GPS World

Tag: Federal Geographic Data Committee

  • FGCS meets to address the National Spatial Reference System

    FGCS meets to address the National Spatial Reference System

    In last month’s GPS World newsletter, I mentioned that the National Geodetic Survey (NGS) would host a meeting of federal geospatial agencies under the auspices of the Federal Geodetic Control Subcommittee (FGCS). The purpose is to increase awareness and coordinate the NSRS Modernization across the government.

    The FGCS meeting took place on Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026. This session was highly informative and played a key role in aligning federal agency engagement strategies and self-assessments in preparation for the final adoption of the modernized NSRS and its associated new datums.

    The FGCS holds a central position within the Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC). It coordinates geodetic activities across the federal government by

    • Developing and promoting standards
    • Advancing the use of authoritative geodetic control
    • Facilitating the modernization of the NSRS across agencies
    • Recommending the official adoption of the modernized NSRS by the FGDC as the foundational basis for geodetic control throughout the United States.

    The agenda for the Jan. 21 meeting is detailed in the section titled “Federal Geodetic Control Subcommittee Meeting.” This gathering supported broader efforts to raise awareness, ensure coordination and prepare agencies for the upcoming transition to the modernized NSRS, with formal approval and release anticipated later in 2027.

    Federal Geodetic Control Subcommittee Meeting

    January 21, 2026

    Agenda: 

    MC: Christine Gallagher

    TimeTopicPresenter
    1:00 – 1:15 pmWelcome and IntroductionsDaniel Roman
    1:15 – 1:20 pmNational Geodetic Survey (NGS) UpdateMarian Westley
    1:20 – 1:30 pmGeodetic Control Theme Update and its Modernization TimelinesDaniel Roman
    1:30 – 2:00 pm NGS Modernization Engagement Plan and ProgressDana J Caccamise II / Christine Gallagher
    2:00 – 2:15 pmBureau of Ocean Energy Management / Kearns & WestAndy Archer / Kyle Vint
    2:15 – 2:30 pmUS Census National Spatial Reference System (NSRS) Modernization PreparationVince Ossier / Josh Coutts
    2:30 – 2:40 pmBreak
    2:40 – 2:55 pmUS Department of Transportation NSRS Modernization PreparationAmy Nelson / Derald Dudley
    2:55 – 3:10 pmAmerican Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing & National Society of Professional Surveyors Working Groups Chris Parrish / Linda Foster
    3:10- 3:50 pmDiscussion: Q&A from Agency presentations. What hurdles to implementation do you see or anticipate? Share your insights from internal working groupsGroup Discussion Moderator:  Dana J Caccamise II and Daniel Roman
    3:50 – 4:00 pmClosing Remarks Daniel Roman
    Adjourn to Silver Branch

    The meeting lasted three hours and covered a lot of material. Below are highlights; contact FGCS for the full meeting recording.

    Christine Gallagher, NGS, opened the FGCS session and introduced Dan Roman, NOAA’s National Geodetic Survey senior advisor for geodesy.

    Roman welcomed everyone and briefly outlined the meeting’s purpose. He then introduced Marian Westley, director of the Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services (CO-OPS) and current acting director of NGS.

    Westley’s remarks were brief but important. She noted CO-OPS manages tide gauges and is updating several datums in partnership with NGS, including the Great Lakes International Great Lakes datum. She said the United States and Canada, along with NOS and other federal agencies such as the Corps of Engineers, are heavily involved in Great Lakes management. She also reported that CO-OPS is updating the National Tidal Datum Epoch (current NTDE: 1983-2001) and is working closely with NGS to tie the updated NTDE to the new NSRS. See the image titled “The NTDE Update: New Tidal Datums are Coming!“

    During Roman’s comments, he highlighted the agencies and professional societies participating in the meeting presentations and provided an update on the latest rollout schedule for the modernized NSRS.

    He emphasized that this Jan. 21, FGCS meeting marks the start of a broader coordination process. The primary purpose of this high-level session was to facilitate the sharing of experiences, strategies, and best practices among federal agencies as they prepare for NGS’s NSRS modernization and the transition to the new reference frames and datums.

