The data base is a general GIS data base, maintained to support research and education. These applications include everything from planning, to environmental monitoring, to sociological studies. The data base contains a variety of types of information developed at a variety of map scales and resolutions.
Information is maintained at the national, state, and local level.
And Conventions All source, scale, projection, and other relevant meta-data about the data base are contained in complete data base documentation. Follow this link to see their documentation and to access their FTP site. This document discusses several aspects of the GIS data base, including the hardware and software, the organization, the types of data that have been and will be acquired, the scales at which data are being acquired, standardized procedures, and data documentation. This document in not yet complete. We are currently in the process of finishing the documentation for each of the included data sets.