Federal Surveying and Mapping An Organizational Review (1981) / Chapter Skim
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Pages 26-51
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From page 26... ...
The FHWA, serving as the representative for the Department of Transportation on the Federal Geodetic Control Committee, has been an active supporter of the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-16, especially for the strict compliance with the standards and specifications for geodetic surveys.
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From page 27... ...
Because of the favorable ratio of the combined lengths of the interstate, primary, and secondary systems to the geographic area of the state, the Chief of Surveys in the Bureau of Highways reports that they will be able to complete a highdensity geodetic control survey for the state from these funds (Sullivan, 1980~. The field surveys are being accomplished by a unit of the National Geodetic Survey under a cooperative agreement that provides for full reimbursement.
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From page 28... ...
A comprehensive coastal hazards program in response to the threat of hurricanes and severe storms along the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts; · Increased geodetic surveys and services in cooperation with other federal, state, and local agencies; A shoreline mapping and monitoring program; Measurements of crustal motions and subsidence in coastal areas; Expanded fishery obstruction charting; Accelerated storm evacuation mapping; Expanded ocean-dynamic measurements; A concerted funded effort to correlate geodetic, geophysical, and oceanographic data for comprehensive use; and · Development and implementation of the Global Positioning System, satellite-sensing fine-grain bathymetry, and other mapping, surveying, and oceanographic technology. The breadth of interests shown in these demands and activities helps to reenforce the recommendation for a Federal Surveying and Mapping Administration.
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From page 29... ...
Roughly 75 percent of this must be spent to benefit low- and moderate-income persons; the balance can be used for almost any municipal improvement for which local tax money would be authorized. HUD reports that "the purchase of maps or mapping services is an eligible expenditure of block grant funds." However, we believe that very little emphasis has been placed on mapping.
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From page 30... ...
. However, this Panel believes that there will always be a need for surveys and maps to support this program and considers the recommendation made by the 1973 Task Force to be valid: "that flood insurance mapping be accomplished by the new agency, and that standards and specifications be developed in accordance withHUD [nowFEMA]
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From page 31... ...
Therefore, we, too, recommend the creation of a central civilian mapping, charting, geodesy, surveying, and multipurpose cadastral agency, which we would call the Federal Surveying and Mapping Administration. The statement made by the 1973 Task Force in support of this recommendation meets repeating: The Federal Survey Administration will bring together into one agency the significant (MC&G)
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From page 32... ...
Thus the mapping, charting, geodesy, surveying, and multipurpose cadastre activities should be placed together in a separate organization, ready to serve all needs equally. When the strategy of the Executive Office of the President is determined, the proposal should include the essential actions to define the role of the Federal Surveying and Mapping Administration (FSMA)
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From page 33... ...
was about 25 percent of the total, while the state, local, industry, and public use was about 75 percent; the federal agencies use of horizontal control surveys was 47 percent, while the locally oriented use was 53 percent. The primary federal mapping and surveying organizations have made a great effort to satisfy the local needs for surveying and mapping products by establishing readily available data centers and increasing the number of local outlets for maps.
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From page 34... ...
It is recommended that the Federal Surveying and Mapping Administration: · Sponsor cooperative programs with state and local governments and that the budgetary procedures recognize these programs and · Maintain liaison representatives in each state to monitor the surveying and mapping activities in the community, to coordinate the activities involving federal funds in order to avoid duplications and waste, to apply national specifications where federal funds are involved, and to encourage the use of national specifications and standards so that local projects may be incorporated into the national surveying and mapping programs.
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From page 35... ...
Civilian mapping and charting activities are performed primarily by the Departments of the Interior and Commerce and are further scattered among numerous user agencies. The extensive study on this subject initiated by oMs (Federal Mapping Task Force Report, 1973)
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From page 36... ...
Similarly, it was planned that the Forest Service would become the dominant force in the Land and Forest Resources Administration, which would include most of the present functions of the Bureau of Land Management. The Geology and Minerals Administration would consist of the Geological Survey, less its Conservation Division.
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From page 37... ...
A-16 (see Section 3.3.7~. 3.3.1 Geological Survey The Geological Survey was one of several principal participants in the FMTF report study; and subsequent to the time of the report and its recommendations, the agency was able to implement several of the recommendations in coordination with, and with the cooperation of, many of the other federal mapping, charting, geodesy, and surveying (MCG&S)
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From page 38... ...
