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This is historical material, "frozen in time."
The web site is no longer updated and links to external web sites and some internal pages will not work.
Circular No. A-l6 Revised
October l9, l990
TO THE HEADS OF EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS AND ESTABLISHMENTS
SUBJECT: Coordination of Surveying, Mapping, and Related Spatial Data
Activities
l. Purpose. This revised Circular describes the
responsi- bilities of Federal agencies with respect to coordination of those
Federal surveying, mapping, and related spatial data activities described in
paragraph 2, below. (Spatial data are geographically referenced features that
are described by geographic positions and attributes in an analog and/or
computer-readable (digital) form.) It rescinds and replaces Circular No. A-l6
dated May 6, l967. The revised Exhibits will remain in effect until replaced
pursuant to paragraph 4 of this Circular.
A major objective of this Circular is the eventual development of a
national digital spatial information resource, with the involvement of Federal,
State, and local governments, and the private sector. This national information
resource, linked by criteria and standards, will enable sharing and efficient
transfer of spatial data between producers and users. Enhanced coordination
will build information partnerships among government institutions and the
public and private sectors, avoiding wasteful duplication of effort and
ensuring effective and economical management of information resources in
meeting essential user requirements.
2. Coverage. The coordinating procedures
established by this Circular extend to all activities financed in whole or in
part by Federal funds that:
a. Can contribute to:
the National Mapping Program of the United States and outlying areas
of sovereignty and jurisdiction,
the National Geodetic Reference System,
the National Geologic Mapping Program of the United States and
outlying areas of sovereignty and jurisdiction,
the National Wetlands Inventory Program,
the National Cooperative Soil Survey Program,
the National Public Land Survey System Geographic Coordinate Data as
legal authority permits, or
such other national surveying, mapping, or related spatial data
programs as may be established; or
b. Can contribute to:
significant, multipurpose national surveying, mapping, or related
spatial data categories (e.g., vegetation, cultural, demographic, and ground
transportation), or
such other significant, multipurpose national surveying, mapping, or
related spatial data categories as may be identified by the interagency
coordinating committee established pursuant to paragraph 4 of this Circular,
and concurred with by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB); or
c. Result in cartographic representation of international boundaries
other than those of the United States with Canada or Mexico.
Excluded are surveying, mapping, and related spatial data activities
conducted or supported by a Federal agency to meet specific agency program
needs that are not met by the programs specified in paragraph 2a and 2b of this
Circular and that cannot practicably or economically contribute to the national
programs. However, these activities should be performed in such a way that the
resulting products are provided in a format that can be shared with other
Federal agencies and non-Federal users.
Determination of the surveying, mapping, and related spatial data
activities that are required to meet program needs is the responsibility of the
agency that manages each program. However, evaluation of the potential
contribution of those activities to a national surveying, mapping, or related
spatial data program must be made by such agency in consultation, or pursuant
to a general agreement, with the responsible agency, or agencies, as described
in paragraph 3 of this Circular.
3. Responsibility for coordination. Surveying,
mapping, and related spatial data activities encompass a number of categories
of data, including base topographic mapping, cadastral, geologic, geodetic,
resource (e.g., soils, wetlands, and vegetation), cultural, demographic, and
ground transportation data. These national spatial data categories have
multi-agency interest. The Departments identified below will provide
governmentwide leadership to coordinate this multi-agency interest, including
the facilitation of exchange of information and transfer of data; the
establishment and implementation of standards for quality, content, and
transferability; and the coordination of the collection of spatial data to
minimize duplication of effort where practicable and economical. Each
Department has existing authority described in its basic mission (e.g.,
statutory authority or Public Law), or implied as part of its program
responsibilities.
This departmental governmentwide leadership for surveying, mapping, and
related spatial data coordination will be carried out under the policy guidance
and oversight of the interagency coordinating committee established pursuant to
paragraph 4 of this Circular. Additional responsibilities and agencies may be
added to paragraph 3 by recommendation of the interagency coordinating
committee and concurrence by the Office of Management and Budget.
a. The Department of Interior is responsible for the National Mapping
Program, the National Geologic Mapping Program, and the Public Land Survey
System of the United States and outlying areas of sovereignty and jurisdiction.
