Sunk Cost, Well Spent: Enhancing 

Interagency Remote Sensing with the 

Civil Applications Committee

Daniel W. Opstal

Executive Secretary

Civil Applications Committee

dopstal@usgs.gov

703-648-7858

U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey 1

This briefing is unclassified. NGA Public Release Case # 17-601.
Bottom Line, Up Front

Federal Civil agencies have access to:

• Intelligence Community (IC)/Department of Defense (DoD) remote sensing 

data/capabilities, aka U.S. National Imagery Systems (since late 1960’s)

• National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) procured high resolution, 

unclassified satellite images (since 2010)

• Geospatial Intelligence (GEOINT) -- 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 information

Federal Civil agencies use these images and data to:

• Support public safety and disaster response

• Contribute to land, water, and resource management

• Increase scientific knowledge about the Earth’s surface and processes

• Discuss applicable DoD standards and methodologies for use by FedCivs

Civil Applications Committee

• Provides oversight and facilitation of civil agency use of IC and DoD remote 

sensing data and capabilities

• Enables Federal agency use of IC and DOD remote sensing data, tools, 

applications, and other capabilities

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How We Got Here

1960 – Launch of Corona, Nation’s first photoreconnaissance satellite

1965 – Bureau of Budget mapping study

1967 – President Johnson’s Science Adviser establishes 

committee to test utility of classified images for use 

by civilian agencies

1969 – USGS opens classified facility to update 

topographic maps; other Federal agencies use the 

facility as well

1975 – President Ford directed Interior Secretary to 

establish Civil Applications Committee (CAC)

1995 – Existence of the CAC declassified

2001 – CAC Executive Steering Group (ESG) established, 

chaired by Deputy Interior Secretary

2010 – Oversight expanded to include commercial imagery

2014 – ESG affirmed CAC’s role to support member 

missions, including law enforcement, regulatory, and 

homeland security functions

NORTH

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Civil Applications Committee Members
Today’s Civil Applications

Public Safety / Natural Hazards & Disasters

Detection, Assessment, Response, and 

Mitigation

Volcanoes Earthquakes

Wildfires Landslides

Floods Hurricanes

Scientific Research

Land, Water, and Resource Management

Environmental Monitoring

Mapping, Charting, and Geodesy

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March 2000

May 2016

Aviation Safety / Volcano Monitoring

The U.S. and its territories contain 169 potentially 

active volcanoes, of which over 50 are a very high or 

high threat to public safety.

Aviation Safety and Volcano Monitoring

• Aircraft flying the air routes shown above carry 

more than 50,000 passengers and millions of 

dollars of cargo each day

• Ash has caused jet engines to fail and is usually 

blown to the east and northeast, directly across 

the air routes

• Several explosive eruptions occur every year

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USGS access to National Imagery Systems (NIS) is 

critical for volcano monitoring and supporting aviation 

safety.

NCAC supports USGS Volcano Observatories in their 

mission to provide information about and warnings of volcanic 

activity in the United States and internationally through the 

Volcano Disaster Assistance Program

NCAC produced the image map above from several sources 

including NIS. This is an example of an unclassified non-literal 

image derived product

Bogoslof Volcano following 

the Dec 21, 2016 eruption. 
Nov 2012

Public Safety / Lava Flow Monitoring

Hawaii Volcano Observatory produced the map above from several 

sources, including information NCAC provided, to track flow of lava 

from Kilauea. Maps such as this inform local officials and the public 

about the danger.

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Helicopter overflight of Kīlauea Volcano's 

lower East Rift zone on May 19, 2018, ‘A‘ā

lava flows emerging from the elongated 

fissure 16-20 form channels. The flow 

direction in this picture is from upper center 

to the lower left.
March 2000

May 2016

Volcano Interagency Science Collaboration

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NCAC Source and NASA 

Collaboration Effort

• DoD Imagery supporting 

USGS/NASA science

• Hunga Tonga-Hunga

Ha'apai is the first island of 

this type to erupt and persist 

in the modern satellite era, it 

gives scientists an 

unprecedented view from 

space of its early life and 

evolution 

• The new study offers insight 

into its longevity and the 

erosion that shapes new 

islands

• Understanding these 

processes could also provide 

insights into similar features 

in other parts of the solar 

system, including Mars

• Video: 

https://www.youtube.com/

watch?v=sIXyxvSEKFY

NCAC produced the image map above from DigitalGlobe imagery 

collected via NGA’s EnhancedView contract with federal access 

granted via the NextView License. Platforms used include 

WorldView-2 and WorldView-3 imagery, NITF format, 0.5 - 2 m 

resolution (pan to MS)
March 2000

Nov 2012 May 2016

Fire Detection, Response, and Restoration

• Detection: timely reporting of wildfires.

• Response: fire perimeter map (right) used by the 

National Interagency Fire Center for incident 

command, daily planning, and dispatch.

