NSDI Framework

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NSDI Framework
General Overview
Alan Stevens International Program Manager
Federal Geographic Data Committee Global Spatial
Data Infrastructure Astevens_at_gsdi.org
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What is Framework?

• Forms the Backbone of the NSDI
• Base Data
• Procedures and technology for building and using
  the data
• Institutional relationships and business
  practices that support

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Why Do we Need Framework?

• Data are expensive and time consuming to produce
• Many organaisations require same base data and
  waste resources duplicating production
• Others go without the data because they do not
  have the resources
• If an application covers more than one
  jurisdiction, it is often hard to find and
  combine data themes

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Why Do we Need Framework?
Framework meets these needs by providing a
reliable, standardized source for commonly needed
and used geographic data themes.
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Benefits of Participation

• Benefits to producers and users
• gain customers
• reduce expenditures
• focus on primary business
• simplify and speed development
• use other organizations' data more easily
• gain recognition of programs
• leverage existing investment in data

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Extra Benefits for Early Participation

• Establish organizations position as leaders in
  the field
• Market advantage
• Speed the resolution of problems caused by
  conflicting data
• Rapid response for providing data
• Greater savings accrue over longer period

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Components of Framework

• Information Content
• Technical
• Operational Context
• Functional Activities and Business Context

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Information Content

• Caution Information content will probably be
  different for different countries and different
  regions of the world

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Information Content

• Caution Not everyone will agree on what
  constitutes the base information

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Provide a Base on Which to Compile Other Themes
Land Use A
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Information Content

• Geodetic control
• Digital orthoimagery
• Elevation data
• Transportation
• Hydrography
• Governmental Units
• Cadastral (reference system and public parcels)

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Geodetic control

• Provides means for determining locations
  referenced to horizontal and vertical coordinate
  systems.
• Control station
• name
• feature identification code
• horizontal position (latitude and longitude)
• vertical position (orthometric and ellipsoid
  height)

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Digital orthoimagery

• Georeferenced image from which distortions have
  been removed.
• Array of pixels which encode values for ground
  reflectance.
• Different resolutions of data can be included in
  the framework.

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Elevation data

• Vertical positions above or below a datum
  surface.
• For land surfaces, provide an elevation matrix
• Different resolutions can be included in the
  framework maximum spacing of 2 arc-seconds.
• For depths (bathymetry), provide soundings and a
  gridded bottom model (depth matrix).

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Transportation

• Roads
• feature identification code
• functional class
• name (including route numbers)
• street addresses

• Trail
• feature identification code
• name
• type

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Transportation

• Railroad
• feature identification code
• type
• Waterway
• feature identification code
• name

• Airports and Ports
• feature identification code
• name
• Bridge and Tunnel
• feature identification code
• name

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Hydrography

• Surface water features.
• Encoded using a vector spatial data model
  following U.S. EPAs River Reach scheme.
• Reach
• feature identification code (Reach Code).
• name
• type
• spatial representation
• Shoreline
• Connectivity and flow information desired.

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Governmental units

• Nation, State, Counties, Incorporated places,
  Consolidated cities, legal Minor civil divisons,
  and recognized Indian reservation and trustlands
  and Alaska native regional corporations
• name
• FIPS code (where applicable)
• Boundaries identify association with other
  features.

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Cadastral

• Cadastral reference system and large, publicly
  owned parcels.
• Survey corner
• identifier
• Survey boundary
• identifier
• Parcel
• identifier

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Technical Context
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Technical Context

• Proposed means use a consistent method of
  identifying units of framework data.
• Based on concepts of feature, attribute, and
  attribute value.
• Each feature is assigned a unique, permanent
  feature identification code.

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Features, Attributes, and Attribute Values

• Feature - an instance of a defined entity and its
  object representation (e.g. a road).
• Attribute - a defined characteristic of an entity
  type (e.g. name).
• Attribute Value - a specific quality or quantity
  assigned to an attribute for a specific entity
  instance (e.g. Elm Street).

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Approach Provides Means for Organizations to
Attach Attributes
Unique identifiers provides a means by which
different organizations can attach attribute
data.
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Technical Context

• Spatial data models.
• Feature, attribute, and attribute value.
• Common means to reference coordinate positions.
• Logical and geometric seamlessness.
• Cross-theme integration.
• Metadata, including data quality information.

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Operational Context
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Operational Context

• Support transactional updates.
• Ensure electronic access.
• Find data through the National Geospatial Data
  Clearinghouse.

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Approach Provides for Data Maintenance Through
Transactions

• Provides a means to
• Allow the update of data holdings without risking
  existing investments.
• Minimize the effort required to update a data
  holding.

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1.0
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Organization A
Organization B
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Functional Activities and Business Context
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Framework Approach
Federal agencies
Local agencies
State agencies
Utilities
Regional agencies
Private companies
Elevation and bathymetry

Hydrography
Geodetic
Cadastral
Transportation
Boundaries
Digital orthoimagery
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Activities Needed for the Framework

• Data Production
• Data Management
• Data Distribution
• Resource Management
• Coordination
• Monitoring
• Policy Development

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Business Context

• Avoid restrictive practices
• no exclusive distribution arrangements that
  inhibit timely and equitable access.
• avoid restrictions on reuse or redistribution of
  data.
• charges set to recover cost of dissemination
  only.
• Be available in nonproprietary format(s).
• Conform to standards and be certified.

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What is the Role for the National Mapping
Organisation?

• NMOs have been working in the Base Cartographic
  Data Business longer than most agencies.
• It is already working in the collection,
  production, operation, and business aspects
• It is not the only organisation to work with
  cartographic data but it does play a leadership
  role in this respect.

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The National Map Data Content

• Orthorectified imagery

• Land characterization

• Elevation

• Vector layers
• Transportation
• Hydrography
• Structures
• Boundaries

• Geographic names

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Implementation Activities
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What is the Role for the National Mapping
Organisation?

• Sell, sell, sell ..
• Organisational leadership on the need for SDI
• Political advocates on cost savings increased
  efficiencies
• Budget authorities on the need for resources
• Partner agencies on the benefits
• Local and regional organisations
• Private partners
• Outside supporters

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What is the Role for the National Mapping
Organisation?

• Implementation Considerations
• Widely different starting points in the
  community
• Near term needs for data
• Long term developmental aspect
• Phased implementation proposed

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What is the Role for the National Mapping
Organisation?
Organisational Partnership Development

• Agriculture
• Forestry
• Transportation
• Water
• Demographics
• Emergency Management

• Health
• Urban development
• Utilities
• Envrionmental Protection
• Many others

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What is the Role for the National Mapping
Organisation?Drive Consensus on Data Content
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Standards Needed for Framework

• Geographic reference
• Data quality
• Data integration
• Data transfer

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FGDC Framework Activities

• Sponsor meetings of framework pilot projects.
• Commission framework handbook.
• Competitively award support to projects
• Support research and studies.
• Develop standards and guidelines.

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For More Information
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For More Information

• Mail FGDC Secretariat
• c/o U.S. Geological Survey
• 590 National Center
• Reston, Virginia 20192
• Phone [phone]
• Facsimile [phone]
• Internet (e-mail) gdc_at_usgs.gov
• Anonymous FTP fgdc.er.usgs.gov
• WWW http//www.fgdc.gov