    Roman noted that future FGCS meetings will shift to a more technical and detailed focus. These subsequent sessions will allow agencies to present their self-assessment results, outline implementation strategies, and discuss progress toward adopting the modernized NSRS.

    Key objectives across these meetings include:

    • Collecting questions and feedback from participants,
    • Understanding user needs and required accuracy levels,
    • Identifying anticipated challenges during the transition,
    • Exploring opportunities for federal agencies to collaborate and support one another throughout the implementation process.

    This series of FGCS engagements aims to ensure coordinated, informed, and effective preparation across the federal government ahead of the final adoption and full rollout of the modernized NSRS.

    Here are a few key points based on Dan’s remarks:

    • Today’s presentations provide a broad overview of geospatial data modernization to inform departments about actions they may need to take and to start a dialogue about what each department is doing.
    • NGS encourages agencies to form working groups; those groups must define their own requirements and create migration plans, including assessing existing data, required accuracies, and the tools needed based on product accuracy statements.  [Note: My October 2025 GPS World newsletter highlighted organizations that are forming 2022 Reference Working Groups.]  NGS will designate points of contact to facilitate discussions and planning.
    • FGCS provides guidance on using geodetic data with various tools, models, and SOPs. User needs vary by accuracy: e.g., a 3-meter horizontal allowance (aids to navigation) is straightforward, while 3-centimeter requirements (e.g., FEMA Elevation Certificate) need more precise methods.
    • Several beta products released in July 2025 are being finalized, enabling the private sector to integrate them into services.  NGS is currently developing models and software to transform coordinates from the old datum to the new one. These models are expected around March, and in June/July NGS anticipates releasing an updated Beta NCAT tool to transform coordinates to the new datum. This tool will help users understand differences in local datums.
    • Final steps include FGCS recommendations for FGDC to adopt the new NSRS and to publish a Federal Register notice on the adoption of the modernized NSRS, anticipated to be completed in early 2027.

    After Dan Roman’s comments, Dana J Caccamise II gave a presentation describing NGS Modernization Engagement Plan and Progress.  Dana should get an award for material he has prepared and for his work to assist agencies and professional organizations in preparing for the new NSRS.  In my October 2025 GPS World Survey Scene newsletter, I highlighted the work of Dana J. Caccamise II, NGS regional geodetic advisor. Dana has developed vital guidance materials shared with federal agencies — such as the Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) and professional organizations including the National Society of Surveyors (NSPS), American Society of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ASPRS), and American Association for Geodetic Surveying (AAGS). 

    Here are a few key points based on Dana’s presentation titled “Visualizing Impact: Preparing for NSRS Modernization Through Geospatial Readiness and Collaboration.”

