[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 94 (Tuesday, May 14, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 24325-24326]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-12015]



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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Geological Survey


Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC): Application Notice 
Establishing the Closing Date for Transmittal of Applications Under the 
FGDC National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI) Framework 
Demonstration Projects Program for Fiscal Year (FY) 1996

AGENCY: Geological Survey, Interior.

ACTION: Notice inviting applications for competitive cooperative 
agreement awards for fiscal year 1996.

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SUMMARY: The purpose of the FGDC National Spatial Data Infrastructure 
(NSDI) Framework Demonstration Projects Program task is to facilitate 
and provide resources for the development and implementation of the 
NSDI framework concept. Under this FY 1996 program announcement, 
applications are to be directed towards projects that test the 
framework concept. These projects will demonstrate the sustained 
ability, over a geographic area, to supply data to the greater 
geospatial data community from locally available data sources through 
the implementation of the framework process. These projects will 
provide practical examples in implementation, suggest innovative 
alternative approaches to accomplish the goals outlined in the 
framework report, and indicate topics for future research and 
development. Applicants are being sought who are establishing long-term 
organizational structures, and cooperative arrangements with other 
organizations in sustained efforts to

[[Page 24326]]

build, maintain, and disseminate framework data resources.
    Outcomes of these projects will include information that will 
provide guidance on policies and practices for the establishment of 
operational framework sites. The projects will also act as examples of 
applied framework for other implementers and as starting points for 
future framework research and development.
    The deliverable will be a report from the project site describing 
the successes and failures in implementing the framework concept; 
alternatives that were developed; descriptions of institutional and 
technical practices; evaluations of user satisfaction; and suggestions 
for future efforts.
    Authority for this program is contained in the 1996 Congressional 
Act entitled ``Omnibus Consolidated Rescissions and Appropriation Act 
of 1996'' that furnishes the appropriation for the Department of the 
Interior as well as other agencies. Applications may be submitted by 
State and local government agencies, educational institutions, private 
firms, private foundations, and Federally acknowledged or state-
recognized Native American tribes or groups. Each project must involve 
two or more organizations.

DATES: The program announcement and application forms are expected to 
be available on or about May 29, 1996. Applications must be received on 
or before June 28, 1996.

addresses: Copies of Program Announcement 1434-HQ-96-PA-00003 may be 
obtained by writing to Patrick N. Robertson, U.S. Geological Survey. 
Office of Acquisition and Federal Assistance, Mail Stop 205A, 12201 
Sunrise Valley Drive, Reston, Virginia 22092, facsimile telephone 
number (703) 648-7901.

for further information contact: Patrick N. Robertson, U.S. Geological 
Survey, Office of Acquisition and Federal Assistance, Mail Stop 205A, 
12201 Sunrise Valley Drive, Reston, Virginia 22092, voice telephone 
number (703) 648-7368, facsimile telephone number (703) 648-7901.

supplementary information: Applications of digital geospatial data vary 
greatly, but users have a recurring need for a few common themes of 
data. The framework concept outlined in the report ``Development of a 
National Digital Geospatial Data Framework'' (April, 1995) proposes a 
means by which the geospatial data community can work together to 
produce and maintain commonly needed data for national, regional, 
state, and local analyses. The report and additional information about 
the framework are available from the FGDC Secretariat. The materials 
can be retrieved from the committee's World Wide Web page at http://
www.fgdc.gov, or by contacting the committee by mail at the U.S. 
Geological Survey, 590 National Center, Reston, Virginia 22092; by 
Internet at [email protected]; by facsimile at (703) 648-5755; or by voice 
telephone at (703) 648-5514. There will be up to 4 awards each not 
exceeding $125,000. The awards will be cooperative agreements and not 
contracts.
    Within the geospatial data community, multi-agency, and multi-
sector partnerships are being established in local and regional areas 
to collaboratively leverage resources and funding, and coordinate data 
collection, utilization, and access. The framework concept builds on 
these activities by identifying a basic information content, and the 
technical, operational, and business contexts by which a distributed, 
collaborative data collection and maintenance effort for the framework 
would operate. The information content proposed for framework consists 
of geodetic control, digital orthoimagery, elevation, transportation, 
hydrography, governmental units, and cadastral data categories.
    While the framework concept has been well received by the 
geospatial data community, questions remain as to its practical 
implementation, and the modifications in approach that will be 
necessary as the concept is tested. This program is a means by which 
the FGDC facilitates, and provides resources, for the development and 
implementation of the NSDI Framework concept.
    This program will fund the development and testing of institutions 
and technology needed for framework operations. Proposals should be 
from multiple parties in geographic areas that have data to share for 
at least a subset of the framework data content. Project activities may 
include establishment of the following institutional roles: evaluating, 
developing and implementing technical standards; coordinating data 
creation, maintenance, and dissemination for a geographic area; 
ensuring updates of framework data from local data contributions; 
developing data quality certification policies; and ensuring data 
integration among themes, and geographic areas. Technical development 
and applications may include the following: permanent feature-based 
identification; the support of multiple resolution data; mechanisms for 
maintaining the users' data investment when updating their data holding 
from the framework; processes for gathering and evaluating user 
satisfaction to the framework; and the evaluation of methods for 
implementing metadata (including data quality information) required for 
the framework data.

    Dated: May 3, 1996.
Richard E. Witmer,
Acting Chief, National Mapping Division.
[FR Doc. 96-12015 Filed 5-13-96; 8:45 am]
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