Interior Seeks Nominations for the National Geospatial Advisory Committee
From: Ivan B DeLoatch
Sent: Monday, July 06, 2009 6:07 PM
Subject: Nominations for the National Geospatial Advisory Committee (NGAC)
Dear Colleagues:
Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today announced a call for nominations for appointment to the National Geospatial Advisory Committee (NGAC). The press release is attached below.
As you know, the NGAC provides advice and recommendations on Federal geospatial policy and management issues and provides a forum to convey views representative of partners in the geospatial community. The NGAC was established by the Department of the Interior on behalf of the Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) under the authority of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA). The NGAC includes 25-30 members, selected to generally achieve a balanced representation of the viewpoints of the various partners involved in national geospatial activities. NGAC members are appointed for staggered terms, and approximately one-half of the seats on the committee will be appointed during this round of appointments. We will keep you updated on the nomination and appointment process as it progresses.
Nominations for appointment to the NGAC should be submitted electronically to ngacnominations [at] fgdc.gov by August 14, 2009. Nominations may be submitted on behalf of others, or individuals may self-nominate. Nominations should include:
- Contact information for the nominee (name, title, organization, mailing address, e-mail address, and phone number).
- A statement summarizing the nominee’s qualifications and interest in NGAC membership and describing the nominee’s ability to represent a stakeholder group.
- A biographical sketch, resume, or vita.
- One letter of reference and a list of two additional references with contact information.
Additional information and instructions about the nomination process are posted on the NGAC web page at http://www.fgdc.gov/ngac/call-for-nominations
We would appreciate it if you could distribute the announcement to appropriate officials within your organizations and to your partners in the geospatial community. Please contact me or contact John Mahoney if you need any additional information.
Regards,
Ivan B. DeLoatch
Executive Director, Federal Geographic Data Committee
Chief, Office of Geospatial Information Coordination
National Geospatial Program Office
U.S. Geological Survey
U.S.Department of the Interior
The Socioeconomic Effects of Public Sector Information on Digital Networks
The report announced below focuses extensively on public spatial data policy. You are welcome to redistribute liberally. – Paul +++++++++++++++++++
Dear Colleague,
While governments throughout the world have different approaches to how they make their public sector information (PSI) available and the terms under which the information may be reused, there appears to be a broad recognition of the importance of digital networks and PSI to the economy and to society. However, despite the huge investments in PSI and the even larger estimated effects, surprisingly little is known about the costs and benefits of different information policies on the information society and the knowledge economy. By understanding the strengths and weaknesses of the current assessment methods and their underlying criteria, it should be possible to improve and apply such tools to help rationalize the policies and to clarify the role of the internet in disseminating PSI. This in turn can help promote the efficiency and effectiveness of PSI investments and management, and to improve their downstream economic and social results. The workshop that is summarized in this volume, organized by the U.S. National Committee for CODATA and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, was intended to review the state of the art in assessment methods and to improve the understanding of what is known and what needs to be known about the effects of PSI activities. The report, The Socioeconomic Effects of Public Sector Information on Digital Networks, is available freely online at: http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12687
Questions or comments about this volume may be sent to me at the contact information below.
Paul Uhlir
Paul F. Uhlir, J.D. Director
NRC Board on Research Data and Information, and IAP Program on Digital Knowledge Resources and Infrastructure in Developing Countries The National Academies, Keck-511 500 Fifth Street NW Washington, DC 20001 USA
First Nations Geospatial Workshop and Indignenous Mapping Network Conference
A few upcoming events:
FGDC & GeoConnections, Canada, hosting First Nations and Tribal Government Geospatial Workshop
The National Congress of American Indians (NCAI), in collaboration with GeoConnections, Canada, and the U.S. Federal Geographic Data Committee,?will host the ?First Nations and Native Tribal Government Geographic Information System Workshop on Sunday, June 14, 2009 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Niagara Falls, NY. This workshop is a joint activity of U.S. and Canada to promote cross-border collaboration on spatial data infrastructure.
The workshop will demonstrate the benefits that spatial data infrastructures bring to land and resource management, enhance understanding of the application of geospatial technologies to matters of importance to Aboriginal communities, and provide a networking forum to encourage future cross-border collaborations between Aboriginal and Tribal communities and also with provincial, territorial, state and federal governments.
The workshop is being held in conjunction with the 2009 NCAI Mid Year Meeting, June 14-17, 2009.
http://www.fgdc.gov/site-events/NCAIworkshop
2009 Indigenous Mapping Network Conference, June 13-16, 2009.
Native American, Indigenous, Aboriginal, tribal attendees and supporters of mapping efforts on aboriginal territories – Welcome! Let’s learn, share, and grow together – find new ways of using mapping tools to solve sovereignty, environmental, and cultural issues.
Previous ideas resulting from this conference include supporting and training indigenous people who may have little experience with modern mapping technologies. Efforts also are made to keep abreast and inform the UN, governments, academics, and the technological world about traditional “mapping” technologies.
The Oneida Nation of Wisconsin welcomes conference attendees, speakers, and vendors to Green Bay, WI. We hope to not only provide an educational and fascinating conference for everyone, but also to share a brief look at Oneida culture and what life is like in Northeast Wisconsin.Registration, accommodation and agenda information follows.
New ‘National Parcels’ Blog
This blog site is a discussion site for national parcel and cadastral data to support the Cadastral NSDI. The FGDC Cadastral Subcomittee coordinates the activities, standards and development of the Cadastral NSDI.
