GeoData Policy

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/

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.

Read the rest of this entry »

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

 

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

Swiss privacy commissioner says “nein” to Google Street View

By Eric Bangeman | Last updated August 23, 2009, Ars Technica

…Just days after launching Street View in Portugal, Switzerland, and Taiwan, the search giant has been told by the Swiss Government that it needs to yank the Street View from its Swiss maps, a development that has left the search giant “surprised.” Hanspeter Thür, the Swiss Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner (FDPIC), has accused Google of not having taken the necessary steps to safeguard the privacy of Swiss citizens. …

For full text of article, visit: http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2009/08/swiss-privacy-commissioner-says-nein-to-google-street-view-swiss-privacy-commissioner-says-nein-to-google-street-view.ars

 

Governor Martin O’Malley Exhibits Maryland’s Recovery Web Tools before Congressional Committee

Office of Governor Martin O’Malley, July 8, 2009

Governor Martin O’Malley testified before the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform today, where he exhibited Maryland’s nationally-recognized, interactive website that tracks funding from President Obama’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) from it’s inception.  The Governor joined Governors Edward Rendell (PA) and Deval Patrick (MA) in highlighting ways the states are conforming to federal accountability standards and using technology to achieve new levels of government transparency and efficiency.

“For those of us in the states, the Recovery and Reinvestment Act has been a true lifeline,” said Governor O’Malley.  “Were it not for these funds, we would have been forces to lay off 700 state employees, erode health care benefits, and forgo investments in public education which have produced record test scores and earned our state’s schools a number on in the nation ranking for our public schools.  This critical legislation is helping us create and save jobs, and position our State’s economy to bounce back from recession.  In Maryland, we share the President’s commitment to investing these funds with maximum efficiency, openness, and transparency.”

In February, just days after the passage of ARRA, Governor O’Malley announced Maryland’s plan to monitor and track Recovery and Reinvestment funds in the State of Maryland through the launch of Maryland’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act website, www.recovery.maryland.gov to allow Marylanders to track recovery projects in the State of Maryland. Governor O’Malley provided a quick demonstration of the website that utilizes GIS (Geographic-Information System) technology. 

The website, maintained by StateStat, Maryland’s performance-measurement and management program implemented to make state government more accountable and more efficient, tracks every category of ARRA spending providing contract-level details to the public.

Recently, Maryland launched an updated application for the website, allowing users to find information more easily.  The Map has been upgraded with additional information tools, detailed fund descriptions and project details.  The new site also provides users the opportunity to send comments and questions about the data and the map directly to StateStat administrators.

See also:

Gov. O’Malley’s oral testimony before the House Committee on Oversight & Government Reform, July 8, 2009: http://www.governor.maryland.gov/speeches/090708arra.pdf

Gov. O’Malley’s written testiomony: http://www.governor.maryland.gov/speeches/090708arrawritten.pdf

House Committee on Government Oversight and Reform – Opening Statement, Witness Testimony, and Webcast for Committee Hearing Titled “Tracking the Money:  Preventing Waste, Fraud and Abuse of Recovery Act Funding” http://oversight.house.gov/story.asp?ID=2528

How Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley uses GIS Technology to Transform his State for the Better, by Chad Vander Veen, Government Technology Magazine  p. 15 - 17 (starts p. 18 in PDF)  http://digitalmag.govtech.com/GT/GT_Mag_Aug09.pdf 

MD StateStat:  http://www.statestat.maryland.gov/

OGC Spatial Law and Policy Summit 2009

Posted  by GIS Talk on Sunday, August 09, 2009

The Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) announces that it will hold a Spatial Law and Policy Summit at The Westin Washington, D.C. City Center on October 7, 2009. Professionals from the government and private sector whose work involves laws and policies related to geospatial technology are invited to register and attend. This unprecedented event will feature talks and panel discussions by experts familiar with the wide range of legal and policy issues associated with growth in consumer and business applications of geospatial systems, software and services. The growing use of Earth browsers, satellite navigation devices in cars and PDA’s, location-based services associated with cell phones, business intelligence, social networking and satellite tracking of vehicles and equipment raises a number of issues concerning privacy, intellectual property rights, liability, and national security. As the speakers will explain, in many cases, the existing legal and policy framework is inadequate to provide governments, businesses and consumers clear guidance on these issues. The Summit will be chaired by OGC director and Executive Committee member Kevin Pomfret, a Richmond, Virginia based attorney who has written and spoken extensively on spatial law and technology.

To learn more, visit the OGC Spatial Law and Policy Summit website at http://www.opengeospatial.org/event/091007ets

All Points Blog: The 2009 Federal Geospatial Data Management Oversight Hearing

Last week the House Natural Resources Committee, Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources held an oversight hearing on “Federal Geospatial Data Management.” The committee led by Rep. Jim Costa, heard testimony from federal, state, private industry and professional organization representatives. Our editors look at what was said and what the hearing may mean for the future.

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.

 

A National Dialogue — Recovery Dialogue: Information Technology Solutions, National Academy of Public Administration, Posted April 27, 2009

Mapping and Geographic Analysis capabilities would enable Recovery.gov to provide a “full picture” of stimulus spending as envisioned by American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).

Maps supported by a Geographic Information System (GIS) would enable people to see, understand, evaluate, and give feedback on government decisions. They would show where ARRA spending is actually taking place and enable evaluation of intended outcomes of investments in local communities. This would require data about the location of investment spending as well as analysis capabilities that link stimulus funding to socio-economic and demographic data. …

Read full text of the article:  http://www.thenationaldialogue.org/ideas/add-mapping-and-geographic-analysis-to-recovery.gov

See also ESRI page:  http://www.esri.com/company/stimulus_recovery.html

Some of the capabilities we recommend are already implemented on a number of state Web sites including

·         State of Maryland StateStat

·         State of Oregon Tracking the Dollars

·         State of Washington Stimulus Reporting Map