EPA's National Mapping Requirements Program Opportunities and Benefits

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Table of Contents
What is the NMRP? 1
Why Maps? Why the NMRP? 1
How is EPA Coordinating its Spatial Data Activities? 2
The National GIS Program 3
Geographic Resources Information &
Data System (GRIDS) 3
Locational Data Policy 4
The Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) 4
How Can You Access NMRP Services? 5
Determining Your Mapping Requirements 5
NMRP's Acquisition Process 6
Submitting a Mapping Request 6
Future Enhancements to the NMRP 7
NMRP Mapping Request Form 9
Cover: This composite was made from a portion of a Lansat Thematic Mapper (TM) scene recorded
on June 2,1984. The area covered is approximately 90 by 90 kms and shows the upper part of
Lake Powell in southeastern Utah. The composite was generated from TM bands 1,2, and 3 which were
calibrated with a procedure that included an atmospheric scattering correction. Colors seen in the
composite are close to the natural colors seen on the ground, but with contrast enhancement. The data
also had an edge enhancement applied to sharpen the image. This product was generated by
Pat S. Chavez, Jr., National Mapping Division, U.S. Geological Survey, Flagstaff. AZ 86001.
Printed on Recycled Paper
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WhatistheNMRP?

The Environmental Protection
Agency's Office of Information
Resources Management
(OIRM) has established a
National Mapping Require-
ments Program (NMRP) to
coordinate the geographic and
related spatial data require-
ments of the Agency. The
NMRP was designed to be a
dynamic, ongoing program for
EPA personnel to identify
present and long-term mapping
requirements, communicate
those needs to the appropriate
Federal agency, and provide
mechanisms for acquiring the
needed geographic information.
. By participating in the NMRP,
EPA personnel can influence
the future map production
schedule of the United Stales.

OIRM established the NMRP in
1988, in response to the U.S.
Geological Survey's (USGS)
request for EPA participation in
the mapping programs and
activities of the National Map-
ping Division, the Geologic
Divison, and the Water
Resources Division. The
initial focus of the NMRP was
on the USGS map products
and services as they pertain to
EPA needs, as well as EPA's
internal mapping capabilities
provided by the Office of
Research and Development.
The NMRP is now being
expanded to include all
map production agencies
within the Federal Geographic
Data Community.
NMRP is an essential
component of the Agency's .
National Geographic Informa-
tion Systems (GIS) Program,
and as such provides all EPA
Regional, Laboratory, and
Program Office personnel an
opportunity and mechanism to
plan for and acquire the
geographic information
necessary to meet Agency
mission objectives.

The following sections
describe the Agency's National
Mapping Requirements
Program, its product availability
and benefits, and how EPA
personnel can participate and
submit their current and future
mapping requirements for
production consideration.
Why Maps?

Why the NMRP?

Environmental information is
inherently geographic in nature.
Virtually all environmental
assessments require locating
and gathering data values or
parameters on physical,
chemical, and/or biological
features for subsequent
analysis and evaluation.
Accurate representation of
those features are essential for
the successful interpretation of
environmental conditions.

Examples of spatially refer-
enced features used in environ-
mental assessments include
identifying monitoring wells
and sampling sites; delineat-
ing wetlands and other
sensitive habitats; detecting
contaminant transport
through the air, soil, or ground
water; locating underground
storage tanks and hazardous
waste sites; and displaying
the proximity of population
centers to areas of environ-
mental concern.

These and other geographic
features of interest can be
depicted on maps and.are
routinely required by EPA
personnel for ongoing
environmental assessments.
The NMRP offers EPA
personnel the opportunity to
identify those recurring
mapping requirements and
the mechanism to request
their production.
Printed on Recyctod Paper
US EPA Headquarters Library
Room 2904, Mailcode 3404
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How is EPA

Coordinating its

Spatial Data

Activities?

EPA recognizes the impor-
tance of spatial data in
fulfilling its mission of
environmental monitoring,
assessment, compliance,
and research. To address the
need for spatial data associ-
ated with these functions,.
O1RM has the responsibility
for providing guidance and
promoting the coordination of
all related spatial data
activities within the Agency.
These activities include

(Managing the National
GIS Program .

I Operating the Geographic
Resources Information &
Data System (GRIDS)

(Developing an Agency-...
wide Locational Data
Policy (LDP)

I Serving as a member of
the Federal Geographic
Data Committee (FGDC).
GIS Team Leaders
EPA HeadOJiarterS
Thomas G. Dewald, National GIS Program Manager 703-883-5001
EPA • 1505 Planning Research Drive (TM228)
McLean, Virginia 22102

Mason Hewitt FTS 545-2377, 702-798-2377
ORD/Environmental Monitoring Systems Laboratory • 944 E. Harmon
Las Vegas, Nevada 89119

Region 1 (Boston, Massachusetts)
Greg Charest FTS-835-4528, 617-565-4528
EPA • John F. Kennedy Federal Building • Room 2203
Boston, Massachusetts 02203

Region 2 (New York, New York)
George Nossa FTS-264-9850,212-264-9850
EPA • Jacob K. Javitz Federal Building • 26 Federal Plaza
New York, New York 10278

