A Data Provider’s View of <I>The National Map</I>

Abstract

For over a century, our national map consisted of the thousands of paper topographic quadrangle maps created and maintained by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) at scales ranging from 1:250,000 to 1:24,000. As long as the Nation’s spatial data were embodied in paper maps, the linkage between private sector data providers and the USGS was tenuous: the USGS contracted for mapping services and map publishers might use quadrangle maps as the basis for a commercial map, but the relationship rarely went further. As the computer age impinged on mapping of the Nation, the linkage between public and private mapping grew tighter. Private companies became important resources in public map database compilation, and public digital maps seeded new private data products. The National Map vision promulgated in 2001 by the USGS opens new avenues for public-private collaboration on this vital resource. Commercial data providers can work with government at all levels to their mutual benefit to achieve The National Map vision.