|  |  | Executive Order 12906Published in the April 13, 1994, edition of the Federal Register, Volume 59, Number 71, pp. 17671-17674.
COORDINATING GEOGRAPHIC DATA ACQUISITION AND ACCESS:  THE NATIONAL SPATIAL DATA INFRASTRUCTUREGeographic information is critical to promote economicdevelopment, improve our stewardship of natural resources,and protect the environment.  Modern technology now permitsimproved acquisition, distribution, and utilization ofgeographic (or geospatial) data and mapping.  The NationalPerformance Review has recommended that the executive branchdevelop, in cooperation with State, local, and tribalgovernments, and the private sector, a coordinated NationalSpatial Data Infrastructure to support public and private sectorapplications of geospatial data in such areas as transportation,community development, agriculture, emergency response,environmental management, and information technology.
NOW, THEREFORE, by the authority vested in me as Presidentby the Constitution and the laws of the United States ofAmerica; and to implement the recommendations of the NationalPerformance Review; to advance the goals of the NationalInformation Infrastructure; and to avoid wasteful duplicationof effort and promote effective and economical management ofresources by Federal, State, local, and tribal governments,it is ordered as follows:
Section 1.  Definitions.(a)  "National Spatial Data Infrastructure" ("NSDI") means thetechnology, policies, standards, and human resources necessaryto acquire, process, store, distribute, and improve utilizationof geospatial data.
(b)  "Geospatial data" means information that identifiesthe geographic location and characteristics of natural orconstructed features and boundaries on the earth.  Thisinformation may be derived from, among other things, remotesensing, mapping, and surveying technologies.  Statisticaldata may be included in this definition at the discretion ofthe collecting agency.
(c)  The "National Geospatial Data Clearinghouse" means adistributed network of geospatial data producers, managers, andusers linked electronically.
Sec. 2.  Executive Branch Leadership for Development ofthe Coordinated National Spatial Data Infrastructure.(a)  The Federal Geographic Data Committee ("FGDC"), establishedby the Office of Management and Budget ("OMB") Circular No. A-16("Coordination of Surveying, Mapping, and Related Spatial DataActivities") and chaired by the Secretary of the Department ofthe Interior ("Secretary") or the Secretary's designee, shallcoordinate the Federal Government's development of the NSDI.
     (b)  Each member agency shall ensure that itsrepresentative on the FGDC holds a policy-level position.
     (c)  Executive branch departments and agencies ("agencies")that have an interest in the development of the NSDI areencouraged to join the FGDC.
     (d)  This Executive order is intended to strengthen andenhance the general policies described in OMB Circular No. A-16.Each agency shall meet its respective responsibilities under OMBCircular No. A-16.
     (e)  The FGDC shall seek to      involve State, local, and tribal governments in the development     and implementation of the initiatives contained in this order.     The FGDC shall utilize the expertise of academia, the private     sector, professional societies, and others as necessary to aid     in the development and implementation of the objectives of this     order.
Sec. 3.  Development of a National Geospatial Data Clearinghouse.(a) Establishing a NationalGeospatial Data Clearinghouse.  The Secretary, through the FGDC, and inconsultation with, as appropriate, State, local, and tribalgovernments and other affected parties, shall take steps within6 months of the date of this order, to establish an electronicNational Geospatial Data Clearinghouse ("Clearinghouse") for theNSDI.  The Clearinghouse shall be compatible with the NationalInformation Infrastructure to enable integration with thateffort.
(b) Standardized Documentation of Data.  Beginning9 months from the date of this order, each agency shall documentall new geospatial data it collects or produces, either directlyor indirectly, using the standard under development by theFGDC, and make that standardized documentation electronicallyaccessible to the Clearinghouse network.  Within 1 year of thedate of this order, agencies shall adopt a schedule, developedin consultation with the FGDC, for documenting, to the extentpracticable, geospatial data previously collected or produced,either directly or indirectly, and making that datadocumentation electronically accessible to the Clearinghousenetwork.
     (c)  Public Access to Geospatial Data.  Within 1 yearof the date of this order, each agency shall adopt a plan, inconsultation with the FGDC, establishing procedures to makegeospatial data available to the public, to the extent permittedby law, current policies, and relevant OMB circulars, includingOMB Circular No. A-130 ("Management of Federal InformationResources") and any implementing bulletins.