    • Caccamise said that what started as a focused task quickly grew into a broader strategic effort. He shared insights to encourage thinking about NSRS modernization not merely as a technical update but as a strategic business decision that will shape how agencies create, manage, and share basic data across programs, systems, and partnerships.
    • Caccamise briefly provided details to the U.S. Census. Before diving into modernization, he offered a personal glimpse of what it’s like to do a federal detail across agencies, noting he was fortunate to do a detail with the Census not long ago.
    Image: FGCS January 21, 2026, Public Meeting
    Image: FGCS Jan. 21, 2026, Public Meeting
    • Drawing on his experience, Caccamise emphasized the importance of cross-agency readiness and of building resilient trust and communication structures. While on detail at the Census, he was regularly surprised by new challenges, which made the work engaging; he strongly recommended that others take a detail at another agency if they have the opportunity. A key takeaway was the value of visualizing impact: beyond cataloging geospatial datasets, users must identify which support critical decisions, which are shared across agencies, and which risk becoming outdated if you don’t adapt. Mapping themes and workflows revealed real dependencies and, more importantly, vulnerabilities. That detail shifted his  focus from “what data do we have” to “what roles does this data play.”
    Image: FGCS January 21, 2026, Public Meeting
    Image: FGCS Jan. 21, 2026, Public Meeting
    • Efforts around NSRS modernization include a key product developed by Caccamise: the Ready Package. Designed to help agencies assess their readiness for NSRS modernization, the package includes communication tools, technical checklists, and talking points to support agency staff.
    Image: FGCS January 21, 2026, Public Meeting
    Image: FGCS Jan. 21, 2026, Public Meeting
    • He mentioned that from field-level GIS technicians to senior policy leads, everyone needs to understand what’s changing and why it matters. A key part of engagement is meeting people where they are. Dana has worked with agency partners to raise awareness, build interest, and strengthen understanding — not just of technical changes but of the organizational shifts needed for a smooth transition.
    • For agencies whose statistical workflows depend on spatially referenced data, that means ensuring location-based datasets remain accurate, comparable over time, and interoperable across programs when the reference system changes. Ultimately, this is about more than new coordinates: it’s about linking strategic planning to operational implementation, from data collection and integration to interagency coordination and informed decision-making.
    • He mentioned that the big question he’s hearing from many organizations is: how should customers and partners prepare for modernization?   He provided the following advice.  Start by evaluating your geospatial workflows to understand how the transition will affect data management, operations, and decision-making. Assess dependencies on NGS products and services to ensure continued access and interoperability and proactively identify challenges and opportunities – he mentioned that NGS can’t do this for you because each agency’s situation is unique. Address potential impacts early to reduce operational risk by finding weak points before they cause surprises. Act now: preparing early will minimize future cost and complexity.
    Image: FGCS January 21, 2026, Public Meeting
    Image: FGCS Jan. 21, 2026, Public Meeting
    • For example, working with the Census under the current national spatial reference system highlights the geographic scope of some operational areas, which span multiple tectonic plates as modeled in the modernized NSRS. Even small regional differences can affect how location-based data are collected, integrated, and compared — especially for programs that need consistent, long-term geospatial baselines. Today, federal agencies commonly use three reference systems — NAD27, NAD83, and WGS84, which complicates geospatial data management.
    • The Census is a major user and producer of geospatial data, relying on GIS to support operations. This includes the MAF/TIGER geographic database, which contains roads, rail lines, hydrography, landmark features, and legal and statistical boundaries.
    • Along with many other critical datasets, the Census’s collaborative spatial and statistical research is more effective and interoperable when grounded in a common reference system, such as the National Spatial Reference System.
    Image: FGCS January 21, 2026, Public Meeting
    Image: FGCS Jan. 21, 2026, Public Meeting
    • Because these datasets are inherently geospatial, many, especially those requiring high positional accuracy or relying on external references such as airborne or satellite data, will be affected by NSRS modernization. The update will enable more consistent data stewardship and support integrated spatial analytics, helping align with individual agency spatial data strategies. Bureau-level geospatial work becomes more effective and future-ready when supported by a modern, shared spatial reference system like the NSRS.
    • One of the biggest risks is cultural, not technical. If the NSRS is treated as just another dataset, rather than an enabling framework, the foundation for other systems weakens. When the NSRS is recognized as the framework, everything built on it has a solid base. You can’t manage risk if you can’t measure it—and the NSRS is how we measure. Here are a few practical examples.
    • Floodplain mapping and storm surge models depend on accurate vertical data. Errors of even a foot can leave neighborhoods unprotected or cause unnecessary regulation.
    • In transportation, subsidence is a hidden risk: roads and bridges may seem fine until precise geometric monitoring reveals sinking.
    • Shoreline change is a growing challenge; coastal communities need accurate shoreline monitoring for planning and insurance.
    • In public safety, emergency response relies on precise locations — from 911 calls to field deployments. Seconds and meters matter when lives are on the line.
    Image: FGCS January 21, 2026, Public Meeting
    Image: FGCS Jan. 21, 2026, Public Meeting
    • As Roman mentioned, Caccamise also stated that the modernized NSRS is being released in phases. Initial beta releases are available now for testing and evaluation—not final production. NGS plans to release the remaining components in beta during this calendar year. The modernized NSRS will replace the current datums at least six months after the final preliminary component is released, giving partners time to review the beta and provide feedback. Near the end of this period, FGCS will convene to discuss and socialize the modernization details and the planned datum replacement.