Regions (Philadelphia,Pennsylvania)
Edward Kratz FTS-597-9855,215-597-9855
EPA • 841 Chestnut Building • Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19107

Region 4 (Atlanta, Georgia)
George Collins FTS-257-3402, 404-347-3402
EPA • 345 Courtland Street, N.E. • Atlanta, Georgia 30365

Region 5 (Chicago, Illinois)
Noel Kohl FTS-886-6224, 312-353-6224
EPA • 230 South Dearborn Street • Chicago, Illinois 60604

Region 6 (Dallas, Texas)
David Parrish FTS-255-2289,214-655-2289
EPA • First Interstate Bank Tower at Fountain Place
1445 Ross Avenue, 12th Floor- Suite 1200- Dallas, Texas75202

Region? (KansasCity,Kansas)
Lynn Kring FTS-276-7447, 913-551-7456
EPA • 726 Minnesota Avenue • Kansas City, Kansas 66101

Region 8 (Denver, Colorado)
Bill Murray FTS-776-5104,303-236-5104
EPA • 99918th Street, Suite 500 • Denver, Colorado 80202-2405

Region 9 (San Francisco, California)
MarkHemry 415-744-1804
EPA • 75 Hawthorne Street • San Francisco, California 94103 '-

Region 10 (Seattle, Washington)
BenEusebio FTS-484-0422,206-553-0422
EPA • 1200 Sixth Avenue • Seattle, Washington 98101:
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The National CIS Program
Sophisticated technologies
are becoming increasingly
available and cost effective in
meeting the need for cross-
programmatic, multi-media
analyses. A National Geo-
graphic Information Systems
(GIS) Program was estab-
lished in 1987 to exploit these
and other emerging technolo-
gies so EPA could better
analyze and interpret environ-
mental information. The
National GIS Program has
established an Agency-wide
infrastructure of Regional and
Laboratory GIS Teams that
enable EPA personnel to
assess spatially complex
environmental conditions for
improved and effective
decision making. These multi-
disciplinary GIS Teams are
available to assist EPA
Program Office personnel in
defining and supporting all of
their spatial data require-
ments.

The GIS Program promotes
GIS training courses, pub-
lishes supporting guidance
documentation, operates an
electronic bulletin board
system, and has developed a
Geographic Resources
Information and Data System
(GRIDS) as a central reposi-
tory for EPA's geographic
data bases.
Geographic Resources
Information & Data System
(GRIDS)
GRIDS was developed to
promote data sharing and
data integration by providing
national access to spatial
data for use in GIS applica-
tions. GRIDS allows users to
select desired subsets of
national spatial data sets for
creating base map coverages
for analyses. GRIDS is
available for use by all EPA
personnel and other Federal
agencies, state, and local
governments, and universities
when working coflaboratively
with the EPA.
Geographic Resources
Information & Data System
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Locational Data Policy (LDP)
The Agency's Locational
Data Policy (LDP) was
established in May 1990 to
extend environmental
analyses and allow data to
be integrated based upon
location. The LDP requires
that latitude and longitude
coordinate pairs be collected
with all EPA environmental
data-gathering activities,
thereby promoting the
enhanced use of the
Agency's extensive data
resources for cross-media
environmental analyses and
management decisions. This
policy under-scores the
EPA's commitment to
establishing the data
infrastructure necessary to
enable data sharing and
secondary data use.
The Federal Geographic Data
Committee (FGDC)
The EPA is a charter member
of the Federal Geographic
Data Committee (FGDC), as
established by the October
1990 revision of the Office of
Management and Budget
Circular A-16. The FGDC is
responsible for coordinating
the mapping, surveying, and
related spatial data activities
of the Federal government to
minimize the duplication of
effort and maximize the
benefits of the Federal
mapping community. To
accomplish this, the FGDC
has identified 10 themes or
categories of spatial data that
will enable map users to more
easily determine their needs
and provide for improved
interagency cooperation.
These categories and the
responsible Federal agencies
include

I Base Topographic
I U.S. Geological Survey

(Geodetic
National Geodetic Survey
(International Boundaries
Department of State
Federal Geographic Data Committee
Category-based Subcommitt
Working Group
Standards

Technology

Liaison

Base
Topographic
Data
-

Geodetic

International
Boundaries

Geologic

Soils

National Mapping Requirements Program
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CDC)
Geologic
U.S. Geological Survey

Soils
Soil Conservation Service

Wetlands
U.S. Fish and Wildlife

Vegetation
U.S. Forest Service

Cadastral
Bureau of Land Management

Cultural and Demographic
Bureau of the Census

Ground Transportation
Department of Transportation.
A. description of these 10
'basic' categories (as well as
Hydrologic), the types of
mapping products and
services available from the
responsible agencies, and
the mechanism for acquiring
these products, are available
to all EPA personnel through
the NMRP.
Coordination Group
/T. '
wetlands
1
1

