A major responsibility of the U.S.

Geological Survey (USGS) is to ensure

geospatial data availability. This includes

the cooperative production of digital

geospatial data through the National

Mapping Program's Innovative Partnerships (IP) initiative, which began in

October 1992.

The USGS recognizes the public benefit

of obtaining digital data that State and

local government agencies, academic

institutions, public utilities, and private

firms produce to support their own

mapping needs. Incorporating digital

products prepared by these organizations

into the National Mapping Program

reduces duplicative data collection and

leverages funds in obtaining standardized

digital map data for the public domain as

part of the National Spatial Data

Infrastructure (NSDI). 

The general goal of IP's is to obtain

digital elevation, vector line, orthoimage,

and similar data, in USGS or compatible

formats, for the public domain from

non-Federal producers using Federal

assistance. These data are obtained under

cooperative agreements with qualified

applicants identified through publicly

advertised program announcements. Data

are captured from or referenced to USGS

primary topographic series maps, and/or

meet requirements for accuracy,

resolution, source suitability, file extend,

and format. The primary series includes

1:24,000-scale quadrangle maps of the

conterminous United States and Hawaii

and 1:63,360-scale maps of Alaska. The

IP's accelerate the building of publicdomain geospatial databases, provide

data to support resource management and

geographic information system requirements, support NSDI activities using

framework and clearinghouse concepts,

address congressional directives concerning commercialization, and increase

the amount of geospatial data available

to support the National Mapping

Program. In addition, they take

advantage of opportunities to build

Federal and non-Federal mapping

partnerships at favorable cost, minimize

duplication of effort in geospatial data

collection, and evaluate alternative

production methods and data transfer

procedures.

Federal assistance may be monetary or

nonmonetary. Nonmonetary assistance

may take the form of Governmentfurnished materials, services, training, or

software. Data processing costs incurred

by the USGS to bring the data to the

national standard may reduce assistance.

Overall, the IP program is limited by

available funding. Awards are made to

applicants offering the greatest program

and technical benefits at a fair and

reasonable price. The USGS may support

some, all, or none of the proposals

received and may limit the amount of

work to be performed or data to be

obtained through IP cooperative

agreements. Support for future years of

multiyear agreements is contingent on a

Innovative Partnerships

Plot of digital line graph data—northwest corner of

Bombay, New York-Quebec Quadrangle, 1:24,000 scale,

showing hydrography, roads and trails, railroads,

miscellaneous transportation, and hypsography.

Part of a 7.5-minute digital elevation model plot of

Tumwater, Wash.

Partial image of a digital orthophoto of Washington, D.C.

U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey

USGSFact Sheet 052-01

May 2001
recipient's successful completion of work

during the initial period of performance

and on the continued availability of

USGS funds. If funding is not available

for an otherwise acceptable proposal, the

USGS may, with the applicant's concurrence, hold it for award when funding

becomes available. 

Information

For further information, contact:

John Szemraj, IP Coordinator

U.S. Geological Survey

MS 511 National Center

Reston, VA 20192

Phone: 703-648-4655 

E-mail: jszemraj@usgs.gov

For information on other USGS products

and services, call 1-888-ASK-USGS, use

the Ask.USGS fax service, which is

available 24 hours a day at 703-648-

4888, or visit the general interest

publications Web site on mapping,

geography, and related topics at

mapping.usgs.gov/mac/isb/pubs/pubslists

/index.html.

For additional information, visit the

ask.usgs.gov Web site or the USGS home

page at www.usgs.gov.

A part of the Washington West, D.C., digital raster graphic from the CD-ROM titled “Capital Cities of the United States.”

USGS Program Announcement

00HQPA0007 for Innovative

Partnerships, entitled "Innovative

Partnerships for the Acquisition,

Preparation, and/or Maintenance of

Digital Geospatial Data for the Public

Domain," is in effect until September

30, 2003. A digital copy can be

obtained from the Internet at the

following address: 

www.usgs.gov/contracts/index.html

For a complete printed program

announcement, fax a request to

William Cannady, USGS Contracting

Officer, at 703-648-7304. Technical

information regarding the various

digital data formats and standards are

available on the Internet at the address

shown below:

mapping.usgs.gov/standards/

index.html