[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 129 (Wednesday, July 3, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Page 34858]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-16898]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Geological Survey


Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC); Public Review of 
Vegetation Classification and Information Standards

ACTION: Notice; Request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The FGDC is sponsoring a public review of the draft ``FGDC 
Vegetation Classification and Information Standards'' to be considered 
for adoption as an FGDC standard. If adopted, the standard must be 
followed by all Federal agencies for data collected directly or 
indirectly (through grants, partnerships, or contracts).
    In its assigned leadership role for developing the National Spatial 
Data Infrastructure (NSDI), the FGDC recognizes that the standards must 
also meet the needs and recognize the views of State and local 
governments, academia, industry, and the public. The purpose of this 
notice is to solicit such views. The FGDC invites the community to 
review, test, and evaluate the proposed classification system and 
information standards. Comments are encouraged about the content, 
completeness, and usability of the proposed standard. The FGDC 
anticipates that the proposed vegetation classification and information 
standard, after updating or revision, will be adopted as a Federal 
Geographic Data Committee standard. The standard may be forwarded to 
other standards organizations for adoption if interest warrants such 
action.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before October 1, 1996.

CONTACT and ADDRESSES: Requests for written copies of the 
classification system and information standards being proposed as a 
standard should be sent to Vegetation Standards Review, FGDC 
Secretariat (attn: Jennifer Fox), U.S. Geological Survey, 590 National 
Center, 12201 Sunrise Valley Drive, Reston, Virginia, 20192; telephone 
703-648-5514; facsimile 703-648-5755; or Internet ``[email protected]''. The 
proposed standard is available for viewing through Internet on the 
Vegetation Subcommittee Home Page; the URL is: http://www.nbs.gov/
mikez/fgdc-sub.htm. The standard may also be downloaded 
from the FGDC Home Page at the following URL: www.fgdc.gov (select 
Public Documents) or directly from the FGDC anonymous ftp site by using 
the address: www.fgdc.gov/pub/standards/veg.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The overall objective of the Vegetation 
Classification and Information Standards is to support the production 
of uniform statistics on vegetation resources at the national level. It 
is important that, as agencies map or inventory Earth cover that is 
vegetated, they collect enough data to accurately and precisely 
translate it for national reporting, aggregation, and comparisons. This 
will eventually support the detailed, quantitative, geo-referenced 
basis for vegetation cover modeling, mapping and analysis at the field 
level. This document proposes a vegetation classification system and 
set of information standards to be used by Federal agencies and others 
in their activities for inventory, mapping, and reporting on the 
vegetation resources of the United States. It includes a description of 
the proposed Vegetation Classification and Information Standards, 
general policy regarding Federal agencies' use, suggested applications, 
the principles (basic ideas, requirements) that guided the development 
of this system, and a list of definitions used in the system and its 
development. This document does not detail the floristically defined 
units of the classification standard, the field methods, or the data 
management and analysis standards that will be required to develop and 
maintain this Vegetation Classification and Information Standard. This 
information will be presented in subsequent documents by the 
Subcommittee. Vegetation Cover is defined as vegetation that covers or 
is visible at or above the land or water surface. Vegetation data are 
the attributes of the vegetation that are used to classify and 
characterize the vegetation type and to map a vegetation stand. These 
data come from the interpretation; of remotely sensed imagery, field 
work, and other thematic data sources.
    Input sought on the draft standards includes how well it meets user 
needs. Specific issues on which response is requested include: the 
threshold for separating vegetated from non-vegetated areas; the 
threshold for defining dominance; the criteria for separating tree from 
shrub; and the need for parallelism between tree-dominated cover 
classes and other life form cover classes. For examples, tree-dominated 
land is divided into open and closed canopy. Are similar divisions 
needed within the shrub and herbaceous life forms? Shrub classes are 
divided based upon shrub height; are height classes needed for other 
life forms?
    Reviewer comments should be sent to the FGDC Secretariat at the 
above address. Please send comments in both hardcopy and softcopy, 
preferably on a 3.5-inch diskette.

    Dated: June 25, 1996.
Richard E. Witmer,
Acting Chief, National Mapping Division.
[FR Doc. 96-16898 Filed 7-2-96; 8:45 am]
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