2009 FGDC Annual Report Released

The Federal Geographic Data Committee has released its 2009 Annual Report, detailing accomplishments from the last year and plans for the year ahead.

According to the introduction from FGDC's acting Chair Karen Siderelis (U.S. Department of the Interior), the theme of the report is "The U.S. Mortgage Crisis and Land Parcel Data."

Land parcel data combined with other geographic information are essential to such functions as the management of emergency situations, development of domestic energy resources, management of private and public lands, support of business activities, and monitoring of regulatory compliance. The feature story of this year’s report underscores the need for a coordinated system of land parcel information across the country.

The introduction also points to progress on Imagery for the Nation:

In particular, the FGDC is pleased to announce its approval of the Record of Decision of the Phase 1 plan for the Imagery for the Nation (IFTN) initiative, which is an important 2009 milestone.

The report includes ten highlights of 2009 progress:

1. The Geospatial Line of Business
2. The National Geospatial Advisory Committee
3. National Policy and Strategy for Geospatial Information
4. The Fifty States Initiative
5. International Activities
6. Geospatial One-Stop
7. Standards
8. Imagery for the Nation
9. National Land Parcel Data
10. Homeland Security and Emergency Management

And there are ten goals for 2010:

1. Advance the Geospatial Line of Business
2. Collaborate with the National Geospatial Advisory Committee
3. Kickoff Development of a National Policy and Strategy for Geospatial Information
4. Transition the Fifty States Initiative
5. Advance International Activities
6. Improve Geospatial One-Stop
7. Advance the Development and Acceptance of Standards
8. Implement Imagery for the Nation
9. Advance National Land Parcel Data
10. Support Homeland Security and Emergency Management

There is a section devoted to a report on parcel data ("Cadastral Data and the U.S. Mortgage Crisis: A Case for a National Land Parcel Database"), a section outlining challenges to achieve the NSDI, and, among the appendices, a review of the status of the NSDI Framework Data Themes.