MAPPING THE COAST OF ALASKA

A 10-Year Strategy in Support of the United 

States Economy, Security, and Environment

June 2020

ALASKA 

MAPPING

Executive Committee
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Sitka, Alaska. Credit: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Coastal mapping priorities are defined in this Alaska coastal mapping strategy as:

• elevation data collected above and below the water surface, specifically topography

and nearshore bathymetry,

• orthorectified aerial imagery,

• the linear demarcation of the shoreline, specifically shoreline vector, and

• the supporting positional control required for accuracy.

The focus of this strategy is on the coastal and nearshore areas that can be mapped with 

airborne and satellite remote sensing, roughly 2 miles landward to the seaward extinction 

depth of these optical technologies. 

Front cover image: Haenke Island, Alaska. Credit: Lt. Cmdr. Damian Manda

This document was updated on 8/4/2020 to reflect the correct number of Alaska gaps in the National Water Level Observing Network, p. 7. 
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Executive Summary

Alaska’s 66,000 miles of Arctic and sub-Arctic 

shorelines constitute a tremendous strategic, 

economic, and ecological resource to the Nation. 

Accurate and contemporary mapping of Alaska’s 

coastal and nearshore regions is critical to informed 

use of these vast resources, maritime domain 

awareness, safeguarding of the health and security of 

coastal communities, and strengthening of the Blue 

Economy. 

The November 2019 Presidential Memorandum 

on Ocean Mapping of the United States Exclusive 

Economic Zone and the Shoreline and Nearshore of 

Alaska calls for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration (NOAA), the State of Alaska, and 

the Alaska Mapping Executive Committee (AMEC) 

to develop an Alaska coastal mapping strategy. The 

Alaska Coastal Mapping Strategy (Strategy) builds on 

decades of effort to modernize Alaska’s geospatial 

infrastructure, including AMEC’s creation in 2012, and 

envisions an Alaska that in 2030 possesses seamless 

coastal mapping data.

AMEC, co-chaired by the United States Geological 

Survey and NOAA, recently completed the first 

statewide acquisition of terrestrial elevation data 

at consistent standards and specifications. With 

this achievement, there is now opportunity to 

channel momentum toward strategic mapping of 

Alaska’s coasts and nearshore waters. New efforts 

to map the coast will meet critical needs for coastal 

mapping data, including bolstering the shipping and 

fishing economy through safer maritime navigation, 

ensuring more resilient coastal economies through 

flood and wave impact modeling, data-driven coastal 

infrastructure development, improved emergency 

planning, and more effective community management 

plans.

This Strategy also aligns with AMEC’s other statewide 

mapping priorities, including imagery, elevation, 

terrestrial hydrography, and airborne gravity, and 

implementation of this Strategy will benefit from 

close coordination with these priorities. In addition, 

by promoting collaboration and coordination with 

Federal and State agencies, academia, and the private 

sector, this Strategy seeks to leverage partnerships to 

ensure success.

Subject to the availability of appropriations, 

implementing the Alaska Coastal Mapping Strategy 

would yield significant upgrades to Alaska’s geospatial 

framework and mapping of the coastal zone by 

2030. Products derived from topographic, nearshore 

bathymetric, and orthoimagery data, including the 

Alaska shoreline, would vastly improve life, safety, and 

economic opportunities for Alaska residents and the 

Nation.

The Alaska Coastal Mapping Strategy defines four goals to guide near-term 

action, including acquiring priority coastal mapping datasets over the next five 

years, and the remainder by 2030:

Goal 1: Build on Existing Mapping Partnerships to Meet Alaska’s Coastal 

Mapping Needs

Goal 2: Expand Coastal Data Collection to Deliver the Priority Geospatial 

Products Stakeholders Require

Goal 3: Leverage Innovation in Mapping Technology Development

Goal 4: Conduct Strategic Communications to Promote Widespread 

Stakeholder Engagement
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Introduction

Alaska has the longest coastline in the Nation, 

spanning the Pacific and Arctic Oceans, the Gulf of 

Alaska, and the Bering, Chukchi, and Beaufort Seas. 

The State’s 66,000 miles of shoreline and coastal 

ecosystems are geologically complex and diverse, 

including glacial fjords, 52 active volcanoes, a delta 

that is 12 times larger than the Mississippi Delta, 

inlets, bays, parks, and refuges. These coasts have 

a long history as places of subsistence, Indigenous 

culture, and economic opportunity for many Alaskans. 

They are also known for their hazardous weather and 

challenging ocean conditions. 

Informed decisions in the coastal zone depend 

heavily on accurate and up-to-date coastal mapping 

data. Alaska, however, has large gaps in its tidally 

referenced elevation and imagery data coverage. The 

State’s supporting geospatial positioning framework 

is also deficient. Gaps in Alaska’s water level station 

network and spatial reference system do not enable 

an accurate and reliable vertical datum transformation 

tool (VDatum), which is necessary to efficiently 

acquire and merge topographic and bathymetric 

datasets.

Unlike many other states, Alaska does not have 

integrated and seamless topobathymetric elevation 

data connecting nearshore waters to upland terrain. 

Nor does it have the coastal data that is foundational 

to sustainable fisheries management, energy and 

mineral resource development, safe maritime 

operations, understanding of earth system dynamics, 

and other scientific research.

Given the State’s diverse coastline, Alaska’s lack of 

mapping data is particularly challenging considering 

the longstanding threats of tsunami and earthquake, 

or the frequent hazards of extreme weather, 

storm surge, sea ice retreat and coastal erosion. 

Environmental and economic decisions must be 

made every day in Alaska without the data-enhanced 

benefit of reliable situational awareness. Alaska, 

however, will be able to utilize and strengthen existing 

partnerships and policies to collaboratively develop 

and implement a comprehensive mapping strategy for 

its shoreline and nearshore waters.

Background

The November 2019 Presidential Memorandum 

on Ocean Mapping of the United States Exclusive

Economic Zone and the Shoreline and Nearshore 
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of Alaska directs the creation of an Alaska Coastal 

Mapping Strategy, stating: 

• It is the policy of the United States to act boldly

to safeguard our future prosperity, health,

and national security through ocean mapping,

exploration, and characterization.

• Completed mapping is especially lacking for

Alaska and for the Alaskan Arctic, which lack the

comprehensive shoreline and nearshore maps

available for much of the rest of the Nation.

