National Mapping Division State Liaison
Lee Aggers and A.C. Brown are the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), National Mapping Division (NMD) Liaisons to the State of Alaska. The NMD State Liaisons coordinate a broad range of USGS cartographic and geographic products and manage USGS mapping activities within the State. The State Liaisons support the USGS's mission to increase multi-partner agreements in an effort to eliminate duplication of effort, reduce cost to each partner, and share data collection and maintenance expenses. The NMD Liaisons in all states work to establish and maintain long-term partnerships and inform and involve partners of changes in programs and products that may affect them and their area of responsibility.

Partnerships & Programs in Alaska Partnership Mechanisms
As the largest producer of geospatial data products in the Nation the USGS has a commitment to establish standards, coordinate mapping, and produce data. In an effort to leverage funds appropriated for map and data production, the USGS encourages cooperation with a variety of partners where the participants share the cost and / or production work of preparing multipurpose standard geospatial products. The benefits for the USGS are realized in the ability to produce more data covering more areas throughout the Nation. The benefit for the cooperator includes cost savings, data standardization, and data availability. Partnerships in Alaska include:
 

The Alaska Geographic Data Committee (AGDC)
The AGDC was organized in 1993 as a subcommittee of the Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) and was formally recognized as a cooperating group of the FGDC in 1996.

The purpose of the AGDC is to provide a forum for: the coordination of spatial data development projects; the development of coordinated methodologies for implementing standards and policies; and for the review and response to FGDC initiatives.  The objective of the AGDC is to build geographic information partnerships among government institutions.  The AGDC pursues this objective through communication, investigation, and coordination.  Eighteen Federal agencies, six Departments within the State of Alaska, five Boroughs and Municipalities, the University of Alaska, and five non-governmental organizations are active members of the AGDC.

The AGDC has been successful in leveraging funds for base layer digital data production in Alaska through the Department of the Interior (DOI) High-Priority Mapping Program since 1996.  During the last four years, digital production of Digital Raster Graphics (DRGs) and Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) have been completed.  These georeferenced base maps can be used as a backdrop for GIS applications.  Production of Digital Line Graphs (DLGs) for hydrography at the 1:63,360-scale is nearing completion.  A pilot project to produce Digital Orthophoto Quadrangles over selected areas is planned.

Development of an Alaska National Hydrographic Dataset (NHD)
The USGS, in conjunction with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), is developing a National Hydrographic Dataset (NHD) for the entire country including the State of Alaska.  The NHD is being created by merging the EPA River Reach File and the USGS DLG feature based hydrography datasets.  A portion of the Cook Inlet drainage basin in south-central Alaska is nearing completion and will act as the prototype for NHD in the State.

The USGS/BLM/USFWS/NPS Revised Hydrography Project
The U.S. Geological Survey, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and National Park Service have cooperated in updating the hydrography layer in digital format at 1:63,360-scale over user-specified lands in Alaska.

This cooperative partnership calls for these agencies to share in the cost of digital production of the revised hydrography to DLG-3 format. USGS provides the film overlays of the hydrography to the BLM. BLM oversees the revision of the hydrography using existing source materials as deemed appropriate. USGS prepares revised files for digital production and quality control and manages the digital contract.

This program is accelerating USGS production of revised national digital map products to populate partner agency GIS data bases. This has resulted in the accelerated population of the National Digital Cartographic Data Base (NDCDB).

Pribilof Islands Cooperative Mapping Project
The USGS and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Pribilof Islands Environmental Restoration Project within the Office of Response and Restoration (ORR) have established a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to provide funding to produce digital and graphic products for the islands of St. George and St. Paul, Alaska, which are located in the Bering Sea.

These digital and graphic products will be used on the Pribilof Islands for land use and economic development analysis as well as natural resource management.

Alaska Basic Revision Graphic Program
The USGS has undertaken a graphic revision program over a number of 1:63,360-scale (1 inch = 1 mile) topographic quadrangles in the Anchorage to Fairbanks corridor area.  These quadrangles will be updated through USGS contractors using best source base data.  A Graphics Revision subcommittee of the AGDC has been formed to solicit comments from the Alaska user community as draft versions of these quadrangles become available for review.

Coordination Organizations in Alaska
* Alaska Geographic Data Committee (AGDC)

Additional Information
The National Mapping Program information page has information on USGS programs and products.
For additional information on Alaska and National Mapping Division activities in the state please contact: