[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 71 (Wednesday, April 13, 1994)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 17670-17674]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-9117]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: April 13, 1994]


  
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Part VI





The President





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Executive Order 12906--
Coordinating Geographic Data Acquisition and 
Access: The National Spatial Data Infrastructure


                        Presidential Documents 


Federal Register
Vol. 59, No. 71
Wednesday, April 13, 1994

____________________________________________________________________

Title 3--
The President
                Executive Order 12906 of April 11, 1994

 
Coordinating Geographic Data Acquisition and 
                Access: The National Spatial Data Infrastructure

                Geographic information is critical to promote economic 
                development, improve our stewardship of natural 
                resources, and protect the environment. Modern 
                technology now permits improved acquisition, 
                distribution, and utilization of geographic (or 
                geospatial) data and mapping. The National Performance 
                Review has recommended that the executive branch 
                develop, in cooperation with State, local, and tribal 
                governments, and the private sector, a coordinated 
                National Spatial Data Infrastructure to support public 
                and private sector applications of geospatial data in 
                such areas as transportation, community development, 
                agriculture, emergency response, environmental 
                management, and information technology.

                NOW, THEREFORE, by the authority vested in me as 
                President by the Constitution and the laws of the 
                United States of America; and to implement the 
                recommendations of the National Performance Review; to 
                advance the goals of the National Information 
                Infrastructure; and to avoid wasteful duplication of 
                effort and promote effective and economical management 
                of resources by Federal, State, local, and tribal 
                governments, it is ordered as follows:

                Section 1. Definitions. (a) ``National Spatial Data 
                Infrastructure'' (``NSDI'') means the technology, 
                policies, standards, and human resources necessary to 
                acquire, process, store, distribute, and improve 
                utilization of geospatial data.

                    (b) ``Geospatial data'' means information that 
                identifies the geographic location and characteristics 
                of natural or constructed features and boundaries on 
                the earth. This information may be derived from, among 
                other things, remote sensing, mapping, and surveying 
                technologies. Statistical data may be included in this 
                definition at the discretion of the collecting agency.
                    (c) The ``National Geospatial Data Clearinghouse'' 
                means a distributed network of geospatial data 
                producers, managers, and users linked electronically.

                Sec. 2. Executive Branch Leadership for Development of 
                the Coordinated National Spatial Data Infrastructure. 
                (a) The Federal Geographic Data Committee (``FGDC''), 
                established by the Office of Management and Budget 
                (``OMB'') Circular No. A-16 (``Coordination of 
                Surveying, Mapping, and Related Spatial Data 
                Activities'') and chaired by the Secretary of the 
                Department of the Interior (``Secretary'') or the 
                Secretary's designee, shall coordinate the Federal 
                Government's development of the NSDI.

                    (b) Each member agency shall ensure that its 
                representative on the FGDC holds a policy-level 
                position.
                    (c) Executive branch departments and agencies 
                (``agencies'') that have an interest in the development 
                of the NSDI are encouraged to join the FGDC.
                    (d) This Executive order is intended to strengthen 
                and enhance the general policies described in OMB 
                Circular No. A-16. Each agency shall meet its 
                respective responsibilities under OMB Circular No. A-
                16.
                    (e) The FGDC shall seek to involve State, local, 
                and tribal governments in the development and 
                implementation of the initiatives contained in this 
                order. The FGDC shall utilize the expertise of 
                academia, the private sector, professional societies, 
                and others as necessary to aid in the development and 
                implementation of the objectives of this order.

                Sec. 3. Development of a National Geospatial Data 
                Clearinghouse. (a) Establishing a National Geospatial 
                Data Clearinghouse. The Secretary, through the FGDC, 
                and in consultation with, as appropriate, State, local, 
                and tribal governments and other affected parties, 
                shall take steps within 6 months of the date of this 
                order, to establish an electronic National Geospatial 
                Data Clearinghouse (``Clearinghouse'') for the NSDI. 
                The Clearinghouse shall be compatible with the National 
                Information Infrastructure to enable integration with 
                that effort.

                    (b) Standardized Documentation of Data. Beginning 9 
                months from the date of this order, each agency shall 
                document all new geospatial data it collects or 
                produces, either directly or indirectly, using the 
                standard under development by the FGDC, and make that 
                standardized documentation electronically accessible to 
                the Clearinghouse network. Within 1 year of the date of 
                this order, agencies shall adopt a schedule, developed 
                in consultation with the FGDC, for documenting, to the 
                extent practicable, geospatial data previously 
                collected or produced, either directly or indirectly, 
                and making that data documentation electronically 
                accessible to the Clearinghouse network.
                    (c) Public Access to Geospatial Data. Within 1 year 
                of the date of this order, each agency shall adopt a 
                plan, in consultation with the FGDC, establishing 
                procedures to make geospatial data available to the 
                public, to the extent permitted by law, current 
                policies, and relevant OMB circulars, including OMB 
                Circular No. A-130 (``Management of Federal Information 
                Resources'') and any implementing bulletins.
                    (d) Agency Utilization of the Clearinghouse. Within 
                1 year of the date of this order, each agency shall 
                adopt internal procedures to ensure that the agency 
                accesses the Clearinghouse before it expends Federal 
                funds to collect or produce new geospatial data, to 
                determine whether the information has already been 
                collected by others, or whether cooperative efforts to 
                obtain the data are possible.
                    (e) Funding. The Department of the Interior shall 
                provide funding for the Clearinghouse to cover the 
                initial prototype testing, standards development, and 
                monitoring of the performance of the Clearinghouse. 
                Agencies shall continue to fund their respective 
                programs that collect and produce geospatial data; such 
                data is then to be made part of the Clearinghouse for 
                wider accessibility.