These meetings with the Defense Mapping Agency, National Ocean Survey, Soil Conservation Service, Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Indian Affairs, National Park Service, Tennessee Valley Authonty, and others have all resulted in useful exchanges of information. There has not been any apparent indication that these past coordination efforts have been anything less than productive and contributory; but there is still much to be gained, both in financial and manpower resources, by the continuing effort for greater coordination.
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From page 39... ...
There continues to be an ever-present need to consolidate the activities of cadastral surveys and the geodetic control network to focus upon one accurate and coordinated geographic reference system. The lack of sufficient funding is again the most resounding cause for the deficiencies in adequate geographic reference data; and it appears that the solution of this problem will remain elusive as long as there is a division of resources, both financial and manpower, among the federal agencies responsible for cadastral surveys, geodetic control surveys, and mapping.
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From page 40... ...
It has been demonstrated by the Geological Survey for some of its cooperative mapping programs. The recommendation that "the National Geodetic Program manager be given responsibility to (1)
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From page 41... ...
3.3.3 Bureau of Land Management The 1973 FMTF report contained two recommendations related to the cadastral survey program: (1) that the cadastral surveying functions of the BEM (excluding corner search and boundary marking)
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From page 42... ...
As indicated by its title, the Bureau of Land Management is pri~narily responsible for the management of lands, and its officials are oriented in that direction; this results in a low priority for cadastral surveys, as reflected in its budget, staffing, and policies. The management of the cadastral surveying program is fragmented, as noted in Appendix A.3, with a Division of Cadastral Survey in Washington, D.C., 12 state offices, and a Service Center with 2 branch offices, all of them reporting through several layers of management to the Director of the BLM.
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From page 43... ...
An increase in the number of highly qualified surveyors is needed to handle the changing demands of the cadastral survey organization from one that performs the initial surveys of public land to one that also provides the required resurveys and boundary surveys for the management of federal lands. The increasing number of administrative surveys marking the boundary between existing monuments, many of them intermingled with privately owned lands, requires professionals with the education and experience to handle complicated boundary problems.
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From page 44... ...
Once the NOAA operational program is fully implemented, NASA should be able once again to concentrate its efforts and resources on the research and development aspects of the program. 3.3.5 Other Agencies The Federal Mapping Task Force identified 34 other federal agencies engaged in various aspects of domestic surveying and mapping efforts beyond the 5 principal agencies (4 civilian agencies and DMA)
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From page 45... ...
A-16 and add cadastral surveying; hydrography and oceanography (including ships, equipment, and personnelJ; and research and development for mapping, charting, geodesy, surveying, and the multipurpose cadastre. The revision should provide the authority for more effective coordination of federal civilian programs and should give recognition to the user community and to liaison with national engineering and scientific societies.
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From page 46... ...
in 1972, interagency contacts and cooperation between DMA and the civilian agencies have been simplified and appear to be operating more easily and effectively. 4.2 DEFENSE MAPPING AGENCY EXPERIENCE Before the formation of the DMA in 1972 the mapping, charting, and geodetic groups within the Department of Defense (DOD)
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From page 47... ...
Further study led to the 1971 decision to establish the Defense Mapping Agency (DMA)
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From page 48... ...
Since production problems faced by many of these agencies parallel those of civilian agencies, the DMA depends on the civil agencies to provide a part of the technical training furnished under these agreements. 4.4 CURRENT INTERACTIONS The DMA interacts with the federal civilian agencies on topographic mapping, hydrographic and aeronautical charting, geodesy and geophysics, data libraries, digital data files and formats, research and development, and mobilization.
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From page 49... ...
areas. The DMA carries out limited geodetic surveys in the United States, which are coordinated through the Federal Geodetic Control Committee, pnocipally in connection with ICBM sites or weapons and system development, test, and calibration.
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From page 50... ...
The three agencies have also agreed to regular exchange assi~ment of technical staff to improve the transfer of ideas and information and to assure greater general awareness of the full scope of federal MC&G activities. 4.5 1973 REPORT RECOMMENDATIONS APPLICABLE TO THE DEFENSE MAPPING AGENCY In general, the 1973 report recommendations would continue the basic relationships currently existing between the DMA and the civilian mapping community, except that, if there were a consolidated surveying and mapping administration, the multiple interactions described in Section 4.4 would reduce to a single interaction.
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From page 51... ...
The extent and quality of this support can be significantly improved by the increased emphasis, efficiency, and interactive effectiveness that can be expected from the establishment of a civilian Federal Surveying and Mapping Administration .
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