The Department of the Interior is also responsible for the Public Land
Conveyance (patent) Records, the National Wetlands Inventory, geologic names,
and, in conjunction with the U.S. Board on Geographic Names, for the
standardization of domestic geographic names and maintaining the official
record of such names. The Department of the Interior operates a network of
Earth Science Information Centers, with responsibility to collect, maintain,
and disseminate earth science information in support of national requirements.
This responsibility includes establishing programs to identify such data
available from other Federal agencies that are of general use, and the sources
from which users may obtain those data.
The Department of the Interior exercises governmentwide leadership in
assuring coordinated planning and execution of these functions and related
surveying, mapping, and spatial data activities of Federal agencies, including
activities financed in whole or in part by such agencies, for the following
purposes:
The surveying, mapping, digital cartographic, and related spatial
data, earth science, and public land information needs of Federal, State, and
local government agencies and the general public can be met in the most
effective, expeditious, and efficient manner possible with available
resources;
All surveying, mapping, and digital cartographic activities,
including related spatial data collection, maintenance, and dissemination,
financed in whole or in part by Federal funds, can contribute to the National
Mapping Program, the National Digital Cartographic Data Base, the National
Public Land Survey System's Geographic Coordinate Data Base, the National
Wetlands Inventory, and the Nation's earth science and public land information
activities when it is practicable and economical to do so;
All geologic (and associated geophysical and geochemical data)
mapping information and related spatial data, financed in whole or in part by
Federal funds, can contribute to the National Geologic Mapping Program and the
National Geologic Map Data Base when it is practicable and economical to do so;
and
Aerial photography and other remotely sensed imagery, survey data,
topographic mapping, geologic mapping, digital cartographic and other related
spatial data, produced by Federal agencies can be conveniently accessible for
use in meeting the cartographic, earth science, and public land information
needs of other Federal agencies, State and local governmental authorities, and
the general public.
b. The Department of Commerce is responsible for establishing and
maintaining the networks of geodetic surveys that compose the National Geodetic
Reference System (NGRS) and maintains information on the status of geodetic
surveys that meet the standards for inclusion in the NGRS. The Department also
produces and maintains nautical and aeronautical charts, promulgates standards,
and is responsible for collecting, processing, and tabulating cultural (e.g.,
economic data and the names and boundaries of domestic governmental entities)
and demographic data through its decennial, economic, agriculture, and
governments censuses and related statistical activities. In addition, the
Department produces maps and other products concerning marine natural
resources.
In carrying out these functions, the Department of Commerce exercises
governmentwide leadership in assuring coordinated planning and execution of its
national geodetic surveys, nautical and aeronautical charts, standards
activities, census and sample surveys, and the related survey and charting
activities that are financed in whole or in part by Federal funds, for the
following purposes:
The geodetic survey, nautical and aeronautical charting, and
cultural and demographic data needs of government agencies and the public at
large can be met in the most expeditious and economical manner possible with
available resources;
All surveying activities financed in whole or in part by Federal
funds can contribute to the NGRS when it is practicable and economical to do
so;
All census and related statistical programs financed in whole or in
part by Federal funds can contribute to the National Digital Cartographic Data
Base, and the inventory of spatial data to the extent that it is practicable
and economical to do so; and
Appropriate standards can be promulgated for the recording, storage,
transfer, and dissemination of digital spatial data to the extent that it is
practicable and economical to do so.
c. The Department of State exercises governmentwide leadership to
assure that cartographic representations of international boundaries, other
than those of the United States with Canada or Mexico, by all Federal agencies
are consistent with and conform to United States foreign policy.
d. The Department of Agriculture is responsible for the National
Cooperative Soil Survey Program. It exercises governmentwide leadership to
assure coordinated planning for the collection, maintenance, and distribution
of digital soils and vegetation data, for the following purposes:
The digital soils and vegetation information needs of government
agencies and the general public can be met in the most effective, expeditious,
and efficient manner possible with available resources;
All digital spatial data activities related to soils and vegetation,
financed in whole or in part by Federal funds, can meet the standards
established for these data categories when it is practicable and economical to
do so; and
All digital soils and vegetation spatial data can be conveniently
accessible for use in meeting the information needs of other Federal agencies,
other governmental authorities, and the general public.
e. The Department of Transportation exercises governmentwide leadership
to assure coordinated planning for the collection, maintenance, and
distribution of national ground transportation data, for the following
purposes:
The national ground transportation information needs of government
agencies and the general public can be met in the most effective, expeditious,
and efficient manner possible with available resources;
All digital spatial data activities related to national ground
transportation, financed in whole or in part by Federal funds, can meet the
standards established for this data category when it is practicable and
economical to do so; and
All national ground transportation data can be conveniently
accessible for use in meeting the information needs of other Federal agencies,
other governmental authorities, and the general public.
