[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 75 (Friday, April 18, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19126-19127]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-10007]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Geological Survey


Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC); Public Review of 
Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata

ACTION: Notice; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) is sponsoring a 
public review to review the Content Standards for Digital Geospatial 
Metadata, known as the FGDC Metadata Standard. After this public 
review, the revised Standard will be considered for adoption as a 
revised FGDC standard. The Standard must be followed by all Federal 
agencies to document all geospatial 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 also intends that the Metadata Standard meet the needs 
and recognize the view of State and local governments, academia, 
industry, and the public. The purpose of this notice is to solicit the 
views of these groups.
    This review is limited to three areas: (1) Formalizing a method of 
creating ``user-defined'' metadata elements; elements outside the 
present Standard, but needed by the data producer; (2) establishing the 
methodology for creating a customized metadata profile, such as those 
for cultural and demographic data sets; and (3) refining the Standard's 
production rules for implementation. A second public review, to be 
announced later this summer, will address additional user concerns and 
the relationship between the FGDC Metadata Standard and the 
International Standards Organization (ISO) Metadata Standard. The 
comments received at that time will contribute to the United States' 
position on the ISO standard.
    For the current review, the proposed modifications will make the 
FGDC Metadata Standard easier to use while keeping it compatible with 
the emerging ISO Standard. It is desirable that the modifications 
resulting from the review do not adversely affect present compliant 
metadata implementations. The highest priority is compatibility with 
metadata collected under the current FGDC Metadata Standard.
    Since the FGDC Metada Standard was approved in 1994, it has been 
implemented by numerous Federal, state, and local agencies, companies, 
and groups. It has also been used by other nations as they develop 
their own national metadata standards. Changes to the FGDC Metadata 
Standard have been suggested during the time since it was issued. In 
1995 an implementor's workshop was held specifically to discuss 
strengths, weaknesses, and proposed improvements. Drawing on this body 
of knowledge, the FGDC proposes to modify the current Metadata Standard 
in the three areas described above.
    The public review is open to all interested parties, and all are 
encouraged to participate. Participants in the public review are 
encouraged to limit their comments to the specific modifications in the 
proposed revision. All participants who make comments during the public 
review period will receive an acknowledgment of their comment. After 
comments have been considered, participants will receive notification 
of how their comments were addressed. After the formal adoption of the 
revised Standard by the FGDC, the revised Standard, and a summary 
analysis of the changes, will be made available at the FGDC World Wide 
Web (WWW) site. The primary review activity will be conducted on the 
Internet, using Web sites, electronic mail and an online HyperNews 
threaded discussion list. However, Internet access is not required, and 
participants wishing to use other means should contact the FGDC. 
Currently available documents include a description of the public 
review process and scope of the Standard revision activity, the current 
FGDC Metadata Standard, the Draft Revised Standard, and an explanation 
of the modifications to the current Standard.

DATES: The public review will be open, and comments will be accepted 
until July 9, 1997.

CONTACT AND ADDRESSES: Requests for written copies of the ``Content 
Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata'' should be addressed to: 
FGDC Secretariat (Attention: 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 
www.fgdc.gov">``metadata@www.fgdc.gov''. For answers to metadata related questions, 
please call Richard Pearsall 703.648.4532 or Ruth Hildenberger 
703.648.6084.
    There are three ways to participate in the public review:
    1. The FGDC Web site link to the Metadata Standard public review 
site at http://www.fgdc.gov.
    The Metadata Standard public review Web site is the focal point of 
information distribution during the public review period. News, 
announcements, documents, and the entrance to the HyperNews on-line 
threaded discussion list can be found here. In addition, this page 
links to the other methods of participation in the public review. Using 
an Internet browser, participants can make a suggestion, comment on 
another's suggestion, or propose a new idea. The discussion is 
presented as a set of topics with comments, similar to news groups in 
Usenet. Users can log on to read, respond, and propose new topics for 
discussion. All topics and comments in this forum are available to 
everyone. This particular HyperNews site contains topics relevant to 
this limited scope revision.
    2. Metadata-related electronic mail to www.fgdc.gov">metadata@www.fgdc.gov
    An electronic mail account has been established to receive 
correspondence relating to the Standard and the public review. This 
electronic address may be used to send comments directly to the FGDC. 
Also, if a participant wants to comment in the HyperNews discussion and 
remain anonymous, they may send their comment and request to this 
address. The comment will be placed into HyperNews without the author's 
name. Participants who would like to make a comment directly to the 
FGDC or would like to remain anonymous in the HyperNews discussion 
should send electronic mail to this address.
    3. Participation without Internet access or without computer 
access.
    Participants may contact the FGDC at the address given above for 
paper copies of the revision documents or copies of the HyperNews on-
line threaded discussion list.
    Participants without computer access interested in having their 
comments

[[Page 19127]]

included in the HyperNews on-line discussion may send comments typed or 
printed (no handwritten notes, please); one comment per page on white 
unlined paper; use Times Roman or Times New Roman font; use font size 
of 14 point or larger. These comments will be scanned using Optical 
Character Recognition (OCR) software and a digital copy will be loaded 
into the HyperNews on-line threaded discussion list. In addition, 
participants may send one hardcopy version of their comments and one 
softcopy version, preferably on 3.5'' diskette in WordPerfect 5.0 or 
6.0/6.1 format.

    Dated: April 9, 1997.
Wendy Budd,
Associate Chief, National Mapping Division, U.S. Geological Survey.
[FR Doc. 97-10007 Filed 4-17-97; 8:45 am]
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