[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 39 (Thursday, February 27, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8981-8982]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-6904]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------


DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

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) 1997

AGENCY: U.S. Geological Survey, Department of the Interior.

ACTION: Notice inviting applications for competitive cooperative 
agreement awards for fiscal year 1997.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The purpose of the FGDC National Spatial Data Infrastructure 
(NSDI) Framework Demonstration Projects Program (FDPP) is to facilitate 
and provide resources for the development and implementation of the 
NSDI framework concept. Under this FY 1997 program announcement, 
applications are to be directed towards projects that test a full range 
of information content; technical, operational, and business contexts; 
and institutional interactions of the framework concept. These projects 
should 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.
    In addition, these projects should provide practical examples of 
framework implementation, suggest innovative alternative approaches to 
accomplish framework goals 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 8982]]

build, maintain, and disseminate framework data.
    Outcomes of these projects will include the establishment of 
operational framework sites that will provide testbeds on policies and 
practices for the framework process. The projects also will serve as 
examples of framework implementation and as starting points for future 
framework research and development.
    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 be collaborative and involve two or more 
organizations. The FGDC encourages the collaboration of Federal 
agencies in these projects, however, Federal agencies may not lead a 
FDPP project nor submit proposals. The USGS intends to award 
approximately 7 cooperative agreements with funds totaling $460,000 
during fiscal year 1997. Funds requested for a specific project shall 
not exceed $65,000. Participants are expected to cost-share no less 
than 100% of the amount of funding received from the Federal 
government. Authority for this program is contained in the Organic Act 
of March 3, 1879, 43 U.S.C. 31 and Executive Order 12906.

DATES: The program announcement is expected to be available on or about 
March 7, 1997. Applications must be received on or before May 16, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Copies of Program Announcement No. 1434-HQ-97-PA-00023 may 
be obtained by writing to Tammy Fanning, U.S. Geological Survey, Office 
of Acquisition and Federal Assistance, Mail Stop 205B, 12201 Sunrise 
Valley Drive, Reston, Virginia 20192. Requests may also be made by 
facsimile to (703) 648-7901. Confirmation by telephone at (703) 648-
7372 is recommended.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Tammy Fanning, U.S. Geological Survey, Office of Acquisition and 
Federal Assistance, Mail Stop 205B, 12201 Sunrise Valley Drive, Reston, 
Virginia 20192; voice telephone number (703) 648-7363; 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 20192; by 
Internet at [email protected]; by facsimile at (703) 648-5755; or by voice 
telephone at (703) 648-5514.
    Within the geospatial data community, multi-agency, and multi-
sector partnership are being established in local and regional areas to 
collaboratively leverage resources and funding, and coordinate data 
collection, utilization, and access. The framework builds on these 
activities by providing a basic information content, and the technical, 
operational, and business contexts by which a distributed, 
collaborative data collection and maintenance effort for the nation 
would operate. The framework information content consists of geodetic 
control, digital orthoimagery, elevation, transportation, hydrography, 
governmental units, and cadastral data categories.
    While the framework concept is well received by the geospatial data 
community, questions remain as to its practical implementation, and the 
modifications in approach that will occur as the community evolves. 
This program is a means by which the FGDC facilities, and provides 
resources for the development, and implementation of the NSDI Framework 
concept.
    This program will fund the development of institutions and 
technology needed for framework operations. Proposals should be from 
geographic areas where multiple parties 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 user's 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.

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (FDAC) Program Number 
15.808)
    Geological Survey, Research and Data Acquisition.

    Dated: February 21, 1997.
Richard E. Witmer,
Acting Chief, National Mapping Division.
[FR Doc. 97-6904 Filed 2-26-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-31-M