NRD Lawsuit over USDA GIS data Access

Central Platte NRD Sues USDA Over Information Access

 

By Robert Pore

Published: Tuesday, September 22, 2009 7:56 PM CDT

 

…The NRD is trying to gain access to the USDA’s geographic information system, or GIS, data to help it provide guidance on irrigation practices, mapping of cropland and district decisions. … The district decided to file a Freedom of Information Act request to obtain the information from the USDA in an effort to “bring the issue to a head,” Bishop said. “At one point, they indicated that we were going to get it, but then the new Farm Bill changed the language on the privacy deal, and now they say we can’t have it,” he said. …

Bishop said the information could be used to determine such practices as fertilizer and water use on private farmland that receives government farm benefits. For example, when it comes to the Central Platte NRD water quality program, having access to information about those growers who use nitrogen fertilizer would be helpful and cost effective.” …

Another example in which access to that USDA information would be helpful to the NRD is when the district had to certify all the irrigated acres in the Central Platte NRD. There are nearly 1 million acres of irrigated farmland in the district. The district had to certify all irrigated acres when the state mandated in 2004 a moratorium on all new irrigated acres and irrigation wells in districts that were deemed fully or overappropriated in their groundwater use. …  

But because the NRD was denied those records from the USDA, Bishop said, the district spent nearly two years at a cost of about $350,000.   ….

For full text of article, visit: http://www.theindependent.com/articles/2009/09/22/news/local/10658719.txt

For related posting on USDA GIS data access issues, visit the following link: http://geodatapolicy.wordpress.com/2008/10/24/farm-bill-restricts-access-to-clu-gis-data-part-iii/

GAO Reports on Federal Geospatial Investments and Coordination

Geospatial Information: Better Coordination and Oversight Could Help Reduce Duplicative Investments

GAO-04-824T June 23, 2004

The collection, maintenance, and use of location-based (geospatial) information are essential to federal agencies carrying out their missions. Geographic information systems (GIS) are critical elements used in the areas of homeland security, healthcare, natural resources conservation, and countless other applications. GAO was asked to review the extent to which the federal government is coordinating the efficient sharing of geospatial assets, including through Office of Management and Budget (OMB) oversight. GAO’s report on this matter, Geospatial Information: Better Coordination Needed to Identify and Reduce Duplicative Investments (GAO-04-703), is being released today. GAO’s testimony focuses on the extent to which the federal government is coordinating the sharing of geospatial assets, including through oversight measures in place at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), in order to identify and reduce redundancies in geospatial data and systems.

OMB, cross-government committees, and individual federal agencies have taken actions to coordinate geospatial investments across agencies and with state and local governments. However, these efforts have not been fully successful due to (1) a complete and up-to-date strategic plan is missing. The existing strategic plan for coordinating national geospatial resources and activities is out of date and lacks specific measures for identifying and reducing redundancies, (2) federal agencies are not consistently complying with OMB direction to coordinate their investments, and (3) OMB’s oversight methods have not been effective in identifying or eliminating instances of duplication. This has resulted from OMB not collecting consistent, key investment information from all agencies. Consequently, agencies continue to independently acquire and maintain potentially duplicative systems. This costly practice is likely to continue unless coordination is significantly improved. http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-04-824T

 

Geographic Information Systems: Challenges to Effective Data Sharing

GAO-03-874T June 10, 2003

Geographic information systems (GIS) manipulate, analyze, and graphically present an array of information associated with geographic locations, have been invaluable to all levels of government. Their usefulness in disaster response was recently demonstrated during the Space Shuttle Columbia recovery effort. GIS provided precise maps and search grids to guide crews to the debris that was strewn across 41 counties in Texas and Louisiana. The federal government has long been attempting to develop an integrated nationwide GIS network. The information available through such a network could significantly enhance decision–making in myriad public–service areas, including emergency response, national security, law enforcement, health care, and the environment. Among GAO’s objectives were to describe the federal government’s efforts to coordinate GIS activities, the long-standing challenges of adopting and implementing federal GIS standards, and the role of Geospatial One-Stop.

Mobility, Data Mining and Privacy

There’s a new European Union funded project called MODAP on privacy and moving object data.

MODAP (Mobility, Data Mining, and Privacy) is a Coordination Action type project funded by EU, FET OPEN, 2009-2012).

With GPS enabled devices and other positioning systems, mobility behavior of individuals is captured for online or historical data analysis. For example, car insurance companies have started to issue policies with respect to the driving behavior which is captured through a GPS device installed under a special agreement. Such applications are enabled by mobility data mining which aims to extract knowledge from mobility data with a lot of opportunities as well as risks. The risks arise from the fact that mobility data is mostly about people, where they have been, at what times, how often, and with whom. Therefore, privacy is a major concern for mobility data which needs to be addressed before the opportunities of mobility data mining can be fully harvested. A recently completed EU project, GeoPKDD (Geographic Privacy-aware Knowledge Discovery and Delivery, www.geopkdd.eu) was the pioneer in this field. MODAP project, which started as of September 2009 with nearly one million euro funding for three years, aims to continue the efforts of GeoPKDD by coordinating and boosting the research activities in the intersection of mobility, data mining, and privacy. MODAP is a timely project since privacy risks associated with the mobility behavior of people are still unclear, and it is not possible for mobility data mining technology to thrive without sound privacy measures and standards for data collection, and data/knowledge publishing. For that reason, MODAP aims to create a platform for technical as well as non-technical people who are interested in mobility data mining together with privacy issues. The site www.modap.org will be the main platform for all types of community activities and will be functional as of October 15, 2009. http://www.modap.org/

House Passes National Land Remote Sensing Outreach Act

 

H.R. 2489, The “National Land Remote Sensing Outreach Act” (version 2 of the AmericaView Geospatial Imagery Mapping Program Act), passed on the House floor with a Roll-Call vote of 379-33.

