[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 234 (Friday, December 5, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 64396-64397]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-31811]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Geological Survey
Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC); Public Comment on the
Proposal To Develop the ``FGDC Standard for Geologic Map
Symbolization'' as a Federal Geographic Data Committee Standard
ACTION: Notice; request for comments.
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SUMMARY: The FGDC is soliciting public comments on the proposal to
develop a ``FGDC Standard for Geologic Map Symbolization.'' If the
proposal is
[[Page 64397]]
approved, the standard will be developed following the FGDC standards
development and approval process. If the standard is adopted by the
FGDC, it must be followed by all Federal agencies portraying geologic
data in map form directly or indirectly (through grants, partnerships,
or contracts).
In its assigned Federal leadership in the development of the
National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI), the FGDC recognizes that
FGDC 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 the proposal and comment on the objectives, scope,
approach, and usability of the proposed standard; identify existing
related standards; and indicate their interest in participating in the
development of the standard.
DATES: Comments must be received on or before December 19, 1997.
CONTACT and ADDRESSES: The complete proposal is included in this
notice. It is also posted at Internet address: http://www.fgdc.gov/
Standards/Documents/Proposals/geosym.html.
Comments may be submitted via Internet mail or by submitting an
electronic copy on diskette. Send comments via Internet to: www.fgdc.gov">gdc-
geosym@www.fgdc.gov. Comments e-mailed as attachments must be in ASCII
format.
A soft copy version may be submitted on a 3.5 x 3.5 diskette in
Word Perfect 5.0 or 6.0/6.1 format, along with one hardcopy version of
the comments, to the FGDC Secretariat (attn: Jennifer Fox) at U.S.
Geological Survey, 590 National Center, 12201 Sunrise Valley Drive,
Reston, Virginia, 20192.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Following is the complete proposal for the
``FGDC Standard for Geologic Map Symbolization.''
Project Title: FGDC Standard for Geologic Map Symbolization.
Date of Proposal: April 18, 1997, revised: July 14, 1997.
Type of Standard Proposed: Data Symbology.
Submitting Organization: FGDC Geologic Data Subcommittee.
Point of Contact: David R. Soller, USGS.
Objectives: The objective is to provide a national standard for
geologic map symbols, colors, and patterns in order to provide geologic
map products that have a standard appearance.
Scope: The scope of this project covers cartographic symbols and
patterns that are on geologic maps. The scope includes colors that are
used to convey areas of particular formation, age, or lithology.
Justification/Benefits: Geologic maps are produced by various State
and Federal agencies, according to various locally-developed guidelines
for content and form. National or regional standards for symbolizing
geologic map elements do not exist. Locally developed standards or
guidelines used by a geologic mapping agency have not been widely
adopted. A national standard is needed to provide a standard
cartographic product to the end-user. Because most new maps are
produced from digital files, this standard must be robust enough to be
implemented in digital form on a variety of hardcopy output devices.
Development Approach: This standard will be based on symbolization
contained in USGS Open-file Report 95-525 ``(draft) Cartographic and
digital standard for geologic map information.'' The approach will be
as follows:
Conduct a review of USGS OFR95-525 to determine elements
of the document that should be further developed as a FGDC draft
standard (this review was released as USGS Open-file Report 96-725 and
is available on-line at http://ncgmp.usgs.gov/ngmdbproject/standards/
carto/OFR95-525review.html).
The review concluded that the symbols, colors, and
patterns in the document should be converted to digital form for
consideration as a FGDC standard and for general use within the USGS.
This conversion is underway within the USGS.
The digital symbols will form the basis of a draft
standards document to be prepared by the Geologic Data Subcommittee
late in 1997.
The document will then be submitted to FGDC for review.
Related Standards: The proposed standard will be based on
symbolization contained in USGS Open-file Report 95-525 ``(draft)
Cartographic and digital standard for geologic map information.''
Potential relation to ISO Standard 710, 1974, Parts 1-7 will be
evaluated.
Development and Completion Schedule:
In late summer, 1997, the USGS will finish a first draft
of the digital symbols to be contained in the standard.
The Geologic Data Subcommittee will evaluate those
symbols, and in late 1997, the Geologic Data Subcommittee will begin
compiling the digital symbols into a draft FGDC standards document.
In the first quarter of 1998, the document will be
submitted to FGDC for review.
Resources Required: The USGS is supporting development of the
standards document and the implementation.
Potential Participants: The USGS, the Association of American State
Geologists, the Geologic Data Subcommittee, professional societies, and
private companies.
Other Targeted Authorization Bodies: None.
Dated: November 25, 1997.
John Fischer,
Acting Chief, National Mapping Division.
[FR Doc. 97-31811 Filed 12-4-97; 8:45 am]
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