Vegetation

Cadastral

"• M
"•;
•j*

'•, '
.Cultural
and
Demographic

'•-'.-.
:
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NMRP videotapes are also
available to assist you in deter-.
mining your mapping require-
ments. The. videos are based on
a series of national mapping
seminars that presented the
products and services available
to EPA personnel through the
USGS. Two versions of the
video are available; one version
presents a management over-
view, white the second includes
the management segment as
well as discussion and examples
of topographic, geologic, and
hydrologic mapping products of
the USGS as they apply to EPA
requirements and applications.
NMRP's Acquisition Process
The NMRP acquisition process
(see adjacent flow chart) is
designed to assist you in defin-
ing your spatial data product
requirement(s) and direct you
toward the most appropriate
source for the information. Many
of EPA's frequently used map-
ping products and technical
support services currently exist
and are available from various
Federal and State Mapping
authorities. Refer to the
Resources and Guidance
Manual and the accompanying
videos for product descriptions
and points of contact within the
USGS and numerous State
mapping organizations.
Submitting a Mapping Request
If you have identified a map
product that currently exists but
is not maintained in the EPA
data repository (GRIDS), contact
the appropriate Federal or State
mapping organization which
produces the geographic data for
information on how to obtain the
desired map products.

If a map product does not
currently exist, is out of date, or
needs revision, you should.
submit a Mapping Request Form
(attached) through the NMRP
Manager or the Regional GIS
Teams, for review by the respon-
sible Federal agency. EPA's
mapping requirements will be
.compiled with other Federal and
State mapping requests,
reviewed by the map-producing
agency, and prioritized into a
production schedule designed to
optimize the collective needs of
the user community.

Each requestor will be notified of
the production status of his/her
individual map request as soon
as it is determined by the
producing agency. If the map
product can be completed within
the required time frame, the
requestor will be notified when
the product is available. If the
map request cannot be com-
pleted in the necessary time
frame, or the map request is a
nonstandard or specialty map
product, the requestor will be
notified to discuss alternative
map production opportunities.

Several opportunities are
available to the EPA requestor to
expedite the map production
process. Cost-share and Work-
share arrangements can be
negotiated with the appropriate
Federal organizations to
advance the map request
priority and production
schedule. The NMRP Manager
NMRP's
Acquisition Process
Government
• EPA
• Federal
• State
• Local
Private
• University
• Non-profit
• Commercial
HsThere an Established Mechanism]
\
Yes
[What.aretrt^MechanisniBl']
• EPA Production
• Memorandum of Understanding
• Inter-agency Agreement
• Work-share
• Cost-share
• Demonstration Project
• Contract Vehicle
• NMRP '
m No
Re-evaluate
Project Design
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Yes
is available to assist all EPA
personnel in identifying alternative
map production opportunities. The
NMRP is not a funding mecha-
nism for EPA map submissions.
However, the NMRP has estab-
lished Memoranda of Understand-
ing (MOU) with map production
and service organizations for
the exchange of technical
information and services,
including national data bases,
in support of EPA's spatial
data requirements.
Project Design
(Goals and Objectives)
(Historical Coverages, Future Needs)

"V
Yes
fCouiS' Differ Infbrmatiotfbe j

_^. "^"RepScemenTbate)""

No
(Time, $)

No
Yes
Government
• EPA
• Federal
• State
• Local
Yes
Private
• University
• Non-profit
• Commercial
No
Re-evaluate
Project Design
NMRP
L
OIRM ;
NMRF» -
Video ; -1 ,
Resource & • ».
Guidance Manual
Map Request
•Form- " .. ' :,. ^
i
ps There a^Establisfied'Mechartiiml
LforuPrpduclngjhejnfo'rmationf^j
J
No
Yes
EPA Production
Memorandum of Understanding
Inter-agency Agreement
Work-share
Cost-share
Demonstration Project
Contract Vehicle
NMRP
Future

Enhancements to

the NMRP

The Resources and
Guidance Manual vt\\\ be
expanded to include a
chapter on each of the spatial
data categories and respec-
tive'agencies of the Federal
Geographic Data Committee .
(FGDC). The manual is
intended to be a dynamic
document that will keep EPA
personnel informed of current
trends, capabilities, and
spatial data products of the
Federal mapping community.

Plans are also underway to
expand and automate the
NMRP Request Form and
submission process. When
complete, any EPA employee
will be able to access the Map
Request Form through an
electronic Bulletin Board
System resident on the
Agency's telecommunications
network. The EPA user will
be able to browse the .
different map .categories and
products available, and
submit a request for map
production consideration.
•National Mapping Requirements Program
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The NMRP exists to serve you, the EPA
employee. We encourage you to use its
resources to improve the quality of our
environmental protection.
For further information about NMRP, call 703/883-8533 or write to

Mr. Jeffrey t. Booth
Office of Information Resources Management (PM-218B)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
401 M Street, S.W.
Washington, O.C. 20460
National Mapping Requirements Program
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Mount St. Helens, WA
Pre-Eruption
Mount St. Helens, WA
Post-Eruption
Tha 3-D perspective model of Mount St. Helens that
appears in this booklet is courtesy of the
U.S. Geological Survey.
National Mapping Requirements Program
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&EPA
Office of Information Resources Management
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
401 M Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20460
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