• The National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration (NOAA) will coordinate with the

State of Alaska and the Alaska Mapping Executive

Committee (AMEC) on a strategy to map the

shoreline and nearshore of Alaska.

In 2019, the State of Alaska, NOAA, and the Alaska 

Ocean Observing System (AOOS) followed two Alaska 

Coastal Mapping Summits with an effort to inventory 

existing data for suitability in coastal applications, and 

to collect Alaska regional coastal mapping priorities 

using a GIS-based tool. The assessment of existing 

onshore, tidal, and nearshore areas revealed that 86 

percent of the Alaska coastline is deficient in mapping 

data needed for critical coastal zone applications. 

AMEC, a consortium of Federal and State agencies 

with shared goals for Alaska mapping, added coastal 

topography and bathymetry to its priority areas in 

May 2019. Appendix A includes short summaries 

of AMEC agency coastal mapping mandates and 

interests.

In addition to the Presidential Memorandum, Federal 

and State legislative mandates, agency missions, and 

initiatives support the development of an Alaska 

coastal mapping strategy. 

Such directives include:

• The Ocean and Coastal Mapping Integration Act of

2009,

• The 3D Nation vision of a United States with

seamless elevations from mountain peaks to ocean

trenches,

• The Blue Economy’s coastal-dependent growth

opportunities,

• Alaska Geospatial Council (AGC) goals for shared

effort to modernize Alaska’s geospatial data,

• The Federal Interagency Working Group on Ocean

Figure from a 2019 assessment of Alaska stakeholder priorities for mapping data at the coast. Participating stakeholders were a representative body 

asked to identify their highest priority mapping data needs and locations. Objective 1.2 of this Strategy would refine and revalidate stakeholder 

mapping needs to ensure that identified priorities reflect broader stakeholder input.
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solely to airborne and satellite-based remote sensing. 

Therefore, this Strategy describes a method to achieve 

topographic, bathymetric and orthoimagery coverage 

of the coastal zone by 2030. Shallow water acoustic 

bathymetry beyond the extinction depth of optical 

sensors is also a high priority for Alaska. However, 

for consistency purposes, acquisition of this dataset 

is scheduled to be captured in the National Ocean 

Mapping, Exploration and Characterization Strategy 

(NOMEC), a second plan developed pursuant to the 

Presidential Memorandum.

Goal 1: Build on Existing Mapping Partnerships to 

Meet Alaska’s Coastal Mapping Needs

This Strategy builds on prior collaboration and 

coordination across Federal and State agencies, 

academia, and the private sector.

Objective 1.1: Establish a Team for Alaska Coastal 

Mapping Implementation

Coordination is critical to making geospatial data 

collection a priority and to successfully implementing 

this Strategy. Working with many different State 

and Federal agencies over a 10-year period, AMEC 

utilized this model for coordinated mapping with 

the Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (IfSAR) 

terrestrial mapping program. Currently, AMEC 

agencies have the opportunity to implement lessons 

learned from the IfSAR acquisition program into this 

Alaska Coastal Mapping Strategy. In 2018, NOAA 

became a co-chair of AMEC with the United States 

Geological Survey (USGS), and the charter was revised 

and Coastal Mapping’s (IWG-OCM) national coastal 

mapping strategy and elevation data standards, 

• The Geospatial Data Act of 2018 directives on data 

standards, acquisition and access, and 

• Agency missions reliant on coastal mapping data 

such as NOAA’s coastal and navigation safety 

programs, the Department of the Interior agencies 

and bureaus with science and management 

responsibilities in Alaska, the U.S. Army Corps 

of Engineers’ (USACE) navigation and flood risk 

management programs, the State of Alaska’s 

Department of Natural Resources, and AOOS, 

among others.

Vision

This Strategy envisions an Alaska that in 2030 

possesses seamless coastal mapping data. This vision 

translates into near-term goals for action, including 

acquiring priority coastal mapping datasets over the 

next 5 years, and the remainder of Alaskan shoreline 

datasets by 2030.

Goals and Objectives

Because mapping coverage of Alaska’s coasts lags 

far behind other coastal states in the United States, 

new efforts to map the coast must fit the needs of 

many users, provide for strategic implementation, and 

promote collaboration from many entities. Alaska’s 

coastal and ocean mapping needs are not limited 

Utqiagvik, Alaska. Credit: NASA Utqiagvik, Alaska. Credit: NOAA
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to include a focus on coastal mapping. NOAA stands 

ready to lead and execute this Strategy with USGS and 

AMEC partners, the State-led AGC, and the IWG-OCM.

Approach: NOAA and AMEC created a Coastal 

Mapping Subcommittee at the May 2020 AMEC 

meeting. This subcommittee will be responsible 

for the coordination and development of an 

Implementation Plan for the Alaska Coastal Mapping 

Strategy (Implementation Plan).

Objective 1.2: Refine Stakeholder Mapping Priorities, 

Costs, and Data Standards 

The 2019 assessment of existing coastal data quality, 

coverage and gaps, and the Alaska coastal mapping 

prioritization survey were conducted prior to the 

release of the Presidential Memorandum. Survey 

participants included over 40 representatives from 

federal, state and local agency liaisons, Native 

corporations and associations, non-profit and 

professional organizations, and academia. The input 

from these studies will be the foundation on which 

to build mapping requirements as they represent 

the direct needs of the coastal communities and 

industries that will benefit from the acquisition 

of new coastal mapping data. Broader mapping 

studies, including the 3D Nation Elevation 

Requirements and Benefits Study, will also be used 

to inform requirements and data standards in the 

Implementation Plan.

Approach: Recent user assessments and data studies 

will be analyzed to refine and define stakeholder 

needs in the region. Requirements, costs and data 

standards will be validated through engagement 

with stakeholders, AMEC members, and AGC 

representatives to inform the Implementation Plan.

Objective 1.3: Cost-Effectively Resource the Alaska 

Coastal Mapping Implementation Plan

As with IfSAR, acquisition resources comprised of 

contributions from Federal agencies, State and local 

entities, and academia will have more impact and can 

leverage acquisition efficiencies. For example, Federal 

geospatial contract vehicles with high funding ceilings, 

such as the NOAA Shoreline Mapping, Hydrographic 

Services and Coastal Geospatial Services Contracts, 

and the USGS Geospatial Product and Services 

Contracts are available for use in a coordinated 

mapping campaign. In addition, the USACE’s Joint 

Airborne Lidar Bathymetry Technical Center of 

Expertise may also contribute to this Strategy. The 

role of the private sector is important as well; private 

sector participation contributed to IfSAR’s success, 

from managing data collections, data merges, quality 

assurance, and data acquisition.

