NSGIC Mid-Year Reports: Imagery for the Nation Update

There was a panel of NSGIC, USDA, USGS, NGS, and EPA that gave an update of the status of the Imagery for the Nation (IFTN) project.

The National Digital Orthophoto Program, NDOP, met and selected an preferred approach to IFTN. NDOP has established subcommittees to look into Technical Specifications, Acquisition Management, and Program Management. The committees are meant to have draft reports back to NDOP this year.

Meanwhile, the FGDC Steering Committee is looking into the preferred alternative. The FGDC was also asked to establish an executive committee to review funding ideas for IFTN and for other NSDI initiatives.

NSGIC has been advocating for IFTN for the last year. Several members worked to try to get more funding for the National Agricultural Imagery Program (NAIP) into the Farm Bill. That was considered, but the effort failed for a few reasons, many of them not related to IFTN. It was a good effort to get IFTN at least raised in legislative discussions.

NSGIC is working now with MAPPS to try to resolve several issues and to work together on IFTN advocacy.

NSGIC continues to collect support and advocacy from states and other groups. There is new advocacy information available on the NSGIC web site. The IFTN web page has been update in general.

The Farm Services Administration depends on imagery for its services to farmers. NAIP provides a regular, natural color update. There are funding challenges. Trying to get to each county at least once each 5 years.

Funding grew for each year up through 2006. The funding for 2007 was very low. Funding for 2008 will grow slightly.

USGS is working to integrate orthoimagery, elevation and graphics programs. USGS is leveraging funds through partnerships with NGA and with states and local governments. They have a focus on the 133 urban areas as a priority.

USGS provides contracting help, QA/QC, and a seamless data server to provide access to the data.

They take a similar approach -- partnerships -- to collect elevation data. USGS is working towards a 1/3-arc second national elevation dataset (NED) dataset, nationally.

NOAA is collecting some imagery in coastal areas in support of their coastal mapping and benthic programs.

EPA also makes use of imagery in its Earth Observing Systems, which combine different data and imagery streams.

Update (3/18/08): Presentation materials from this session are now available on-line.

NSGIC Mid-Year Reports: NSGIC Goals and the NSDI

NSGIC President Cy Smith (Oregon) gave an overview of the NSGIC effort to create a new strategic framework for the National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI).

He reported that lots of progress has been made, but there is plenty that is left to be done.

NSGIC was formed about when NSDI discussions started and the group has taken part in many of the initiatives focused on the NSDI.

Mr. Smith said that a unified vision is required to achieve the NSDI. NSGIC plans to release a discussion draft of a strategic framework for the NSDI shortly after the NSGIC mid-year to outline a variety of approaches and initiatives to build the NSDI.

The 50 States Initiative, for example, includes strategic plan templates, guidance and common marketing tools.

Another approach has been the "Ramona" GIS Inventory to help manage GIS data resources.

Imagery for the Nation is a national aerial imagery program to collect imagery for all levels of Government across the nation. It was envisioned as the first in a series of national data development efforts designed to fill-out the NSDI. There are also transportation, addressing and other "For the Nations."

Mr. Smith encouraged NSGIC to focus on one initiative at a time, planning new ones while delivering older ones. The idea is to build a record of success.

It was suggested that the NSDI should be built from individual State SDI's. SSDIs have to be agreed upon and built at the state and local levels to build up to a national level. This will require a sustainable funding model. Most now use a "pay as you go" approach, which reduces long-term savings. The NSDI will need a strong shared vision to support long-term investment.

Data Stewardship is needed to ensure that we have proper on-going data management. A data stewardship model needs to include lifespan planning, metadata, and adequate funding.

There was a general discussion of what is needed to accelerate the implementation of the NSDI. The discussion included the need for more information and outreach, especially to mainstream IT agencies.

There was lots of discussion about working with and through NASCIO and other groups. There was an overview of COGO, the Coalition of Geospatial Organizations, which is just getting ramped up and has a wide variety of members.

Jill Saligoe-Simmel (Indiana) suggested that there are "Three Ls" that we need to keep in mind:

• Local data is best and needs to be the ultimate source.
• Licensing (copyright and data agreements) can interfere with overall goals.
• Leverage is needed to maintain a balance of equity and fairness among all levels of government.

There was discussion about different industry and interest groups to get involved in and ways to share the message from NSGIC about the NSDI.

There was also a discussion about making our reports and terminology work well for, and be understandable by other professional organizations.

Update (3/18/08): Presentation materials from this session are now available on-line.

A Podcast on NSGIC's National Initiatives

Directions Magazine has released a 20-minute podcast interview of TeleAtlas' John Auble on the subject of national-scale data initiatives such as Imagery for the Nation and Transportation for the Nation.

The podcast serves as something of a catch-up on the NSGIC 2007 Annual Conference, which Directions writers were not able to cover in person.

Auble, a member of the NSGIC Corporate Leadership Council, gave an overview, from his perspective, of the advances made in the last several years towards the goals of the 50 state initiative and more robust local/state/federal/private-sector partnerships.

Another (the Official) Update on Imagery for the Nation

The first of a planned series of Imagery for the Nation (IFTN) updates has been posted to the NSGIC web site.

Imagery for the Nation is a cooperative effort to make real a vision of "a sustainable and flexible digital imagery program that meets the needs of local, state, regional, tribal and federal agencies."

Update #1 (PDF) looks at several on-going activities related to the effort:

• Work now under way on a Cost Benefit Analysis study.
• Thoughts on the idea from the Western Governors Association.
• Recent discussions on potential funding options.
• Next steps and "what can I do to help?"

One answer to that last question is very simple:

You can assist the implementation of IFTN by showing your support for this initiative. Please have your organization send a letter of support to NSGIC for posting on its web page. You can simply use the format from one of the letters on the site, or create your own format. What’s important is your show of support.

Stay connected to the NSGIC blog and to the IFTN web site for further updates.

An Update on Imagery for The Nation

Ted Koch, NSGIC's lead on the Imagery for the Nation (IFTN) project, has posted an update on the project on the Wisconsin Mapping Bulletin.

He reports that the National Digital Orthophoto Programs Committee (NDOP) which has been focused on IFTN lately, met in May and continued their work to flesh-out what IFTN will mean:

The NDOP committee will be developing over the next six months a much greater level of detail on technical specifications, and program and management issues. Work on these issues will involve federal, state and local government participation.

He also reports on work on a Cost Benefit Analysis of IFTN funded by the USGS and the USDA

The CBA will compare costs over a 10-year period of the way orthoimagery is currently collected and achieved vs. the potential methods that could be possible under the IFTN proposal. The study will also look at overall risks and benefits to the proposed program.

He notes that the analysis is expected to be published this summer.