry Sempek; U.S. Department of the Interior,

Bureau of Land Management; Grand Staircase

Escalante National Monument; 337 South

Main, Suite 010; Cedar City, UT 84720;801-

865-5100; jsempek@ut.blm.gov

National Park Service Geospatial Data

Clearinghouse for the Blue Ridge

Parkway Region

The project will use shared data to produce an environmentally sustainable economic development plan for the Blue

Ridge Parkway region of North Carolina

that will expand the local tax base and

maintain the integrity of the park. The

benefits of making relevant spatial data

sets available to local stakeholders in

searchable format for mutual planning will

be examined.

Collaborating Organizations

U.S. Department of Interior, National Park

Service; North Carolina State University,

Raleigh, Computer Graphics Center; North

Carolina State University, Natural Resources

Library; North Carolina State University,

Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Management

Department; Alexandria Digital Library,

University of California, Santa Barbara 

Principal Contact

Leslie Armstrong; National Park Service; GIS

Program Office; P. O. Box 25287; Denver, CO

80225-2964; 303-969-2822; leslie_armstrong@nps.gov

Data Sharing Through Metadata

State Level Implementation of the

Biological Profile of the FGDC

Geospatial Metadata Standard

A pilot biological metadata training workshop oriented to state fish and wildlife

information managers will be developed.

Selected state biological spatial data sets

will be documented and served through

the National Biological Information

Infrastructure metadata clearinghouse.

This project will increase understanding,

relevance, and use of the FGDC metadata

standard by this important biological data

community, thus increasing data sharing

among many stakeholders within a state

and across states. 

Collaborating Organizations

U.S. Geological Survey, Biological Resources

Division; Fish and Wildlife Information

Exchange, Virginia Tech State University;

Oregon Deparment of Fish and Wildlife; U.S.

Fish and Wildlife Service, Denver

Principal Contact

Sharon Shin, U.S. Geological Survey,

Biological Resources Division; Center for

Biological Informatics; P.O. Box 25046, MS

302; Building 810; Room 8000; Denver

Federal Center; Denver CO 80225; 303-202-

4230; sharon_shin@usgs.gov