[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 243 (Tuesday, December 17, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 66308-66309]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-31908]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Geological Survey


Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC); Public Review of Soil 
Geographic Data Standard

ACTION: Notice; Request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The FGDC is sponsoring a public review of the draft ``FGDC 
Soil Geographic Data Standard'' 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 data contest standard. Comments 
are encouraged about the content, completeness, and usability of the 
proposed standard.
    The FGDC anticipates that the proposed standard, after updating or 
revision, will be adopted as a Federal Geographic Data Committee 
standard. The standard may be forwarded to other standard organizations 
for adoption if interest warrants such actions.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before April 1, 1997.

CONTACT and ADDRESSES: Requests for written copies of the ``FGDC Soil 
Geographic Data Standard'' should be sent by mail to: Soils 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 also available for viewing 
on the Internet on the Soil Data Subcommittee Home Page; the URL is: 
http://www.nhq.nrcs.usda.gov/SDS/hmpage.htm. The standard may 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.
    Reviewer comments should be sent to the FGDC Secretariat at the 
above address. Please send one hardcopy version of the comments and a 
soft copy version, preferably on a 3.5x3.5 diskette in WordPerfect 5.0 
format.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The overall objective of the Soil Geographic 
Data Standard is to standardize the names, definitions, ranges of 
values, and other characteristics of soil survey map attribute data 
developed by the National Cooperative Soil Survey (NCSS). The NCSS is 
the body composed of the various federal, state, and local units of 
government who work cooperatively to develop the soil survey of all 
lands in the United States.
    The soil attribute data associated with soil maps include the 
physical and chemical properties of the various soils being described, 
interpretative information, the arrangement of these soils into the 
soil map units identified

[[Page 66309]]

on the soil maps, and information about the soil map units themselves. 
The attribute data have no spatial relationship until they are linked 
to the maps via the map unit symbol and other unique identifiers. 
However, there is information included linking the soil data to 
geographical areas such as counties, states, major land resource areas, 
and soil survey areas.
    This document proposes a set of data standards to be used by 
Federal agencies in their activities for inventory, mapping, and 
reporting on the soil resources of the United States. It includes a 
description of the proposed data elements to be used when reporting and 
transfering data used to describe soil map units and their components. 
These map units are associated with soil maps developed by the National 
Cooperative Soil Survey.
    This document does not detail data elements used to describe soils 
at a specific point/site on the landscape, the field methods used to 
collect the data, or the various classification systems used to 
classify soils. A future standard will likely be developed to deal with 
point/site data. Documents containing the various classification 
systems are listed as references at the end of this standard.
    Input is sought on the draft standard regarding how well it will 
meet user needs.

    Dated: December 9, 1996.
Richard E. Witmer,
Acting Chief, National Mapping Division.
[FR Doc. 96-31908 Filed 12-16-96; 8:45 am]
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