    Next steps for your agency’s modernization:

    • Evaluate operational needs and identify changes that aren’t necessary.
    • Assess organizational impacts and staff readiness—are teams prepared for modernization?
    • Determine how existing programs and regional support will be affected.
    • Collaborate with partner agencies to align shared datasets, reduce redundancy, and maximize efficiency.
    • Prioritize leadership and communication to ensure the organization understands the changes.
    • Plan for future improvements in spatial accuracy, even if you don’t need them immediately.
    Image: FGCS January 21, 2026, Public Meeting
    Image: FGCS Jan. 21, 2026, Public Meeting
    • As noted by Dan Roman, Dana Caccamise also highlighted that many lower-accuracy datasets may not require coordinate changes beyond updating their metadata—typically those with spatial accuracy on the order of 10 ft or worse. However, he also noted an important caveat: many operational workflows don’t actively read or enforce metadata. In those cases, the risk is not the dataset itself but the accuracy context that becomes embedded as data moves through systems.
    • An early, critical step is therefore to identify not only which datasets are likely unaffected but also how those datasets are consumed, transformed, and reused. That approach prevents unnecessary work and avoids unintended downstream impacts. Remember: NSRS modernization is more than a technical update, it’s an opportunity to strengthen your agency’s future geospatial capabilities.
    • Now, I know this newsletter is long, but I would like to highlight one more presentation that I believe provides a model for other agencies to follow.  That is, the presentation of the Department of Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) activities presented by Kyle Vint (Vice President, Kearns & West) – “From Proactive Engagement to Lasting Impact: BOEM’s Path to Datum Readiness.” 
    Image: FGCS January 21, 2026, Public Meeting
    Image: FGCS Jan. 21, 2026, Public Meeting

    Kearns & West is a communications and engagement specialization firm.  The materials that they develop to support internal communications and outreach within an organization are available for other organizations. They provided a QR code for others to access their resources.

    Vint outlined BOEM’s operating context and described how the agency is proactively addressing NSRS modernization, including several strategies.

    Image: FGCS January 21, 2026, Meeting
    Image: FGCS Jan. 21, 2026, Meeting

    BOEM’s challenges are partly historical: until about 2010, it was part of a parent agency that has since split into three separate agencies. That fragmentation means BOEM must coordinate data and change management not only internally but across three agencies that share data centers and geospatial datasets. BOEM relies on authoritative geospatial data to manage offshore energy and mineral activities on the Outer Continental Shelf; BOEM’s Geospatial Services Division supports this by maintaining leases and boundaries that underpin program decision-making. Because the ocean serves many purposes, BOEM relies on multiple layers of information from different agencies to support those decisions.

    BOEM’s path to modernization is further complicated by internal organizational factors. The agency struggled with the NAD27-to-NAD83 transition due to resource constraints and misunderstandings — some staff believed modernization would alter legal lease blocks, which they expected to be immutable — so the transition was not fully implemented.

    Image: FGCS January 21, 2026, Meeting
    Image: FGCS January 21, 2026, Meeting

    BOEM holds large datasets in both NAD27 and NAD83, fragmenting its workflow. Maintaining and converting between multiple reference systems is labor-intensive and introduces inconsistencies.

    BOEM must dedicate substantial staff time to managing data in multiple reference systems. BOEM’s Geospatial Services Division recognized early that continuing workarounds would increase risk over time, so they began proactive modernization planning.

    The Geospatial Services Division saw this as more than a technical issue — it’s also a people, communication, and resourcing challenge. BOEM shifted from fragmented efforts to a proactive, multi‑year planning approach emphasizing governance, leadership buy‑in, and clear communication. The Geospatial Services Division established a milestone‑based approach for consistent messaging and coordination across stakeholders and offers internal expertise to support programs and regions as they assess costs and technical complexity.

