In a strategic move to strengthen geographic research and to consolidate geospatial data programs, USGS Director Chip Groat announced August 25, the creation of a National Geospatial Programs Office (NGPO). Karen Siderelis, the USGS’s chief geographic information officers, has been named Associate Director of USGS for the NGPO.
The move to transfer The National Map from the Geography Discipline to the Geospatial Information Office (GIO) will allow existing expertise in the field of geography at the USGS to focus attention on geographic research and enhance USGS leadership in both geospatial programs and geographic research.
The reorganization will consolidate USGS geospatial programs under the new National Geospatial Programs Office (NGPO) located within the Geospatial Information Office (GIO). The National Geospatial Programs Office will oversee the portfolio of national geospatial programs for which the USGS has responsibility, including the Federal Geographic Data Committee, the Geospatial One Stop project, the Department of the Interior Enterprise Geospatial Information Management activity and The National Map.
Responsibility for the cooperative topographic mapping (CTM) program, including USGS’s Cartographic Services Contracts, will be moved from the Geography Division to the NGPO.
On September 21, a delegation from MAPPS met with Ms. Siderelis. It included MAPPS Executive Director John Palatiello, USGS liaison committee chair Pat Olson (Aerometric, Sheboygan, WI) and Anne Miglarese (EarthData Holdings, Washington, DC). Also present was Kevin Hope of USGS, who is the agency’s liaison to MAPPS.
At the meeting the MAPPS delegation emphasized that MAPPS and USGS have an excellent working relationship. The differences of many years back is gone and a true partnership has emerged and grown over the past 10 years. MAPPS and USGS have worked cooperatively to define the appropriate roles of the agency and the private sector in mapping and geospatial activities. Consistent with what the National Research Council has said in several studies, data collection and production is the proper role of the private sector, while the USGS is focused on data sharing, coordination, standards and contract administration.
MAPPS also noted that it has been a vocal supporter of The National Map. MAPPS Executive Director John Palatiello pointed to The National Map as a "best practices" example" in recent testimony before Congress. Moreover, MAPPS is a strong advocate of and proponent for the CSC-2 contracts. Every CSC-2 prime contractor (and dozens of subs) are MAPPS member firms. It was MAPPS that urged USGS to more actively promote the CSC-2 vehicles to other agencies, publish a brochure, etc. Additionally, MAPPS has been a very active proponent of increased funding for USGS in Congress.
The MAPPS members said this relationship must continue, and strengthen. MAPPS strongly urges USGS to continue to downsize its production staff and increase its reliance on, and budget support for, private contracting for cartographic/geospatial services.