In addition to the responsibilities outlined above, each coordinating
Department will arrange, through periodic meetings or other appropriate means,
for exchange of information among Federal agencies and other governmental
authorities concerning technological developments with respect to their
assigned activities.
4. Establishment of coordinating mechanisms. An
interagency coordinating committee will be established to coordinate Circular
A-l6 related activities, and to recommend to the Office of Management and
Budget, where required, appropriate additions, revisions, or deletions to this
Circular and Exhibits. The committee will be called the Federal Geographic Data
Committee and will be chaired by the Department of the Interior.
a. The objective of this interagency coordinating committee is to
promote the coordinated development, use, sharing, and dissemination of
surveying, mapping, and related spatial data. This objective supports surveying
and mapping activities, aids geographic information system use, and assists
land managers, technical support organizations, and other users in meeting
their program objectives through:
Promoting the development, maintenance, and management of
distributed data base systems that are national in scope for surveying,
mapping, and related spatial data;
Encouraging the development and implementation of standards,
exchange formats, specifications, procedures, and guidelines;
Promoting technology development, transfer, and exchange;
Promoting interaction with other existing Federal coordinating
mechanisms that have interest in the generation, collection, use, and transfer
of spatial data;
Publishing periodic technical and management articles and reports;
Performing special studies and providing special reports and
briefings to OMB on major initiatives to facilitate understanding of the
relationship of spatial data technologies with agency programs; and
Ensuring that activities related to Circular A- l6 support national
security, national defense, and emergency preparedness programs.
b. The interagency coordinating committee will also provide guidance
and promote cooperation and coordination among Federal, State, and local
government agencies and in the private sector in the collection, production,
and sharing of surveying, mapping, and related spatial data.
c. The interagency coordinating committee will include representatives
of the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Energy, Housing and Urban
Development, Interior, State, and Transportation; the Federal Emergency
Management Agency; the Environmental Protection Agency; the National
Aeronautics and Space Administration; and the National Archives and Records
Administration. Other Federal departments and independent agencies with
activities or interest in surveying, mapping, or related spatial data can
request membership by writing to the Secretary of the Interior.
The committee will establish, in consultation with other Federal
agencies and appropriate organizations, such standards, procedures, interagency
agreements, and other mechanisms as are necessary to carry out its
governmentwide coordinating responsibilities. Subcommittees, working groups,
and advisory committees may be convened to support specific needs as identified
by the coordinating committee and will report directly to the committee.
5. Responsibilities of other Federal agencies.
Each Federal agency is responsible for:
a. Cooperating as requested in the development of appropriate
coordinating mechanisms;
b. Supplying necessary information to the interagency coordinating
committee concerning its surveying, mapping, and related spatial data
requirements, programs, activities, and products; and
c. Conducting its surveying, mapping, related spatial data gathering
and product distribution activities in a manner that provides effective
governmentwide coordination and efficient, economical service to the general
public.
6.Differences among agencies. Any major
differences that cannot be resolved through consultation among cooperating
agencies with respect to coordination of activities covered by this Circular
should be referred in writing by the head of any agency concerned to the
Director of the Office of Management and Budget. Copies of such referrals will
be provided to the Chairman of the Federal Geographic Data Committee and the
heads of the agencies named in paragraph 4 of this Circular.
7. Reporting. The Interagency Coordinating
Committee identified in paragraph 4 will: (a) summarize the individual reports
of any subcommittees, working groups, and advisory committees; (b) comment on
the state of coordination of Federal surveying, mapping, and related spatial
data activities; and (c) transmit the entire package to OMB annually.