• Restoration: remote sensing used for restoration 

efforts.

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Oil Spill Research and Testing

The Bureau of Safety 

and Environmental 

Enforcement and the 

National Oceanic 

Atmospheric 

Administration conduct 

comparative analysis 

on how remote sensing 

systems detect, monitor 

and measure oil slicks 

and emulsions in the 

marine environment. 

Analysis done using 

panchromatic and 

multi-spectral imagery.

Getting ahead of the next Deepwater Horizon
• Must be Federal civil agency and 

within their statutory mission

• Follows applicable laws and 

regulations protecting personal 

rights, personal privacy, and civil 

liberties

• Proper Use Memoranda in limited 

circumstances; most departments 

will maintain Civil Domestic Tasking 

Memoranda to oversee efforts/legal 

authorities

CAC Member Use of Data

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Ocean Surface Topography Mission on JASON-2 Satellite
CAC and Geospatial Intelligence Standards

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• CAC/FGDC iミtersects ┘ith the NGA’s Geospatial Iミtelligeミce “taミdards Working Group: 

http://www.gwg.nga.mil/

• Standards are crucial to ensuring the compatibility and interoperability of GEOINT data 

and systems that make up the NSG architecture

• Universally accepted and agreed upon standards ensures that NSG system components 

do what they are required to do and are integrated in a way that allows GEOINT to be 

exchanged between them. 

• Challeミgiミg iミ a tiマe of chaミge ┘ithiミ IT architecture aミd ┘ith the ad┗eミt of さBig Dataざ

Breadth of Standards

IT

Standards

(DISA) 

GEOINT

Standards

(NGA)

Security

Standards

(DNI)

Corporate

Operations 

Standards 

(US Govt.)

Standards Supporting the NSG Architecture
CAC and Geospatial Intelligence Trends

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• Artificial Intelligence (AI, Augmentation and Automation)

• Social Media/Mobile Data

• Geospatial Data As A Service (NOT the raw pixels)

• Cloud Computing (Back-end IT and Geospatial Software) 

Geospatial Information to create Decision Advantage

• Ubiquity of Unmanned Aerial Systems (Motion Imagery 

Standards Board of the GWG)

Source: Geospatial World,

https://www.geospatialworld.net/blogs/topsix-geoint-trends/ and author
CAC / NSG Engagement

• CAC is a combined voice for the federal civil community within the National System for 

Geospatial-Intelligence (NSG)

– NSG: US Government community, capabilities, assets, and other aspects of geospatialintelligence that supports US national security decision making and US military operations

– GEOINT: The term ‘geospatial intelligence’ means the exploitation and analysis of 

imagery and geospatial information to describe, assess, and visually depict physical 

features and geographically referenced activities on the earth. Geospatial intelligence 

consists of imagery, imagery intelligence, and geospatial information

– NSG GEOINT Functional Manager is the NGA Director 

• NSG Senior Management Council - semi-annual meeting, 3-star and Senior Executive level 

forum chaired by NSG Functional Manager

– USGS (Principal member)

– CAC (Associate member)

• National Geospatial Intelligence Committee, aka GEOCOM - governance body for NSG 

coordination and decision making, chaired by NGA Associate Director

– USGS (Principal member), CAC (Associate member)

– CAC also participates on the GEOINT Operations Board, GEOINT Resources Board, 

GEOINT Collections Subcommittee, and other Ad Hoc/Standing Committees as needed 

– GEOCOM is an Ex-Officio member of the CAC

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Structured Analytic Gateway for Expertise (SAGE) –

Open, FOUO and mobile information sharing

A hub for CAC minutes and topics of 

interest to the Federal Civil 

Community

Hosts FEMA/USDA Disaster 

Community Data
Contacts:

Daniel W. Opstal

CAC Executive Secretary

dopstal@usgs.gov

703-648-7858

Paul M. Young

Director, National Civil Applications Center 

pyoung@usgs.gov

703-648-5115
Backup Slides

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Where to Find Remote Sensing Data

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Earth Explorer - https://earthexplorer.usgs.gov/
Enhanced View Web Hosting Service Access

To view current and past data:

https://evwhs.digitalglobe.com

Needed to request an 

account:

• Organization: Military, 

Dept of Defense, 

Intelligence Community, 

Federal Civilian, or 

Contractors

• Name, agency, title, 

phone, email, citizenship

• Geographic Area of 

Interest

• Justification for Access 

Requested (must be within 

mission of your agency)

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Yukon River Delta, August 16, 2018
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Yukon River Delta, June 21, 2015
CRSSP Imagery Derived Requirements (CIDR)

Commercial Remote 

Sensing Space Policy 

(CRSSP) Imagery 

Derived Requirement 

(CIDR):

Entry Tool for Federal / 

Civil agencies to submit 

imagery requirements 

(new tasking and 

historical images from 

the archive)

https://cidr.cr.usgs.gov

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