    Their strategy seeks common ground to pool resources for shared problems and to use the Geospatial Services Division as an internal augmentation so individual offices aren’t forced to opt out. This reduces cost uncertainty and enables realistic planning for timelines and required participants.

    Image: FGCS January 21, 2026, Public Meeting
    Image: FGCS January 21, 2026, Public Meeting

    As part of the process, user personas were created to identify who would struggle with each step and who would benefit from early, sustained engagement. For each group, they defined the value of participating and explained why they were invited.

    BOEM leaderships were treated like investors—they ensured they brought geospatial experts to meetings so questions could be answered, and so leadership had actionable budget information for long‑term planning. At the program and regional level, data experts who know existing datasets, reference systems, dependent applications, and potential workflow challenges were part of the process.

    They also documented internal roles so others can model the approach. The Geospatial Services Division coordinates the effort across the organization. Program and regional experts provide domain knowledge. Kearns & West (technical and communications contractors) supported messaging, prepared materials, and ran meetings so BOEM staff could focus on the conversation. Clear roles and sustained engagement have been critical in this multi‑year planning effort.

    Image: FGCS January 21, 2026, Public Meeting
    Image: FGCS January 21, 2026, Public Meeting

    The team developed a Survey and sent it to each program and region to gather resource requirements. The survey asked what data they have and its characteristics, which applications or workflows depend on that data and could be affected by modernization, and what technical resources they expect will be needed to support budgeting.

    Image: FGCS January 21, 2026, Meeting
    Image: FGCS January 21, 2026, Meeting

    As part of the process, they are building internal champions to advocate for the effort, simplifying complex issues so staff can brief leadership, and convening agencies, partners, and industry to co-create solutions.

    Finally — thanks for sticking with this lengthy newsletter. I know it’s long, but the information is important for federal agencies and their contractors. One more item: a key session is scheduled for GeoWeek — “Roundtable – NSRS Modernization and Professional Societies” — on 02/18/2026 at 10:30 AM. See the box titled “Roundtable – NSRS Modernization and Professional Societies” for presentation and speaker details.

  • Geospatial Data Act will bring huge changes to America, and the world

    Photo: iStock.com/Jirantanin Chanachaiviriyakul
    Photo: iStock.com/Jirantanin Chanachaiviriyakul

    “The benefits of geospatial technology are truly untold. However, when our federal agencies use geospatial data, different agencies can acquire duplicative information and waste precious taxpayer resources in the process. I am glad House leadership listened to industry stakeholders and included the Geospatial Data Act in the FAA Reauthorization Bill of 2018. This will streamline the collection of this data across the federal government while saving money, improving information accuracy, and providing a more modern system for collecting and sharing geospatial data.”

    — Rep. Bruce Westerman, Arizona, introducing the Geospatial Data Act to the House of Representatives, 115th Congress

    On Oct. 3, I was at a crowded after-hours event with friends in Washington, D.C., standing in a darkened corner of the room where I could both see and hear the speaker. A man approached me, a featureless silhouette in the dark tapping me on the shoulder. He introduced himself as an employee of the U.S. Geological Survey, and said he heard I was with the Federal Aviation Administration.

    He asked if I knew anything about the FAA Reauthorization Bill because it had language from the Geospatial Data Act in it. His mention was the first I had heard of it. It came as a surprise. I expected a few passages from the Bill but nothing more; and, in fact, I did not expect it to even come up for a vote this year because of the divisive political atmosphere.

    Two days later, on Friday, Oct. 5, President Donald Trump, along with 11 high ranking officials, signed the FAA Reauthorization Bill into law with overwhelming support. The Senate passed it 93-6, and the House passed it 398-23. The bipartisanship of this bill should have made the news – both sides of the contentious isles coming together to pass so important a piece of legislation. It happened without fanfare or recognition aside from certain circles, but within H.R. 302 was contained the entire Geospatial Data Act 2018.

    An email from the Maryland State Geographic Information Committee (MSGIC) alerted me. Not even the FAA sent an email praising the aspects of the bill beyond what immediately applied to the FAA. If the stranger from USGS had not forewarned me I would not have been keen to the press release and overlooked its significance.