Approach: While the cost of mapping Alaska’s coast 

is significant, there are cost savings and efficiencies 

in combining resources and energy to achieve 

common goals. Agreements and contracts between 

agencies and external partners may contribute to 

this process. The Coastal Mapping Subcommittee 

will explore these mechanisms in preparation to 

implement the Strategy.

Objective 1.4: Integration with Complementary AMEC 

Mapping Priorities

AMEC presently facilitates the acquisition of multiple 

statewide mapping priorities that geographically 

intersect with Alaska’s coastal and nearshore areas, 

including imagery, elevation, terrestrial hydrography, 

and airborne gravity. Requirements for wetland and 

vegetation mapping and targeted geophysical data 

are under consideration as possible future AMEC 

priorities. Implementation of this Strategy will 

benefit from close coordination with complementary 

implementation strategies. For example, alignment 

with the terrestrial hydrography priority will advance 

implementation of NOAA’s National Water Model, 

a hydrologic modeling framework that simulates 

observed and forecasted streamflows in Alaska.

Scientists collect tidal staff shots on an Arctic beach north of Wales, 

Alaska on a rare calm, clear day. Looking north towards the Arctic 

Ocean, with the RV Qualifier 105 in the background. Credit: Andrew 

Orthmann, Terrasond
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Approach: The Coastal Mapping Subcommittee 

will factor complementary AMEC mapping priority 

acquisition plans into implementation, including 

strategic timing of data collection or processing, 

combined requirements in coastal and nearshore 

areas, and leveraged resources and capabilities.

Goal 2: Expand Coastal Data Collection to Deliver the 

Priority Geospatial Products Stakeholders Require

Mapping the Alaska coast is challenging. However, 

utilizing targeted and coordinated data collections will 

potentially reduce overall costs and improve the costto-benefit ratio of expanded mapping activities. Data 

acquisition also depends heavily on improvements to 

the positioning framework, which is a prerequisite to 

seamlessly integrate data on the coast.

Objective 2.1: Execute a Flexible Alaska Coastal 

Mapping Campaign

The Implementation Plan will follow the IfSAR 

framework of clearly delineating priority areas 

into manageable acquisition targets of appropriate 

scope, scale, timing, and cost. This is a key step to 

coordinated acquisition. The Implementation Plan will 

factor in existing data coverage and quality to achieve 

complete mapping coverage of Alaska coasts with 

topobathymetric lidar or orthoimagery before 2030. 

Flexibility to move among stakeholder priority areas 

is essential, as both Alaska’s fluctuating weather 

conditions and indigenous food security measures will 

dictate where mapping efforts can be most effective. 

National data standards and best practices will be 

used, as required by the Geospatial Data Act of 2018. 

Periodic analysis of acquired data should also be 

considered, as these datasets have shorter lifespans 

due to the continually changing nature of shoreline 

and coastal areas

Approach: Acquisition of comprehensive coastal 

mapping data will follow a trackable yet flexible 

approach to map manageable segments of Alaska’s 

coastline.

Objective 2.2: Upgrade Alaska National Spatial 

Reference System Components to Support Mapping 

Data Acquisition 

Integrating nearshore bathymetric and topographic 

data at the coast would be improved by 

enhancements to the National Spatial Reference 

System in Alaska. These could include collection of 

Alaska IfSAR campaign mapping 1-degree cell completion, by funding 

year. Credit: Dewberry

airborne gravity data to update and monitor the

Alaska/Arctic geoid for centimeter level positioning 

accuracy; filling the 32 identified Alaska gaps 

in the National Water Level Observing Network

(NWLON); co-locating existing water level stations

with Continuously Operating Reference Stations

(CORS); and building VDatum models to seamlessly

link topographic and bathymetric datasets together.

VDatum enables users to convert data from different

horizontal and vertical references to a common

system, making it easier to integrate diverse datasets.

In places where traditional tide gauges cannot be

easily installed and maintained -- like Arctic Alaska

-- temporary gauging can help verify the accuracy of

VDatum in offshore areas.

Approach: The AMEC will examine options for filling 

the 32 identified Alaska NWLON gaps, co-locating 

existing water level stations with CORS, and building

VDatum models in Alaska to gain efficiencies by

seamlessly linking topographic and bathymetric

datasets for inclusion in the Implementation Plan.

Objective 2.3: Produce and Disseminate Key Datasets

and Products from Alaska Coastal Mapping Data

The acquisition of new and accurate coastal mapping

data will inspire a generation of improved and

derivative datasets. For example, NOAA’s shoreline

mapping products for the National Shoreline and

Continuously Updated Shoreline Product (CUSP) could

be updated to create a new shoreline vector for use

in nautical charting, providing greater certainty in

boundary and jurisdictional definitions, and shoreline
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change monitoring. Other products that would 

benefit from new topographic and bathymetric data 

include NOAA’s tsunami models and the first USGS 

Coastal National Elevation Database (CoNED) models 

for Alaska. These digital elevation products support 

inundation forecasts and sediment transport models. 

Accurate mapping data will also help to improve 

Alaska terrestrial hydrography efforts and wetlands 

inventory in coastal low relief areas, among many 

other uses.

The State of Alaska, NOAA, and AMEC partners are 

committed to ensuring that data is readily available 

to the public, with quality metadata following ISO 

19115 standards. The State actively maintains a 

public elevation portal for viewing and downloading 

elevation datasets. The State is also building a public 

orthoimagery portal to host current and historic 

orthoimagery for viewing and downloading. NOAA 

hosts topographic, bathymetric, and orthoimagery 

coastal mapping data at the National Centers for 

Environmental Information and Digital Coast. USGS 

and NOAA also manage elevation data reporting at 

the United States Interagency Elevation Inventory. 

Approach: Key coastal datasets will be updated 

and made available to the public. Existing data 

delivery portals and frameworks within the State of 

Alaska and among Federal agencies will be used to 

distribute these new data and models.

Goal 3: Leverage Innovation in Mapping Technology 

Development

Remote sensing technology, from aircraft and 

satellite-based systems to sonar and unmanned 

platforms, will continue to improve, thereby reducing 

time and cost to acquire data in challenging coastal 

and nearshore areas. 