Research suggests scrubbed location data from GPS can still reveal identity
Recent Directions All Points Blog post :
On the Anonymity of Home/Work Location Pairs
Philippe Golle and Kurt Partridge, Palo Alto Research Center
Abstract. Many applications benefit from user location data, but location data raises privacy concerns. Anonymization can protect privacy, but identities can sometimes be inferred from supposedly anonymous data. This paper studies a new attack on the anonymity of location data. We show that if the approximate locations of an individual’s home and workplace can both be deduced from a location trace, then the median size of the individual’s anonymity set in the U.S. working population is 1, 21 and 34,980, for locations known at the granularity of a census block, census track and county respectively. The location data of people who live and work in different regions can be re-identied even more easily. Our results show that the threat of re-identication for location data is much greater when the individual’s home and work locations can both be deduced from the data. To preserve anonymity, we oer guidance for obfuscating location traces before they are disclosed. For PDF of the article, visit: http://crypto.stanford.edu/~pgolle/papers/commute.pdf
U.S. Expansion in Science Diplomacy
AAAS Urges Expansion in Science Diplomacy
AAAS Chief International Officer Vaughan Turekian urged the expansion of science diplomacy in foreign relations, recommending the appointment of a senior-level ambassador for S&T cooperation in the US State Department. The 6 May commentary published by Foreign Policy offers a strategic outline for the role of scientific cooperation in building improved relationships around the world.
For full text of the article, visit: http://www.aaas.org/news/releases/2009/0507sci_diplomacy.shtml
Also see the following: Geospatial Technology and Diplomacy (April 12, 2009): http://geodatapolicy.wordpress.com/2009/04/12/533/
GPS Satellite Could Begin to Fail as Early as 2010
Kate Lance passed along the following:
GPS system ‘close to breakdown’
It has become one of the staples of modern, hi-tech life: using satellite navigation tools built into your car or mobile phone to find your way from A to B. But experts have warned that the system may be close to breakdown. US government officials are concerned that the quality of the Global Positioning System (GPS) could begin to deteriorate as early as next year, resulting in regular blackouts and failures or even dishing out inaccurate directions to millions of people worldwide.
GAO says GPS III launch delay could drop constellation below 24 satellites
Global Positioning System: Significant Challenges in Sustaining and Upgrading Widely Used Capabilities
GAO-09-670T May 7, 2009. The Global Positioning System (GPS), which provides position, navigation, and timing data to users worldwide, has become essential to U.S. national security and a key tool in an expanding array of public service and commercial applications at home and abroad. The United States provides GPS data free of charge. The Air Force, which is responsible for GPS acquisition, is in the process of modernizing GPS. In light of the importance of GPS, the modernization effort, and international efforts to develop new systems, GAO was asked to undertake a broad review of GPS. Specifically, GAO assessed progress in (1) acquiring GPS satellites, (2) acquiring the ground control and user equipment necessary to leverage GPS satellite capabilities, and evaluated (3) coordination among federal agencies and other organizations to ensure GPS missions can be accomplished. It is uncertain whether the Air Force will be able to acquire new satellites in time to maintain current GPS service without interruption. If not, some military operations and some civilian users could be adversely affected.
Highlights Page (PDF) http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d09670thigh.pdf
Wisconsin Court Upholds GPS Tracking By Police
Patti Day passed along the following:
Wisconsin court upholds GPS tracking by police
By Ryan J Foley, May 07, 2009
MADISON, Wis. – Wisconsin police can attach GPS to cars to secretly track anybody’s movements without obtaining search warrants, an appeals court ruled Thursday. However, the District 4 Court of Appeals said it was “more than a little troubled” by that conclusion and asked Wisconsin lawmakers to regulate GPS use to protect against abuse by police and private individuals. As the law currently stands, the court said police can mount GPS on cars to track people without violating their constitutional rights – even if the drivers aren’t suspects.
Officers do not need to get warrants beforehand because GPS tracking does not involve a search or a seizure, Judge Paul Lundsten wrote for the unanimous three judge panel based in Madison. That means “police are seemingly free to secretly track anyone’s public movements with a GPS device,” he wrote. … The ruling came in a 2003 case involving Michael Sveum, a Madison man who was under investigation for stalking. Police got a warrant to put a GPS on his car and secretly attached it while the vehicle was parked in Sveum’s driveway. The device recorded his car’s movements for five weeks before police retrieved it and downloaded the information. …
For full text of the article, visit: http://archives.chicagotribune.com/2009/may/07/news/chi-ap-wi-gps-police
National Geospatial Advisory Committee Discusses New National Geospatial Strategy
If you haven’t already heard:
The Federal Geographic Data Committe’s (FGDC) National Geospatial Advisory Committee (NGAC) will meet on May 12-13, 2009 at the George Washington University Cafritz Conference Center, 800 21st Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20052. The meeting will be in Room 405. The meeting will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on May 12 and from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on May 13.
The May NGAC agenda focuses on the development of a new national geospatial policy and strategic plan. Is it time for a new governance structure? Do we need a national Geographic Information Officer (GIO) under the National CIO? What is the distinction between a “national GIS” and a “federal GIS”? How can we improve stakeholder engagement in national geospatial priority setting? Stay tuned!
Click here to check out the following NGAC documents:
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NGAC Report: The Changing Geospatial Landscape
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NGAC Transition Recommendations
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Summary of Key Recommendations (Decisions made over last year)