Here is the text of HR2489: http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d111:H.R.2489:

Here is the roll-call vote: http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2009/roll817.xml

House Subcommittee to Examine the 2010 Census Master Address File

 

On Wednesday, October 21, 2009, the Subcommittee on Information Policy, Census and National Archives held a hearing entitled: “The 2010 Census Master Address Files: Issues and Concerns.”

The hearing provided an opportunity for the Census Director to offer testimony on the status of the 2010 Census Master Address File.

The hearing took place at 2:00 p.m. in room 2154 Rayburn House Office Building

Witnesses:  Dr. Robert Groves Director United States Census Bureau; Mr. Todd Zinser Inspector General Department of Commerce; Mr. Robert Goldenkoff Director, Strategic Issues Government Accountability Office; Ms. Ilene Jacobs Director, Litigation, Advocacy & Training California Rural Legal Assistance, Inc.

To view the webcast of this hearing, please click on the link below: http://informationpolicy.oversight.house.gov/story.asp?ID=2644

Revitalization of the NSDI

 

Will Craig, President of NSGIC, Governance of the NSDI, ESRI ArcNews Online, Fall 2009

http://www.esri.com/news/arcnews/fall09articles/governance-of-nsdi.html

Directions Mag Podcast on Google Maps Recent Changes

 

Podcast: Google Maps Changes US Base Data, Adds Parcels and Crowdsourcing

By Joe Francica and Adena Schutzberg
October 13, 2009

This past week Google prompted a flurry of discussion by announcing some changes to its data and functionality in Google Maps. There’s new data and new feedback tools and some anxiety in the geospatial world. Our editors separate fact from fiction and offer our take on the implications of these changes

http://apb.directionsmag.com/archives/6603-Podcast-Google-Maps-Changes-US-Base-Data,-Adds-Parcels-and-Crowdsourcing.html

See also James Fee’s GIS Blog for additional commentary:  http://www.spatiallyadjusted.com/2009/10/07/google-maps-now-uses-their-own-map-data/

The Importance of a Legal and Policy Framework for Spatial Data

Why Location Matters : The Importance of a Legal and Policy Framework for Spatial Data

Kevin D. Pomfret, Esq.

Summary. Spatial technology – which includes a wide range of technologies, such as satellite  and aerial imaging systems, web-mapping services (WMS), geographic information systems (GIS), location-based services (LBS), radio frequency identification (RFID) and Global Position System (GPS) – is becoming a critical management and visualization tool for governments and business.  …  Unless an informed and cohesive legal and policy framework is developed for spatial data and services, there is a growing risk that this critical technology will ultimately be underutilized.

 

For link to full article, visit: http://www.gita.org/events/ETS/WhyLocationMatters.pdf

 

Santa Clara County Releases Data

September 16, 2009

Bruce Joffee forwarded the following:

After a three year legal battle, Santa Clara County provided a copy of its GIS parcel basemap data to the California First Amendment Coalition (CFAC) in compliance with California’s Public Record Act (PRA). Decisions from both the California Superior Court and the California Court of Appeal affirmed that public agencies must provide their geodata in accordance with the PRA (California Government Codes §6250-6259). Generally, agencies can not charge a requestor of their geodata more than the direct cost of duplication, and they can not restrict how a requestor can use or redistribute the data. Santa Clara County had been selling its geodata for $ 158,000; the cost CFAC finally paid was $ 3.10 per disk, plus shipping. In addition to providing its geodata to the public, the PRA requires the County to pay CFAC’s attorneys fees and costs incurred to assert its legal right to the data.

For background information, visit:

http://news.gislounge.com/2009/02/court-of-appeal-rejects-santa-clara-countys-basemap-data-sale/

 http://www.opendataconsortium.org

House Hearing on Technology to Improve Financial Oversight

 

The House Committe on Financial Services – Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations will hold a hearing this morning that will touch on the use of parcel data for monitoring the mortgage industry.

The Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations

	Utilizing Technology to Improve TARP and Financial Oversight
	10:00 a.m., September 17, 2009, 2128 Rayburn House Office Building Oversight and Investigations
	Witness List & Prepared Testimony: Mr. Ari Schwartz, Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Center for Democracy and Technology Mr. Thomas Quaadman,  Executive Director for Financial Reporting Policy, U.S. Chamber of Commerce Mr. Steve Horne,  Senior Vice President for Master Database Management, Dow Jones and Company Mr. Dilip Krishna, Vice President, Financial Services and Insurance, Teradata Corporation Ms. Susan Marlow, Chief Executive Officer, Smart Data Strategies, Inc., on behalf of MAPPS (Management Association for Private Photogrammetric Surveyors) Mr. Gregory B. Hahn,  Principal, Crowe Horwath LLP Professor Bennet A. Zelner,  Fuqua School of Business, Duke University, on behalf of The Probity Group Mr. Thomas Kimner, Risk Manager, Americas Risk Practice, SAS Institute, Inc. Visit Website for testimony and live webcast: http://www.house.gov/apps/list/hearing/financialsvcs_dem/hr_090909.shtml