Objective 3.1: Upgrade Alaska Climatology Tool for 

Smart Application of Satellite and Airborne Lidar 

Bathymetry

Satellite-derived bathymetry (SDB) and bathymetric 

lidar rely on reflected light and laser penetration of 

the water column. Acquisition of these datasets are 

therefore more successful during times of high water 

clarity. NOAA’s climatology tool uses satellite image 

records to identify patterns in time and space that 

enable more successful SDB and bathymetric lidar 

acquisitions. Using satellites to coordinate the timing 

of nearshore bathymetric data may result in more 

frequent and effective acquisitions, decreasing cost 

and improving quality.

Approach: The State of Alaska, the National 

Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), 

USGS, USACE, and NOAA will assess the feasibility 

of upgrading the NOAA-developed water clarity 

climatology tool to add a real-time component for 

Alaska based on satellite imagery and other remote 

sensing sources.

Objective 3.2: Monitor and Test New Technologies for 

Acquisition Efficiencies

Across the globe, mapping efforts are benefitting 

from rapid technological advancements in sensor 

technology, platforms, processing, and inferencing. 

Satellites such as WorldView-3 and ICESat-2 have 

demonstrated their potential. However, they need 

to be incorporated into routine operations in places 

where they are most effective. Unmanned systems 

are also of interest as force multipliers, particularly 

at sea to augment data collection, increase safety, 

and reduce risk in Alaska’s remote or extreme 

environments. The State is a willing partner to test 

out new technologies, particularly in unique and 

tough Alaska environments with the benefit of local 

community on-the-ground knowledge. 

Approach: The Coastal Mapping Subcommittee 

members will monitor commercial and academic 

research and testing for potential implementation 

The ASV C-Worker 5 moves in to survey close to shore along the 

Alaska Peninsula. The wreck of the MV Oduna, a 422’ steel steam ship 

lost in heavy seas in 1965, is on the shore nearby. Cape Pankof, Alaska 

Peninsula, June 2018. Credit: Andrew Orthmann, Terrasond
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into coastal mapping operations. Technology 

demonstration pilot projects will test and evaluate 

new methods and platforms for suitability and 

feasibility in meeting mapping requirements.

Goal 4: Conduct Strategic Communications to Promote 

Widespread Stakeholder Engagement

Communication between Federal and State agencies, 

boroughs, Alaska Native Organizations (to include 

Alaska Tribes, Alaska Native Corporations, Alaska 

Native Consortia, and Alaska Native Co-Management 

Organizations), and other key stakeholders was 

critical in the development of the Alaska Coastal 

Mapping Strategy, and will be equally critical for its 

successful implementation. Sustained engagement 

is necessary to confirm that coastal mapping efforts 

meet user needs and to incorporate new requirements. 

Special consideration will be given to Alaska Native 

Organizations in order to minimize potential conflicts 

with food security practices and cultural activities. For 

example, mapping, exploration, and characterization 

activities will avoid bowhead whale migration and 

other important subsistence time periods.

Objective 4.1: Strengthen Stakeholder Communications 

to Grow Participation in the Alaska Coastal Mapping 

Campaign 

Multiple forums and governance structures exist for 

communicating with stakeholders and the public. 

NOAA, the State, USGS, and AOOS are funding an 

Alaska coastal strategist, housed under AGC, to supply 

technical guidance to parties interested in their own 

coastal mapping data acquisitions, to update state 

priorities as data are collected, and to actively seek 

partnerships for potential data acquisitions. Promoting 

this Strategy, its implementation, and subsequent 

data acquisitions will require collaboration from all of 

the partners.

Approach: The Coastal Mapping Subcommittee 

will leverage AMEC, the AGC, the Alaska Coastal 

Strategist, coastal mapping summits, and other 

regional mapping gatherings to provide information 

on the Strategy, its progress, distribution 

mechanisms, and potential applications. This 

approach commenced during the May 2020 AMEC 

Meeting and will continue with a later Coastal 

Mapping Summit.

Objective 4.2: Use Online Tools and Technologies to 

Communicate Plans and Performance

Transparency in the execution of this Strategy will be 

essential in building trust and ensuring coordination 

across the broader Alaska mapping community and 

sustaining support with the public. Providing clear 

and frequent information, in a consistent manner, 

about the mapping effort will promote transparency 

and bi-lateral dialogue with the stakeholder 

community.

Approach: The AGC will host online interactive maps 

of spatial prioritization results and assessments 

of existing data. The State of Alaska will host 

performance measurement and progress tracking 

against priorities and plans as additional datasets 

are collected. In addition, plans and priorities will 

be shared through the IWG-OCM’s Federal United 

States mapping coordination site, available at 

fedmap.seasketch.org.

Conclusion

For Alaska, coastal mapping data are critical for a multitude of reasons, including informed management 

of coastal lands and Alaska Native trust resources; safe navigation in an ice-diminished Arctic; and 

responsible resource and energy exploration. Community resilience to coastal hazards such as flooding, 

erosion, and tsunami begins with mapping data to establish baseline conditions and model change. 

Alaska’s Federal, State, regional, tribal, academic and private sector partners have the opportunity 

and ability to take a targeted, collaborative, and innovative approach to comprehensive Alaska coastal 

mapping with this Alaska Coastal Mapping Strategy. The return on investment is apparent with the vast 

potential for improvements to life, safety, and economic opportunities that will accrue to Alaska and the 

Nation from a solid coastal mapping foundation.

Kodiak Island, Alaska. Credit: NOAA
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Appendix A: AMEC Agency Alaska Coastal Interests and Mandates

Alaska Department of Natural Resources (AK DNR)

The AK DNR mission is to develop, conserve, and maximize the use of Alaska’s natural resources consistent with the public interest. 

Coastal mapping is critical to carrying out this mission in the coastal zone to support the safety and livelihoods of Alaska residents, 

responsible resource extraction (mining, oil, gas, and timber), tourism, and land and habitat management. AK DNR participates in 

the Alaska Mapping Executive Committee and leads the Alaska Geospatial Council. 

AK DNR is home to the Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys (DGGS) which conducts activities to fill coastal mapping data 

gaps in order to determine the potential of Alaskan land for production of metals, minerals, fuels, and geothermal resources, the 

locations and supplies of groundwater and construction material, and the potential geologic hazards to buildings, roads, bridges, 

and other installations and structures (Alaska Statute 41.08.020). DGGS works collaboratively with other state, federal, and nonfederal partners to fill gaps in coastal mapping data, through the development of the Alaska Coastal Mapping Strategic Plan and 

Implementation Plan, and the water level datasets that support seamless topobathymetric data collection efforts, through Alaska 

Water Level Watch. DGGS conducts on-the-ground and remote sensing mapping activities and provides public access to mapping 

data and tools, including the Alaska Elevation Portal (http://elevation.alaska. gov/).

