Alaska Geographic Data Committee

• Purpose
• Responsibility
• Objectives
• Membership
• Cooperation with Non-Federal Community
• Organization

I. Purpose

The purpose of the Alaska Geographic Data Committee is to provide a forum for:

1. Coordination of spatial data development projects;
2. Development of coordinated methodologies for implementing standards and policies; and
3. Review and response to Federal Geographic Data Committee initiatives.

II. Responsibility

In October 1990, the Office of Management and Budget issued a revised Circular A-16, "Coordination of Surveying, Mapping, and Related Spatial Data Activities." The goals of the Circular are to develop a national digital geographic information resource, to reduce duplication, to reduce the expense of developing geographic data, and to increase the benefits of using available data by ensuring coordination of Federal agency geographic data activities.

The Circular assigns to Federal agencies the responsibilities of leading coordination activities for 10 categories of data. These categories form the data foundation for many applications. Agency responsibilities include providing government-wide leadership in developing data standards, assisting information and data exchange, and coordinating data collection.

The Circular also establishes an interagency committee, the Federal Geographic Data Committee, to promote the coordinated development, use, sharing, and dissemination of geographic data. The committee also oversees and provides policy guidance for agency efforts to coordinate data categories.

Statewide leadership will be provided by the Alaska Geographic Data Committee for surveying, mapping, and related spatial data coordination. The member agencies identified below will provide leadership to coordinate this effort, including the facilitation of exchange of information and transfer of data; and the coordination of the collection of spatial data to minimize duplication of effort where practical and economical.

III. Objectives of the Alaska Geographic Data Committee

The objective of the Alaska Geographic Data Committee is to build geographic information partnerships. The Alaska Geographic Data Committee will assess the needs of, and promote coordination with, the Federal/non-Federal spatial data community by facilitating communication between the Alaska Geographic Data Committee and the Federal Geographic Data Committee (including lead agencies, subcommittees, and other working groups). The Alaska Geographic Data Committee will pursue this objective through the following initiatives:

• Communication: Ensure continuing communication through fact-finding and information gathering between the Federal and non-Federal sectors of the mapping, surveying, and related spatial data community within Alaska.
• Investigation: Identify and evaluate the scope and nature of Federal and non-Federal liaison issues based on information from the Alaska Geographic Data Committee and individual Federal/non-Federal organizations in the State of Alaska.
• Coordination: Provide coordination between the Federal Geographic Data Committee and the Alaska Geographic Data Committee mapping, surveying, and related spatial data community to resolve Federal and non-Federal liaison issues.

IV. Membership

• Federal Agencies
• State Agencies
• Boroughs/Cities/Municipalities
• Alaska Native Organizations
• Non-Governmental Organizations

FEDERAL AGENCIES

U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey, Alaska Science Center
Bureau of Land Management, Alaska State Office
U.S. National Park Service, Alaska Region
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Region 7 - Alaska
Bureau of Indian Affairs
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement Alaska OCS Region
Office of Environmental Policy and Compliance - Alaska

U.S. Department of Agriculture

U.S. Forest Service Alaska Region
U.S. Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station, Anchorage Forest Sciences Laboratory
Natural Resources Conservation Service, Alaska State Office

U.S. Department of Commerce

NOAA, Office of Coast Survey
National Weather Service, Alaska Region
Bureau of Census, Seattle Regional Office

U.S. Department of Transportation

Federal Aviation Administration
Federal Highway Administration

U.S. Department of Homeland Security

U.S. Coast Guard 17th District

U.S. Department of Defense

Alaska National Guard 103rd Civil Support Team (WMD)
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
U.S. Air Force

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 10, Alaska Operations Office

Federal Emergency Management Agency-Region X

ALASKA STATE AGENCIES

State of Alaska

Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development
Department of Environmental Conservation
Department of Fish and Game
Department of Labor and Workforce Development
Department of Natural Resources
Department of Transportation and Public Facilities
Office of the Governor

University of Alaska

BOROUGHS/CITIES/MUNICIPALITIES

City and Borough of Haines
City of Wasilla
Fairbanks North Star Borough
Kenai Peninsula Borough
Kodiak Island Borough
Matanuska-Susitna Borough
Municipality of Anchorage
      Municipality of Anchorage Corporate GIS
North Slope Borough

ALASKA NATIVE ORGANIZATIONS

Ahtna, Inc.
Aleutian/Pribilof Islands Association, Inc.
Arctic Slope Native Association, Limited
Arctic Slope Regional Corporation
Association of Village Council Presidents
Bristol Bay Native Corporation
NANA Regional Corporation

NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS

ABR, Inc.
AERO-METRIC, Inc. (formerly AeroMap U.S.)
Alaska Geographic Association
Allied GIS
Arctic Research Consortium of the United States (ARCUS)
BP Exploration (Alaska) Inc.
BTG, Inc.
CH2M Hill
Ecotrust
Entrix, Inc.
Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI)
GeoNorth, LLC
HDR Alaska, Inc.
Kenai Watershed Forum
RA Kreig and Associates
Prince William Sound Science Center
Resource Data, Inc.
The Nature Conservancy of Alaska
University NAVSTAR Consortium (UNAVCO, Inc.)
Urban and Regional Information Systems Association (URISA) Alaska Chapter

V. Cooperation with Non-Federal Community

The Alaska Geographic Data Committee recognizes the development of Alaska's geographic data resources depends on all parties working together: Federal, State, local government, Native community, academia, and the private sector. The Alaska Geographic Data Committee proposes to work with the non-Federal community through such organizations as the Alaska ArcInfo Users Group and the Alaska Surveying and Mapping Conference. The forum for coordination with the non-Federal community through these organizations could be in the form of presentations, committees, working groups, projects, newsletters, workshops, bulletin boards, and data directories.

VI. Organization

A representative of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Geography Discipline, and the Alaska Department of Natural Resources (AKDNR) will serve as Co-Chairs for the Alaska Geographic Data Committee. The USGS and AKDNR will provide staff support to the AGDC for correspondence, meeting scheduling, newsletters, and mailings. Subcommittees and working groups will be established as needed and will be responsible for their own administrative support. The AGDC will meet quarterly or as needed.