[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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