Alaska Ocean Observing System (AOOS)

AOOS is the Alaska regional component of the national Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS). Its mission is to provide ocean 

and coastal information to meet stakeholder needs at both regional and national levels. AOOS starts with the needs of users of 

Alaska’s coasts and oceans as the first step in identifying its programmatic priorities. This is done using a variety of activities: 

coordinating State, Federal, local and private interests at a regional level; identifying gaps in existing ocean observing activities 

and data, making recommendations for needed enhancements to both Federal and non-Federal assets, and filling gaps when 

appropriate; increasing efficiencies and usefulness of existing ocean observing activities and data for a wider variety of users by 

integrating and visualizing data, and convening and facilitating networks of stakeholders to address common issues and leverage 

activities. 

AOOS supports the largest federally certified regional data center in Alaska and provides ocean and coastal data along four broad 

themes: improving maritime safety (including support for search and rescue and oil spill response operations); responding to coastal 

hazards (in particular, coastal flooding and erosion); tracking climate and ecosystem changes; and responding to water quality needs 

(including ocean acidification and harmful algal blooms). AOOS leads or co-leads the Alaska Ocean Acidification Network, the Alaska 

Harmful Algal Bloom Network, and the Alaska Water Level Watch network. The Alaska Water Level Watch is facilitated by AOOS 

with support from the Alaska Department of Natural Resources, NOAA, USGS, and other state, federal, and local partners. Its goal 

is to integrate water level data from a variety of sources to improve flooding and storm surge forecasts as well as to plan for future 

responses to erosion and coastal flooding by affected communities and agency managers. Coastal mapping is a key component of 

this effort in Alaska, and AOOS has been a main partner in the effort to develop a coastal mapping strategy for the state.

Bureau of Land Management (BLM)

The BLM not only manages some of Alaska’s great historical sites but also is a part of the state’s history with its survey, oil and gas, 

mining, and land transfer programs from coast to coast. To manage public lands, the BLM prepares land-use plans, also known as 

Resource Management Plans. These plans serve as blueprints for keeping public landscapes healthy and productive for multiple-use. 

BLM Alaska manages more surface and subsurface acres than any other state with BLM-managed lands. This includes approximately 

70 million surface acres and 220 million subsurface acres (Federal mineral estate) in a state with a landmass equivalent to about 

one-fifth of the entire contiguous United States. Systems such as the Alaska Spatial Data Management System provide access to 

BLM-Alaska land record documents, reports, and GIS data, including land conveyance cases, master title and survey plats, leases, 

permits, federal mining claims, and easements for many waterfronts.

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM)

BOEM is responsible for managing the development of the Nation’s offshore energy and mineral resources in an environmentally 

and economically sustainable way. To do so effectively, understanding the physical environment is critical, leading BOEM scientists 

to incorporate bathymetry data, topobathymetry data, and orthoimagery data into map products and models for decision making. 

BOEM has the authority through the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to manage lands seaward of the Submerged Lands Act 

Boundary (SLAB, also known as the state seaward boundary) and does so by using the available National Baseline data to depict that 

boundary where it has not been otherwise fixed by decree of the U.S. Supreme Court. Baseline points and bay/river closing lines are 

ambulatory and change with coastal erosion and accretion. These are the most seaward points along the Nation’s shoreline, e.g., 

those that would be used to determine the Alaska 3 nautical mile SLAB, where it remains ambulatory. From BOEM’s perspective, 

if the priority areas and subsequent leasing/permitting interests and program planning are focused on areas that do not have the 

most up to date baseline, then the Submerged Lands Act coastline is in question and needs to be addressed. Another priority for 
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BOEM is to utilize these datasets for effectively identifying seep sites and other hydrocarbon indicators.

In support of Section 3 of the Presidential Memorandum, BOEM will focus on the identification of priority areas, and requirements 

for characterization of these areas. The relevant priority regions for BOEM are areas that are:

• Unmapped or mapped, but to an insufficient resolution for BOEM-related resource identification, evaluation, economic and

risk analysis, and to a standard sufficient to allow regulatory oversight and environmental analyses (e.g. through the National

Environmental Policy Act) for-compliant characterization of that resource and associated environmental and cultural features.

(“Resource” includes conventional energy, renewable energy, and offshore marine mineral potential and potentially impacted

sensitive biological and cultural resources). Areas with higher resource potential will be given higher priority.

• At least somewhat likely to experience extractive/impactful activities in the near to medium term.

• Areas with high resource potential will be defined as priority areas. They must be mapped to a standard sufficient to allow the

characterization of that resource and associated environmental and cultural features.

BOEM is a partner in the development of the strategy for mapping the shoreline and nearshore areas of Alaska, as well as 

the strategy for mapping the Exclusive Economic Zone. BOEM advocates that both efforts are coordinated for consistent data 

parameters and requirements across the region. BOEM provides program management, quality assurance, and quality control 

capabilities through its Environmental Studies Program and Office of Strategic Resource’s Geospatial Services Division. Through 

the implementation of this strategy, BOEM will continue partnering with USGS, NOAA and others to effectively leverage combined 

resources to map, explore, and characterize seabed habitats and resources, including sand, gravel, and critical minerals, while 

ensuring datasets are collected with multiple end-user purposes in mind.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

EPA’s mission is to protect human health and the environment working under the authorities of an array of statutes to ensure that 

Americans have clean air, land and water. To accomplish this mission, EPA develops and enforces regulations, provides grants to 

states and other partners, conducts research to solve environmental problems, works in partnership with other organizations, 

and conducts educational activities. EPA’s Alaska activities that rely on shoreline and nearshore mapping include response to oil 

and other chemical spills; environmental review of proposed projects under National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA), Clean 

Air Act, and other authorities; permitting and compliance under Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act (CWA), and other authorities; and 

research and technical assistance to communities facing challenges such as food insecurity and infrastructure failures associated 

with diminishing sea ice and increasing coastal erosion.