    Most people are unaware that the Geospatial Data Act (GDA) is now law. Even fewer realize that the GDA applies not only to the FAA, but to all government agencies except for the Department of Defense and the intelligence community.

    The Long and Winding Road of the Geospatial Data Act

    Attempts at creating a unifying federal geospatial policy can be traced to shortly after the Civil War. There was no powerful, central, national unifying authority before then. The states were sovereign entities with their own maps, and place names did not have to be agreed upon between states.

    This is visible today in the names of Civil War battles, many of which are named differently by each warring side; for example, the bloody Battle of Antietam is the same as the Battle of Sharpsburg, and the Battle of Bull Run is the same as the Battle of Manassas. Upon those hallowed grounds so many died that the dual names exist because they were paid for in blood.

    War drives the need for intelligence. Geography is of paramount importance for generals. The 1860s was a boom time for surveyors and cartographers because of the Civil War and the American Indian Wars.

    Additionally, in the 1860s Alaska was purchased from Russia and America built the first transcontinental railroad. Those geopolitical events changed the country, and the government needed to inventory the emerging nation.

    Many companies were employed to do the work, but they were not coordinated, costing excess amounts of money. This prompted the establishment of the United States Geological Survey (USGS) in 1879 to oversee the survey companies.

    Roosevelt on a digging machine during construction of the Panama Canal, circa 1908. (Photo: Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division)
    Roosevelt on a digging machine during construction of the Panama Canal, circa 1908. (Photo: Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division)

    Problems were identified among the many maps created. Place names and spelling changed from map to map. The country needed a coordinated effort to deal with these discrepancies. President Benjamin Harrison addressed this with Executive Order 28 (27-A) in 1890, establishing the Board of Geographic Names.

    In 1906, during the middle of building the Panama Canal, President Theodore Roosevelt — who had direct experience with survey and mapping companies — signed Executive Order 493 renaming the Board of Geographic Names to the U.S. Geographic Board and adding to its purpose reducing duplicative survey and mapping efforts.

    In 1956 the National Interstate and Defense Highways Bill was signed, beginning the interstate network we enjoy today. Building the interstates was a huge expense, and like before, many survey companies were involved. Anticipating these challenges in 1953 President Eisenhower, the Office of Management and Budget wrote Circular A-16, which identified better coordination acquiring geographic information and reducing duplicate efforts as ways to reduce costs and improve efficiency.

    In 1990 during the months leading up to Gulf War I, which showed geospatial precision’s awesome power and forever changed the face of war, also brought changes to OMB Circular A-16 for more domestic purposes. The circular was revised, reflecting the influence of the digital era and establishing the Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) to promote the coordination of geospatial data.

    Recognizing the importance of geospatial information systems (GIS), on April 11, 1994, President Clinton signed Executive Order 12906: Coordinating Geographic Data Acquisition and Access: The National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI). The executive branch continued to lead the government’s efforts to advance a unified geospatial policy.

    When 9/11 Happened

    Seven years later, in June 2001, Congress attempted to pass its first federal geospatial policy, but Sept. 11 changed everything. The greatest terrorist attack in U.S. history made everything else pale by comparison. National security and intelligence became the focus.

    Congress tried again in 2003, the same year the National Imagery and Mapping Agency (NIMA) changed its name to the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency (NGA), but Gulf War II and the Global War on Terrorism stole center stage.

    In 2005, Congress tried again, but to no avail. The bill changed names several times. The contents evolved. Attempts to introduce the bill went dormant until 2012 when it stalled again without support. Proponents continued reintroducing the bill under various names in 2013, 2014 and 2015.

    In 2015 it made a second debut with the name Geospatial Data Act (GDA) and maintained that name going forward. The GDA was reintroduced in 2016, twice in 2017 and again in 2018. In total, the bill was introduced more than a dozen times since 2001. Finally, 139 years since the founding of USGS, a federal geospatial policy is now the law of the land.

