NSPS/GAU
From LSPS
MAY 2007 IN THIS ISSUE …
1. ACSM to Testify at Congressional Hearing 2. Legislation Introduced to Survey and Map Coastline 3. FGDC Steering Committee Meeting 4. FEMA Updates its Multi-Year Flood Hazard Identification Plan (MHIP).
ACSM to Testify at Congressional Hearing. ACSM was recently asked to testify at a hearing before the Housing and Community Opportunity Subcommittee of the House Financial Services Committee regarding H. R. 1682, the Flood Insurance Reform and Modernization Act of 2007. Although most of the legislation addresses flood insurance issues, several sections of it address the floodmap modernization issue. This will be the focus of ACSM’s testimony. The hearing will take place on June 12 and Curt Sumner will testify for ACSM. The entire bill can be found at http://thomas.loc.gov and typing in “H. R. 1682”as the bill number.
Legislation Introduced to Survey and Map Coastline. Legislation was recently introduced in the House of Representatives to direct the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to establish an integrated Federal ocean and coastal mapping plan for the Great Lakes and coastal state waters, the territorial sea, the exclusive economic zone, and the Continental Shelf of the United States, and for other purposes. The bill, number H. R. 2400 entitled the Ocean and Coastal Mapping Integration Act, was introduced on May 24 and sent to the Committee on Natural Resources and the Committee on Science and Technology for consideration.
The legislation directs the NOAA Administrator to-- (1) identify all Federal and federally funded programs conducting shoreline delineation and ocean or coastal mapping; (2) facilitate cost-effective, cooperative mapping efforts that incorporate policies for contracting with non-Federal entities among all Federal agencies conducting ocean and coastal mapping; (3) facilitate the adaptation of existing technologies as well as foster expertise in new ocean and coastal mapping technologies; (4) develop standards and protocols for testing innovative experimental mapping technologies; (5) provide for the archiving, management, and distribution of data sets as well as provide mapping products and services to the general public in service of statutory requirements; (6) develop data standards and protocols for use by Federal, State, and other entities in mapping; and (7) identify the procedures to be used for coordinating the collection and integration of Federal ocean and coastal mapping data with State and local government programs.
The legislation also establishes an Interagency Committee on Ocean and Coastal Mapping. Membership in the Committee shall be comprised of senior representatives from Federal agencies with ocean and coastal mapping and surveying responsibilities. The representatives shall be high-ranking officials of their respective agencies or departments and, whenever possible, the head of the portion of the agency or department that is most relevant to the purposes of this Act. Membership shall include senior representatives from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Chief of Naval Operations, the United States Geological Survey, the Minerals Management Service, the National Science Foundation, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, the United States Army Corps of Engineers, the Coast Guard, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and other appropriate Federal agencies involved in ocean and coastal mapping. The Committee shall coordinate activities, when appropriate, with-- (1) other Federal efforts, including the Digital Coast, Geospatial One-Stop, and the Federal Geographic Data Committee; (2) international mapping activities; (3) States and user groups through workshops and other appropriate mechanisms; and (4) representatives of non-Federal entities.
Finally, the legislation calls for a report to be submitted to Congress which will include-- (1) an inventory of ocean and coastal mapping data within the territorial sea and the exclusive economic zone and throughout the Continental Shelf of the United States; (2) an inventory and description of any new Federal or federally funded programs conducting shoreline delineation and ocean or coastal mapping since the previous reporting cycle; (3) identification of priority areas in need of survey coverage using present technologies; (4) a resource plan that identifies when priority areas in need of modern ocean and coastal mapping surveys can be accomplished; (5) the status of efforts to produce integrated digital maps of ocean and coastal areas; (6) a description of any products resulting from coordinated mapping efforts under this Act that improve public understanding of the coasts and oceans, or regulatory decisionmaking; (7) documentation of minimum and desired standards for data acquisition and integrated metadata; (8) a statement of the status of Federal efforts to leverage mapping technologies, coordinate mapping activities, share expertise, and exchange data; (9) a statement of resource requirements for organizations to meet the goals of the program, including technology needs for data acquisition, processing, and distribution systems; (10) a statement of the status of efforts to declassify data gathered by the Navy, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, and other agencies to the extent possible without jeopardizing national security, and make it available to partner agencies and the public; (11) the status of efforts to coordinate Federal programs with State and local government programs and leverage those programs; and (12) a description of efforts of Federal agencies to increase contracting with non-Federal entities.
FGDC Steering Committee Meeting. Curt Sumner attended the May 23 meeting of the Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) Steering Committee.
The issue discussed that is currently of most interest to ACSM is that of the National Geospatial Advisory Committee (NGAC). The NGAC is being established by FGDC through the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) as a means of providing for input to the FGDC from non-government entities. The committee will be comprised of approximately 25 individuals. The committee members will be appointed by the Office of the Secretary of the Interior. Nominations for positions on the committee are due by June 28, 2007. ACSM has asked each of its four Member Organizations to submit nominations, and hopes to submit them collectively through ACSM because it is the organization recognized by FGDC.
One point that was raised during the meeting with regard to the proposed composition of the NGAC is that the current plan will place approximately five (5) individuals that would represent federal agencies on the committee. The question that was raised is whether is it is appropriate to place those representing federal agencies on a committee that is intended to provide input from non-federal entities. The answer given in response was that those federal agency representatives on the committee could serve to address some committee issues directly. The counter argument from the questioner was that it is not fair for federal agency representatives to be voting members on a committee that would decide by vote which questions or suggestions would be forwarded to FGDC.
Although not specified within the guidelines of the FGDC criteria for submission of nominee qualifications, a group of stakeholder organizations headed by NSGIC is seeking to have the respective organizations submit their nominees’ qualifications to the other stakeholder organizations for review and potential joint endorsement. The logic for this effort is that it could assist in the appointment of a committee whose members are likely to work well together.
FEMA Updates its Multi-Year Flood Hazard Identification Plan (MHIP). The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recently updated its Multi-Year Flood Hazard Identification Plan (MHIP), and it’s available on the FEMA website. The MHIP is FEMA’s national plan for providing modernized digital flood hazard data and maps for areas with greatest flood risk in support of the National Flood Insurance Program. This latest version of the MHIP (Version 2.5) amends MHIP Version 2.0 dated September 2006.
The new components of the MHIP updated in Version 2.5 are the performance/projection bar charts for the Key Performance Indicators 1 and 2, maps reflecting mapping activities through Fiscal Years 2003-10, and appendix A, Detailed Production Report-Sequencing by County. FEMA updated the flood map production sequencing based on stakeholder feedback, and is continuing to work towards achieving the program goals defined in the Mid-Course Adjustment.
MHIP Versions 2.0 and 2.5 are available on FEMA’s Flood Hazard Mapping Web site at http://www.fema.gov/plan/prevent/fhm/mh_main.shtm . Interested parties with questions pertaining to the updated flood map production sequencing in MHIP Version 2.5 are encouraged to contact their appropriate local and State officials, who are working with one of FEMA’s 10 Regional Offices.