• Nearshore mapping helps EPA carry out statutory responsibilities regulating disposal of materials in ocean waters under the

Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act (MPRSA), also known as the Ocean Dumping Act. The mapping of the baseline

in these nearshore coastal areas is critical for jurisdictional determinations that relate to EPA’s regulatory role in designating,

managing, and monitoring ocean disposal sites.

• The CWA § 404 establishes a program to regulate the discharge of dredged or fill material into waters of the United States.

Both the EPA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers co-administer the program and the roles and responsibilities differ in scope.

Of key interest to EPA for this mapping effort is its role in determining scope of geographic jurisdiction and applicability of

exemptions.

• The EPA has been leading a project to expand the Local Environmental Observer Network, a tool that allows local practitioners

of traditional knowledge to capture and share environmental observations and changes with other Arctic nations. These

observations are turned into data points and help remote Arctic communities communicate with one another and with experts

in universities and governments. They can also be used by industry and other stakeholders to understand the current weather

and climatic situations in coastal areas where monitoring data is sparse.

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

FEMA conducts hazard analyses and mapping studies to produce Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) and other products that inform 

local coastal communities and residents about their risk of flood and other natural hazards. Over the past several years, FEMA has 

been evaluating and updating flood maps along the populated U.S. coastlines, in close collaboration with other federal agencies, 

states, local communities, nonprofits and academia, and the private sector. Through collaboration with these partners, FEMA has 

developed advanced methodologies for determining the flood risk along the coast, which are used to update the FIRMs. FEMA 

has also developed several programs to support flood hazard analysis specific to coastal conditions, including the Coastal Hazard 

Analysis Modeling Program, RUNUP software, and Wave Height Analysis for Flood Insurance Studies. 

Several factors can affect the flood and other coastal hazard risks. For instance, changes in coastal development and land use can 

change the way coastal flooding impacts a community. FEMA strives to maintain the most accurate flood and hazard maps possible, 

using the best data resources available. Advances in technology and data availability will continue to improve how FEMA evaluates 

flood and other coastal hazard risks.
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National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

NASA develops innovative airborne and satellite remote sensing technology, modeling, and analysis tools to better understand the 

Earth as an integrated system for societal benefit. NASA maps coastal regions as part of its ocean observing and modeling strategy, 

delivering long-term data records relevant to physical oceanography, biogeochemical sciences, and atmospheric science. Satellite 

remote sensing offers the advantage of frequent repeat measurements at regional scales, thereby complementing ship-based in situ 

and airborne platforms. The repeat observations allow the understanding of the integrated ocean system and time-varying physical 

properties and how they change from daily to seasonal and annual time scales. When the observations are combined with coupled 

ocean circulation, atmospheric circulation, and transport models, they provide important information on coastal processes at the 

surface and within the water column, including surface/atmosphere water and energy exchanges, biogeochemical, and ecological 

cycles, and on regional weather and climate. 

Over the past 50 years, NASA’s ocean remote sensing and mapping have involved the full suite of multispectral optical, thermal, and 

radar technologies. The wide variety of science data products derived from these missions are validated using ship and airborne 

platforms. NASA satellite missions are frequently executed with partner agencies, including NOAA, the USGS, and international 

partners. Mission priorities are guided, in part, by the National Academy of Sciences Decadal Surveys for Earth Science and 

Applications from Space. Observations from past and current missions that have contributed specifically to coastal and nearshore 

bathymetric mapping include the Landsat series, ICESat-2, and JASON satellite missions, and the airborne Operation IceBridge. In 

addition to the above missions, research at several NASA centers continues to investigate new variations of multispectral, LIDAR and 

radar technologies for deeper bathymetric penetration and imaging. NASA will continue to facilitate access to any current and new 

technological capabilities to support the Presidential Memorandum Strategy on Ocean and Coastal Mapping.

The NASA Earth Science Data and Information System with U.S. and international partners supports the processing, archiving, 

documenting, and distributing data from past and current Earth-observing satellites and field measurement programs, promoting 

open sharing with the general public. It further provides various browsers and software that facilitate access and visualization of 

mission and modeled data.

National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA)

With approximately 40% of the U.S. population living in coastal communities along the nation’s shorelines, accurately analyzing, 

mapping, preparing for, and mitigating the flood hazards in these areas is critical to addressing the threat of hurricanes, tropical 

storms, and sea-level rise. The NGA provides resources and FEMA guidance materials for coastal flood hazard analysis and mapping, 

as well as mitigation, preparedness, and recovery information on reducing coastal hazard risk. Map resources are intended for 

mapping professionals and contractors and hazard mitigation planners. NGA delivers world-class geospatial intelligence that 

provides a decisive advantage to policymakers, warfighters, intelligence professionals, and first responders. 

Anyone who sails a U.S. ship, flies a U.S. aircraft, makes national policy decisions, fights wars, locates targets, responds to natural 

disasters, or even navigates with a cellphone relies on NGA. Geospatial intelligence (GEOINT) is the exploitation and analysis of 

imagery and geospatial information to describe, assess, and visually depict physical features and geographically referenced activities 

on the Earth. GEOINT consists of imagery, imagery intelligence, and geospatial data.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

NOAA’s Integrated Ocean and Coastal Mapping program leads the acquisition and management of ocean and coastal mapping data 

to get the most value from data acquisitions. The program has recently contributed to the development of this strategic plan and 

has hosted the Alaska Coastal Mapping Summits to date. Continued investment in a local facilitator to carry out this strategic plan 

is critical to its success over the next five years. NOAA also has multiple offices with mapping missions, which include collecting 

topobathymetry, bathymetry, and orthoimagery in coastal regions. The primary offices of the National Ocean Service include the 

Office of Coast Survey, which is responsible for surveying and producing navigation charts and the Integrated Ocean Observing 

System (IOOS), which leads implementation and administration of observing systems in partnership with other federal and local 

agencies. The National Geodetic Survey (NGS) collects pre- and post- event orthoimagery data in response to disastrous flooding 

from hurricanes and storms, and more recently conducts shoreline mapping. In recent years, NGS has also collected baseline 

orthoimagery for large sections of the Alaska coast. The Office for Coastal Management (OCM) supports coastal zone management 

through collecting and providing coastal mapping data to the public. OCM has also contributed to recent major coastal mapping 

initiatives through cooperation with Alaska Department of Natural Resources, North Slope Bureau, and NOAA’s Center for 

Operational Oceanographic Products and Services in Alaska’s North Slope, Bristol Bay, Western Alaska, and St. Lawrence island 

areas by utilizing the OCM Coastal Geospatial Contract program. This program not only provides an efficient avenue for NOAA to 

direct internal funds towards significant mapping goals, but can host collaborative approaches to mapping by ingesting funds from 

outside NOAA, including from local, state, and other federal partners. The contracting service includes project management, quality 

assurance, and quality control. 
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NOAA is a critical partner in mapping Alaska’s coastal zone. Many different offices within NOAA have the capacity to assist in 

directing mapping priorities, collect mapping data, and facilitate investments from other partners. The National Weather Service’s 

use of accurate mapping is essential for accurate coastal flood and tsunami warnings in coastal Alaska. NOAA will continue to work 

with the State to connect with stakeholders, prioritize coastal mapping in Alaska, and direct coastal mapping funds.