    You Have an Opportunity

    “This legislation will significantly address how location intelligence is organized and disseminated and will foster continued strength in our industry’s partnership with government users.”
    — Jack Dangermond, Esri founder and CEO

    It takes courageous leadership to get legislation passed. We can all breathe a sigh of relief. This great “tech-tonic” shift happened during our working lives. We can all say we were there when the world changed. This is a golden opportunity. Knowledge is power; however, knowledge is only potential power — real power is action. Step up, volunteer, and lead the change. Your agency needs you. The country needs you. Don’t let this opportunity pass you by.

    Your first step is to read the Geospatial Data Act 2018 contained within the FAA Reauthorization Act, Title VII, Subtitle F: Geospatial Data, Sections 751-759. Become familiar with the GDA. Learn who the points of contact are for your agency. Make yourself known. Be a leader. When others see chaos, leaders see opportunity.

    Economic Impact of the Geospatial Data Act 2018

    “The economic benefits of smart infrastructure investment are long-term competitiveness, productivity, innovation, lower prices, and higher incomes, while infrastructure investment also creates many thousands of American jobs in the near-term.”
    —     White House, National Economic Council and the President’s Council of Economic Advisers, July 2014

    Since Roger Tomlinson first created a geographic information system in the 1960s, GIS has become a multi-billion dollar global industry. By 2020, it is forecast to be nearly a half-trillion dollars annually. The global GIS market is expected to double in seven years.

    GeoBuiz estimates that GIS influences 20 percent the world’s entire $80.7 trillion global annual production. According to the Countries Geospatial Readiness Index, the United States leads the world in GIS. What is amazing is that all these estimates were made prior to the passage of the GDA — the gale force winds that have thus far blown will soon become a hurricane.

    The sweet spot of opportunity is the forward edge of a growing industry. In the mid-90, the growth of the geospatial industry was led by state and local government (See GeoIntelligence Insider: In Jack Maple’s Steps – Fighting Crime with GIS, May 2018). In the mid-2000s, growth accelerated due to the intelligence and military communities. The next big boom in GIS begins now as the federal government complies with the GDA. There will be an even longer growth trend internationally as other countries make their own conversions.

    It is a common adage that forecasts usually overestimate the near term and underestimate the long-term, especially in regard to technology. Consider how one man’s idea to sell books online in 1995 made him the wealthiest man in the world 23 years later, or how a simple search engine in 1998 is now a global behemoth. Of course, those references are to Jeff Bezos of Amazon and to Google.

    And, consider the impact GPS has made since May 1, 2000, when President Clinton discontinued Selective Availability, opening GPS to the masses. Four years later, in June 2005, Google Earth was launched. The iPhone came out two years later. Then, a year later, Google Maps with real-time navigation was released.

    Businesses like Uber that depend on GPS and GIS began in 2012. Now, industries such as drones and autonomous vehicles are on the verge of exponential growth.

    Apply a similar trajectory to GIS and combine it with smart technologies like the internet of things (IoT), open data, data science, artificial intelligence, augmented reality, and other emerging technologies and the growth potential is unprecedented, not to mention the infrastructure rebuild of America about to take place.

    An Economic Analysis of Transportation Infrastructure Investment - White House, July 2014, National Economic Council and the President’s Council of Economic Advisers. (Image: WhiteHouse.gov)
    An Economic Analysis of Transportation Infrastructure Investment – White House, July 2014, National Economic Council and the President’s Council of Economic Advisers. (Image: WhiteHouse.gov)

    Smart technologies will play a huge role in rebuilding the United States infrastructure like sensors, advanced materials, self-aware neural networks, IoT devices, energy recapture systems, smart lighting, and more; many such technologies will be connected geospatially.

    This will require an advanced 3D Smart Grid Reference System (3D SGRS), a term I coined in 2015 when I worked at the Department of Transportation and began developing a crowdsource application for the National Address Database. I saw it becoming the framework for a 3D SGRS, enabling pinpoint accuracy of locations in X-Y-Z.

    I can cover the 3D SGRS in a future article. I write about it here because it will be required in order to modernize America’s infrastructure.

