FEDERAL GEOGRAPHIC DATA COMMITTEE PHONE: 703-648-5514

U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, 590 NATIONAL CENTER FAX: 703-648-5755

RESTON, VIRGINIA 20192 HTTP://WWW.FGDC.GOV EMAIL: GDC@USGS.GOV

March 1997

The National Spatial Data Infrastructure

WHY DO WE NEED GEOSPATIAL DATA?

Government agencies and other organizations are

frequently asked for quick responses to natural

disasters, industrial accidents, and environmental

crises. Much of the information needed to make

sound decisions in such cases is based on geography.

There is constant pressure to make these decisions

faster and more wisely at lower cost. Accurate and

current geospatial data are critical to these decisions.

HOW ARE GEOSPATIAL DATA MANAGED?

Geographic information systems (GIS) that facilitate

spatial analysis play an increasing role in decision

making at all levels of government and in private

industry. GIS analyses, in turn, depend on the

availability, quality, and compatibility of digital

geographic data. Development of these data are

normally the highest cost factor in the use of

technology to address today's problems. Billions of

dollars are invested annually in producing geospatial

data. Many of these data collection activities are

redundantCdata already exist but they are hard to

find, frequently undocumented, and in incompatible

formats.

HOW CAN WE BENEFIT FROM WORKING TOGETHER?

Consistent, reliable means to share geospatial data

among all users could result in significant savings for

data collection, enhanced use of data, and better

decision making. In April 1994 President Clinton

signed Executive Order 12906, calling for the

establishment of the National Spatial Data

Infrastructure (NSDI). The NSDI is seen as the

technology, policies, and people necessary to

promote geospatial data sharing throughout all

levels of government, the private and non-profit

sectors, and academia. The dictionary definition of

the word infrastructure describes the major concepts

around which the NSDI is designed.

inCfraCstrucCture n. 1. An underlying base or

supporting structure. 2. The basic facilities,

equipment, services, and installations needed

for the growth and functioning of a country,

community, or organization. 3. A governmental

or administrative apparatus.

The NSDI will provide a base or structure of

relationships among data producers and users that

will facilitate data sharing. The increased ability to

share data through common standards and networks

will, in turn, serve as a stimulus for growth.
MAKING THE NSDI A REALITY

The Federal Geographic Data Committee, established by

the President's Office of Management and Budget to

coordinate geospatial data activities, was charged, in the

Executive Order, with coordinating the development of

the NSDI through three major activities:

! establishment of a National Geospatial

Data Clearinghouse, which is a distributed

electronic network of data producers and

users connected through the Internet.

! development of standards for data

documentation, collection, and exchange

so that data can be shared across State

and local boundaries on many different

hardware platforms and with many

different software programs.

! development of procedures and

partnerships to create a national digital

geospatial data framework that would

include important basic categories of data

significant to a broad variety of users.

The Executive Order stresses partnerships. Only through

cooperation among State, local and tribal governments,

the private sector, and the academic community, as well

as the Federal government, will the NSDI become a

reality.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

If you are a data producer or user, you can

participate in the NSDI. Write or call the Federal

Geographic Data Committee Secretariat for more

information on NSDI activities or for ideas on how

to become a part of the NSDI. If you would like to

subscribe to the FGDC's free newsletter, please

indicate this in your message. If you have access to

the Internet, visit our home page at

<URL:http://www.fgdc.gov/> or join the NSDI-L

mailing list. Instructions are available by email.

Related free publications available from the FGDC:

FGDC Fact Sheet

Clearinghouse Fact Sheet

Metadata Fact Sheet

The Value of Metadata Brochure

Metadata Workbook

Framework Fact Sheet

Framework Report