National Park Service (NPS)

Of the 17 National Park System units in Alaska that the NPS manages, 11 collectively contain more than 3,600 miles of Alaska 

coastal shoreline. These parks were established to preserve their beauty, national significance, and natural and cultural legacy for 

the American people. NPS conserves and protects a variety of resources such as reefs, kelp forests, glaciers, estuaries, beaches, 

wetlands, abundant wildlife, coastal formations, historical and cultural sites, and more. Multiple federal laws require the service to 

protect these resources against threats from inside and outside of park administrative boundaries, including the NPS Organic Act 

and other statutes governing protection and management of public lands and natural and cultural resources. Common threats to 

NPS coastal resources include anthropogenic influences of overfishing, ocean acidification, changing climate, marine debris, erosion, 

invasive species, and unsustainable recreational demand. To address these concerns, the NPS has adopted priorities and strategies 

that increase the agency’s organizational and scientific capacity focused on ocean and coastal issues, including a national benthic 

and topobathymetric mapping priority. These priorities and strategies rely on geospatial and scientific data created with the use 

of mapping technologies (i.e., topographic LIDAR, orthometric imagery, bathymetric data, etc.), and data that must be up to date, 

accurate, and adhere to national data standards. These data are important management tools because they equip parks to: 

• protect natural and cultural resources

• better prepare and manage for natural hazards, change, and disturbance

• prioritize response and restoration

NPS’s participation in interagency coastal mapping initiatives, coastal mapping strategy development, and coastal data collection is 

therefore vital to achieving the NPS’ statutory mandate to conserve these coastal resources. 

National Science Foundation (NSF)

The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and the National Science Foundation publicly released new 3-D topographic maps of 

Alaska in support of a White House Arctic initiative to inform better decision-making in the Arctic. The models are based on 2-meter 

resolution images captured by DigitalGlobe commercial satellites. This technology is significant in polar mapping because it allows 

for more thorough coverage of the Arctic than did traditional imagery collection by aircraft, which is limited in the inhospitable and 

remote polar region. The models also provide critical data and context for decisions related to climate resilience, land management, 

sustainable development, safe recreation, and scientific research. With the Arctic region experiencing some of the most rapid and 

profound changes in the world, staying involved in the most up-to-date mapping solutions is critical. 

Projects funded by NSF have brought together a unique set of national assets, including the White House Office of Science and 

Technology Policy, NGA, the Polar Geospatial Center at the University of Minnesota, University of Illinois, Ohio State University and 

Cornell University, and many others. Teams from NGA and NSF worked with these partners to launch an unclassified, open Arctic 

portal where the Digital Elevation Model (DEM) and emerging information is available to the public. Esri, a geographic information 

system provider, hosts the site. The public website hosts Webmaps, map viewers, other DEM exploratory tools, nautical charts, 

sailing directions and infographics, and a downloadable Pan-Arctic map with mission-specific data layers. 

United States Arctic Research Commission (USARC)

USARC is an independent federal agency created by the Arctic Research and Policy Act of 1984. It is a presidentially appointed 

advisory body. As required by law, USARC releases, to the President and Congress, a biennial “Report on the Goals and Objectives 

for Arctic Research,” which regularly emphasizes the importance and value of mapping of Arctic waters and lands, especially those 

in Alaska. The Commission also develops and recommends an integrated national Arctic research policy and builds cooperative links 

in Arctic research within the federal government, with the State of Alaska, and with international partners. The law also requires 

the Commission to report to Congress on the progress of the Executive Branch in reaching goals set by the Commission and on their 

adoption by the Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee (IARPC). For more information, visit https://www.arctic.gov 

United States Army Corp of Engineers (USACE) Coastal Mapping Program/Joint Airborne LIDAR Bathymetry Technical Center of 

Expertise (JALBTCX)

JALBTCX is a partnership among the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Naval Oceanographic Office, NOAA, and the USGS. The 

JALBTCX and USACE National Coastal Mapping Program are responsible for collecting topobathymetric LIDAR along the ocean and 

lake coastlines of the continental U.S. on a five-year rotating cycle (which does not include Alaska). In 2016, JALBTCX recognized an 

opportunity to take advantage of regular operations that resulted in a JALBTCX aircraft transiting over Alaska. In 2018 and 2019, 

JALBTCX directed resources to collect topobathymetric LIDAR at 13 Alaska communities over the two-year period. These collections 
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are the only publicly available topobathymetric data collections completed in Alaska in the last decade. JALBTCX will continue to 

coordinate and communicate with the State program regarding topobathymetric LIDAR data collection priorities. 

United States Coast Guard (USCG)

The Coast Guard maintains the “signposts” and “traffic signals” (more than 50,000 Federal aids to navigation, including buoys, 

lighthouses, beacons, and radio-navigation signals) on the nation’s waterways. In addition, it operates Vessel Traffic Services in 

key ports and waterways to coordinate the safe movement of commercial vessels. The Coast Guard 17th District encompasses 

all 3,853,500 sq miles of Alaska and includes its 66,000 miles of shoreline. The United States placed its first aids to navigation in 

Alaskan waters in 1884. Today the Coast Guard actively maintains more than 1,300 Federal aids to navigation in the District 17th 

and works towards its mission to ensure our Nation’s maritime safety, security, and stewardship. Coast Guard missions include drug 

interdiction, defense readiness, migrant interdiction, coastal security, marine safety, aids to navigation, living marine resources, 

marine environmental protection, and ice operations.