    Before passing any infrastructure bills, it is necessary to have a sound geospatial policy to avoid the misspending identified by the previous administrations mentioned earlier. The GDA, in essence, is the first step to modernize America. A brief overview of proposals sitting before Congress is an indicator of the economic tsunami about to be unleashed now that the GDA has been established.

    Legislation has been introduced for establishing infrastructure bonds and banks for investing in infrastructure projects. Individual bills are for railroads, land, air, and sea ports; intermodal freight transfer stations, highways, critical infrastructure, rural development and stormwater systems, including water retention ponds and reservoirs that make up a large part of city and suburban green space. There are bills to fund pollution prevention programs.

    Infrastructure cybersecurity is also addressed. There are bills for job creation, including employing disabled veterans in transportation. There is even a bill for proclaiming a National Infrastructure Week.

    Once these legislative efforts begin getting passed, a tsunami of economic growth will be released unlike few alive have ever seen.

    The Geospatial Data Act – A Matter of Necessity

    “The Geospatial Data Act will save taxpayer dollars, increase government efficiency, and unlock innovation in the public and private sectors.”
    — Congressman Seth Moulton, Massachusetts, co-signer of the Geospatial Data Act to the House of Representatives, 115th Congress

    Rebuilding America is one of the boldest, grandest and costliest undertakings the country has seen. Being one of the costliest, one has to ask where the money is going to come from.

    The GDA will create entrepreneurs, new products and services, and job growth, which will generate revenue. Many infrastructure-related bills have tax incentives built into them. Money will come from the economic restructuring of trade deals currently taking place with many of the United States’ trading partners. Money will also come from America’s oil and gas renaissance.

    Outline of the Geospatial Data Act 2018

    This article put the Geospatial Data Act into context, but it would not be complete if it did not at least outline the major provisions of the new law.

    These are the primary tenets of the GDA:

    • It establishes the Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC)
    • It establishes the National Geospatial Advisory Committee (NGAC)
    • It establishes the National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI)
    • It establishes the National Spatial Data Asset data themes (NSDI-dt)
    • It establishes GeoPlatform as the clearinghouse for geospatial data
    • It sets Geospatial Data Standards.

    Senator Orrin Hatch, who introduced the bill to the Senate four times since 2015, called it, “…a good-governance bill that will bring structure and Congressional oversight to federal geospatial data spending, accounting, and usage. The GDA will:

    • Dramatically reduce duplicative spending and, according to the Government Accountability Office, save the federal government billions of dollars;
    • Bolster federal emergency response capabilities by enabling smarter, more efficient disaster relief;
    • Improve infrastructure planning nationwide by providing state and local governments with access to higher-quality, more robust data.

    The bill is supported by over 65 universities, industry groups, trade associations, companies, and state and local stakeholders, including the National Association of Counties and National League of Cities.”

    Some of the stakeholders Sen. Hatch referred to are Bert Granberg, president of the National States Geographic Information Council (NSGIC), who stated, “From transportation, to natural resources, to homeland security, map-based digital information has quietly become mission critical to how work gets done and to future economic growth. We need an efficiency and accountability framework to build, sustain and share geographic data assets for the entire nation. The GDA delivers just that, and our members appreciate Representative Westerman’s leadership.”

    Molly Schar, executive director of NSGIC, shared her thoughts, saying, “The Geospatial Data Act has been a top legislative priority for NSGIC for several years. We have worked with state governments, Congressional offices, federal agencies, and many other stakeholder groups committed to building more resilient communities by ensuring they will have access to the consistent high-quality data they need to do their jobs,”

    And, after the bill’s passage she proclaimed, “It was a big win for the entire geospatial community and quite a team effort!”

    For more information

    This report has given you the background and the context of the Geospatial Data Act. To become intimately familiar with the GDA, I highly recommend reading the Congressional Research Service Report about GDA 2018, released Oct. 22.

    Also, it also goes without saying, you should read the GDA 2018 contained within the FAA Reauthorization Bill, Title VII, Section F, paragraphs 751 – 759.