     (d)  Agency Utilization of the Clearinghouse.  Within1 year of the date of this order, each agency shall adoptinternal procedures to ensure that the agency accesses theClearinghouse before it expends Federal funds to collector produce new geospatial data, to determine whether theinformation has already been collected by others, or whethercooperative efforts to obtain the data are possible.
     (e)  Funding.  The Department of the Interior shallprovide funding for the Clearinghouse to cover the initialprototype testing, standards development, and monitoring ofthe performance of the Clearinghouse.  Agencies shall continueto fund their respective programs that collect and producegeospatial data; such data is then to be made part of theClearinghouse for wider accessibility.
     Sec. 4.  Data Standards Activities.(a)  General FGDC Responsibility.  The FGDC shall develop standards for implementing the NSDI, in consultationand cooperation with State, local, and tribal governments, the private andacademic sectors, and, to the extent feasible, the international community,consistent with OMB Circular No. A-119 ("Federal Participation in theDevelopment and Use of Voluntary Standards"), and other applicable law andpolicies.
(b)  Standards for Which Agencies Have Specific Responsibilities.  Agenciesassigned responsibilities for data categories by OMB Circular No. A-16 shalldevelop, through the FGDC, standards for those data categories, so as toensure that the data produced by all agencies are compatible.
(c)  Other Standards.  The FGDC may from time to time identify and develop,through its member agencies, and to the extent permitted by law, otherstandards necessary to achieve the objectives of this order.  The FGDC willpromote the use of such standards and, as appropriate, such standards shallbe submitted to the Department of Commerce for consideration as FederalInformation Processing Standards.  Those standards shall apply to geospatialdata as defined in section 1 of this order.
(d)  Agency Adherence to Standards.  Federal agencies collecting or producinggeospatial data, either directly or indirectly (e.g. through grants,partnerships, or contracts with other entities), shall ensure, prior toobligating funds for such activities, that data will be collected in a mannerthat meets all relevant standards adopted through the FGDC process.
Sec. 5.  National Digital Geospatial Data Framework.In consultation with State, local, and tribal governmentsand within 9 months of the date of this order, the FGDC shallsubmit a plan and schedule to OMB for completing the initialimplementation of a national digital geospatial data framework ("framework") by January 2000 and for establishing a processof ongoing data maintenance.  The framework shall includegeospatial data that are significant, in the determinationof the FGDC, to a broad variety of users within any geographicarea or nationwide.  At a minimum, the plan shall address howthe initial transportation, hydrology, and boundary elementsof the framework might be completed by January 1998 in orderto support the decennial census of 2000.
 Sec. 6.  Partnerships for Data Acquisition.     The Secretary, under the auspices of the FGDC, and within 9    months of the date of this order, shall develop, to the extent    permitted by law, strategies for maximizing cooperative participatory    efforts with State, local, and tribal governments, the private    sector, and other nonfederal organizations to share costs and    improve efficiencies of acquiring geospatial data consistent    with this order.
Sec. 7.  Scope.     (a)  For the purposes of this order, the term "agency" shall     have the same meaning as the term "Executive agency" in 5 U.S.C.     105, and shall include the military departments and components     of the Department of Defense.
     (b)  The following activities are exempt from compliance     with this order:
    (i)  national security-related activities of the          Department of Defense as determined by the Secretary          of Defense;
    (ii)  national defense-related activities of the          Department of Energy as determined by the Secretary          of Energy; and
   (iii)  intelligence activities as determined by the          Director of Central Intelligence.
     (c)  The NSDI may involve the mapping, charting, andgeodesy activities of the Department of Defense relating toforeign areas, as determined by the Secretary of Defense.
     (d)  This order does not impose any requirements ontribal governments.
     (e)  Nothing in the order shall be construed to contravenethe development of Federal Information Processing Standardsand Guidelines adopted and promulgated under the provisionsof section 111(d) of the Federal Property and AdministrativeServices Act of 1949, as amended by the Computer Security Actof 1987 (Public Law 100-235); or any other United States law,regulation, or international agreement.
Sec. 8.  Judicial Review.      This order is intended only to improve the internal management     of the executive branch and is not intended to, and does not,     create any right to administrative or judicial review, or any     other right or benefit or trust responsibility, substantive or     procedural, enforceable by a party against the United States,     its agencies or instrumentalities, its officers or employees,     or any other person.
WILLIAM J. CLINTON
THE WHITE HOUSE,    April 11, 1994. |
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