                Sec. 4. Data Standards Activities. (a) General FGDC 
                Responsibility. The FGDC shall develop standards for 
                implementing the NSDI, in consultation and cooperation 
                with State, local, and tribal governments, the private 
                and academic sectors, and, to the extent feasible, the 
                international community, consistent with OMB Circular 
                No. A-119 (``Federal Participation in the Development 
                and Use of Voluntary Standards''), and other applicable 
                law and policies.

                    (b) Standards for Which Agencies Have Specific 
                Responsibilities. Agencies assigned responsibilities 
                for data categories by OMB Circular No. A-16 shall 
                develop, through the FGDC, standards for those data 
                categories, so as to ensure that the data produced by 
                all agencies are compatible.
                    (c) Other Standards. The FGDC may from time to time 
                identify and develop, through its member agencies, and 
                to the extent permitted by law, other standards 
                necessary to achieve the objectives of this order. The 
                FGDC will promote the use of such standards and, as 
                appropriate, such standards shall be submitted to the 
                Department of Commerce for consideration as Federal 
                Information Processing Standards. Those standards shall 
                apply to geospatial data as defined in section 1 of 
                this order.
                    (d) Agency Adherence to Standards. Federal agencies 
                collecting or producing geospatial data, either 
                directly or indirectly (e.g. through grants, 
                partnerships, or contracts with other entities), shall 
                ensure, prior to obligating funds for such activities, 
                that data will be collected in a manner that meets all 
                relevant standards adopted through the FGDC process.

                Sec. 5. National Digital Geospatial Data Framework. In 
                consultation with State, local, and tribal governments 
                and within 9 months of the date of this order, the FGDC 
                shall submit a plan and schedule to OMB for completing 
                the initial implementation of a national digital 
                geospatial data framework (``framework'') by January 
                2000 and for establishing a process of ongoing data 
                maintenance. The framework shall include geospatial 
                data that are significant, in the determination of the 
                FGDC, to a broad variety of users within any geographic 
                area or nationwide. At a minimum, the plan shall 
                address how the initial transportation, hydrology, and 
                boundary elements of the framework might be completed 
                by January 1998 in order to support the decennial 
                census of 2000.

                Sec. 6. Partnerships for Data Acquisition. The 
                Secretary, under the auspices of the FGDC, and within 9 
                months of the date of this order, shall develop, to the 
                extent permitted by law, strategies for maximizing 
                cooperative participatory efforts with State, local, 
                and tribal governments, the private sector, and other 
                nonfederal organizations to share costs and improve 
                efficiencies of acquiring geospatial data consistent 
                with this order.

                Sec. 7. Scope. (a) For the purposes of this order, the 
                term ``agency'' shall have the same meaning as the term 
                ``Executive agency'' in 5 U.S.C. 105, and shall include 
                the military departments and components of the 
                Department of Defense.

                    (b) The following activities are exempt from 
                compliance with this order:
                (i) national security-related activities of the 
                Department of Defense as determined by the Secretary of 
                Defense;

                (ii) national defense-related activities of the 
                Department of Energy as determined by the Secretary of 
                Energy; and

                (iii) intelligence activities as determined by the 
                Director of Central Intelligence.

                    (c) The NSDI may involve the mapping, charting, and 
                geodesy activities of the Department of Defense 
                relating to foreign areas, as determined by the 
                Secretary of Defense.
                    (d) This order does not impose any requirements on 
                tribal governments.
                    (e) Nothing in the order shall be construed to 
                contravene the development of Federal Information 
                Processing Standards and Guidelines adopted and 
                promulgated under the provisions of section 111(d) of 
                the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 
                1949, as amended by the Computer Security Act of 1987 
                (Public Law 100-235), or any other United States law, 
                regulation, or international agreement.

                Sec. 8. Judicial Review. This order is intended only to 
                improve the internal management of the executive branch 
                and is not intended to, and does not, create any right 
                to administrative or judicial review, or any other 
                right or benefit or trust responsibility, substantive 
                or procedural, enforceable by a party against the 
                United States, its agencies or instrumentalities, its 
                officers or employees, or any other person.

                    (Presidential Sig.)>


                THE WHITE HOUSE,

                    April 11, 1994.

[FR Doc. 94-9117
Filed 4-12-94; 11:32 am]
Billing code 3195-01-P