United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) - Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)

As a member of the National Cooperative Soil Survey, NRCS is the lead Federal agency for mapping and interpreting our nation’s 

soil resources, including in our coastal zone areas. NRCS supports rigorous scientific content from field data gathering and research, 

diverse and uniquely effective partnerships, and modern techniques to produce spatial and tabular seamless soil surveys as well 

as the timely distribution of the data to all users. NRCS knows that more refined and detailed scientifically based coastal zone 

soil mapping, data, and interpretations are achievable. With vast improvements to remotely sensed data including LIDAR, aerial 

photography and topobathy, much of the spatial, coastal updates can be remotely assessed and verified with minimal time in the 

field. This collaborative, goal-oriented mapping will not only address the soil data needs of conservation planners and engineers, 

but it will also confront emerging issues such as climate change, coastal resiliency, estuary restoration, small and large-scale 

watershed use planning, and environmental literacy. Baseline coastal zone soil survey data is already guiding the protection, 

conservation, and management of our nearshore coastal waters and natural resources. The NRCS Snow Survey Program provides 

mountain snowpack data and streamflow forecasts for the western United States and Alaska. Common applications of snow survey 

products include water supply management, flood control, climate modeling, conservation planning, and recreation. NRCS is also 

the lead federal agency for implementing conservation solutions to protect natural resources on private lands, including those 

found along coastal zones. Voluntary conservation solutions offer more resilient landscapes, healthier soils, clean and abundant 

water, and thriving communities to help feed a growing world.

United States Department of Agriculture - United States Forest Service (USFS)

There is a strong need for a technical strategy in Alaska for delineating key shorelines and mapping the intertidal zone. Marine 

shorelines are critically important to the Forest Service as they serve as legal ownership boundaries and regulatory reference points. 

Precisely mapped shorelines are important for subsistence, estuary, forest, fish, and wildlife management. Accurately mapped 

shorelines are key to ecological monitoring and long-term planning and are essential reference layers for ecological research. The 

National Hydrography Dataset (NHD) and Watershed Boundary Dataset are the authoritative datasets used by the Forest Service for 

representing the nation’s surface waters, drainage networks, and related features, including rivers, streams, canals, lakes, ponds, 

glaciers, coastlines, dams, and stream gages. 

As a framework dataset for the Alaska Region, an accurate, updated shoreline will contribute to all of the Forest Service Strategic 

Goals, including: 

• Sustaining our nation’s forests and grasslands through increased knowledge in restoration and forest management

• Delivering benefits to the public by making the data publicly available through the NHD

• Applying knowledge globally by providing a repeatable methodology to share with our interagency and public partners

• Excelling as a high-performing agency by providing the most up-to-date information to our staff as they carry out the work of

the programs.

Portions of the shoreline along Alaska Region Forests have been mapped by NOAA. Yet there are still large areas of low accuracy 

shoreline. For example, over the Tongass National Forest roughly one-third of the mean high water shoreline contained in the 

NHD comes from a patchwork of 1:63,360 USGS/FS Topo quadrangle shorelines and air photo interpretation derived from source 

data, dating as far back as the 1930s. The outdated shorelines are in stark contrast with the segments of shoreline that have been 

updated with modern technology, including LIDAR- derived and NOAA coastal bathymetric survey shorelines.

United States Department of Transportation (USDOT)

USDOT and the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (AK DOT&PF) work together to implement evolving Federal 

requirements and the new directives in the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act. An effective implementation of these 
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requirements includes having accurate coastline input through mapping. AK DOT&PF is developing and continuously improving 

an accessible, accurate, and controlled inventory of public roadway features and linear coordinates for the Roadway Data System 

network. The network, a linear referencing system, will meet Federal and State requirements as well as the expanded needs of 

mandatory data programs within the department. To improve and expand Geographic Information System services, mapping, 

database management, web applications, training and technical/graphic assistance in support of DOT&PF’s core business areas. 

NOAA regularly partners with the USDOT on state road projects through USDOT’s Regional Offices. USDOT’s regional offices track 

projects in collaboration with State DOTs and could potentially provide information that supports planning for current and future 

coastal restoration opportunities.

United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)

The USFWS has trust responsibility for the many resources that are found in Alaska’s coastal zone. The coastal zone contains 

National Wildlife Refuges, migratory bird habitats, Endangered Species Act critical habitats, fisheries habitats, wetlands, and 

more. A complete framework of data from elevation and imagery to hydrography and wetlands is necessary to conduct planning 

efforts for future responsible management of resources. The FWS is the steward of the National Wetlands Inventory (NWI) data 

and is targeting completion of a statewide inventory. The program has contributed funding to numerous coastal zone imagery and 

elevation data collection projects in the past decade. Collaboration for data collection between the NWI program and the Coastal 

Mapping technical subcommittee will be essential for furthering the mission of both programs.

United States Geological Survey (USGS)

USGS includes coastal areas in its mapping missions in the form of onshore elevation data, bathymetry data, topobathymetric data, 

and orthoimagery data. The USGS has two main contracting vehicles: the Broad Agency Announcements (BAA) for the 3D Elevation 

Program (3DEP) and the Geospatial Products and Services Contract (GPSC). The BAA offers collecting up to 50% additional data as 

a match for elevation data acquisition. In addition, GPSC offers a suite of contracting services to both BAA and non-BAA projects. 

There have been several BAA LIDAR data collections in Alaska’s coastal areas in recent years. USGS will continue to work with the 

State to promote the awareness of the 3DEP program while connecting partners and communicating data gaps, with a goal to 

execute at least one coastal project per year in Alaska through BAA or other partnership processes.
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Acknowledgements

This document is a joint effort of the State of Alaska and the Alaska Mapping Executive Committee, co-chaired by the National 

Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the U.S. Geological Survey. Special thanks to the Alaska Ocean Observing System for 

reviews and support on implementation drafting.

Alaska Mapping Executive Committee Agencies:

Department of Agriculture

Department of Defense

Department of Homeland Security

Department of Interior

Department of Transportation

Environmental Protection Agency

Executive of the Office of the President, Office of Management and Budget

Executive of the Office of the President, Office of Science and Technology Policy

Federal Aviation Administration

Federal Emergency Management Agency

National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

National Science Foundation

United States Northern Command

United States Forest Service

United States Army Corps of Engineers

United States Geological Survey 

United States Bureau of Land Management

United States Bureau of Ocean and Energy Management

United States Fish and Wildlife Service

United States National Park Service 

State of Alaska, as determined under the leadership of the Governor’s Office 
For questions and more information, please contact Alaska 

Coastal Strategist Marta.Kumle@alaska.gov.

Kodiak Island, Alaska. Credit: NOAA