BLM And Forest Service Launch GeoCommunicator Web Site

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the USDA Forest Service (FS) have announced the deployment of the GeoCommunicator Web site, an interactive Web-based land information portal that provides a state-of-the-art solution for locating, accessing, and sharing the most current, up-to-date geographic information. The first module of the NILS (National Integrated Land System) project, the GeoCommunicator is located at www.geocommunicator.gov.

The Web site is a technological achievement, representing a strategic partnership between the BLM and the Forest Service, in collaboration with states, municipalities and local governments. It has also received the endorsement of the Western Governor's Association.

On October 15, 2001, Spatial News named GeoCommunicator as their Site of the Week.

GeoCommunicator provides a virtual land community, where users can subscribe to an area of interest and receive notification of activities, events, updated data sets, new maps, and more that occur and reoccur within their specific areas of interest. For example, participants of a county could seek out cost-sharing partners in their area and remain current on potential partnership opportunities by sharing project information and other items of particular geographic interest through the GeoCommunicator. The site can also accommodate communication forums, creating discussion groups to communicate information on land activities, data calls, and other networking activities. Metadata is also available, displayed for each content area as part of the search results, giving the user a way to determine the value and relevancy of the data. Lastly, GeoCommunicator features a land tool to locate the specific federal land management agency responsible for selected land areas.

"We are very excited about the launch of www.geocommunicator.gov," said Pete Culp, the BLM's Assistant Director - Minerals, Realty & Resource Management. "With GeoCommunicator, everyone - from the general public to resource managers - will benefit. Most importantly, the site provides access to data served directly from the originator of the data, ensuring the most current data available, and reducing the need to download and maintain duplicate data sets."

Jack Craven, Director, Lands for the U.S. Forest Service, comments that, "The genius of GeoCommunicator is that land managers and specialists can readily create their own local network of subscribers and providers of GIS data specific to their region of interest."

GeoCommunicator represents an online portal for spatial viewing of geographic data. In effect, it is a state-of-the-art, searchable database of links to geographic data submitted to GeoCommunicator by data providers and contributors. The user need only point and click on spatial views of interest and the GeoCommunicator will provide access to an array of geographic data to choose from. In addition, the Web site provides users with an online forum in order to discuss relevant topics, share information and ask questions.

The site is a featured land management focus channel of ESRI's Geography Network - a major, international Web site devoted to geospatial data and related information around the world. GeoCommunicator provides additional search capabilities, allowing users to locate areas of interest by township and range, cadastral criteria and more.

GeoCommunicator provides access to a wide array of geographic content - from static map images to dynamic map services, from downloadable data to geographic activities, from data clearinghouses to land references. This data can be viewed by either a conventional browser or with GIS software. If desired, users can simply download ArcExplorer - a free GIS browser offered by ESRI - and enjoy simplified GIS display and analysis capabilities.

"There are many additional benefits to GeoCommunicator as well," Culp continues. "It is designed to provide an easy, user-friendly means for the general public to not only access BLM and Forest Service data, but will help promote greater public access to and understanding of geographic information by offering links to literally thousands of spatial data records. Lastly, it embraces our dedication to improving our level of customer service."

Jack Craven of the U.S. Forest Service further states, "I see the uses of GeoCommunicator extending outward. When we introduce the concepts of GeoCommunicator to resource managers, they become excited. Wildlife and fisheries biologists, ecologists, entomologists, engineers and more, collectively envision sharing this tool with their colleagues as well as with universities, foundations, agencies and private concerns - all of whom are potentially duplicating work."

The NILS (National Integrated Land System) project (http://www.blm.gov/nils) was launched in order to create a business solution by integrating survey data with parcel-based land records in a GIS environment, and developing a common land data model. Other NILS modules are scheduled to be deployed in FY 2002 and 2003.

For more information on becoming a GeoCommunicator data provider, go to the GeoCommunicator Web site Provider Data Section at: http://www.geocommunicator.gov/geocom/register.cfm.

The BLM, an agency of the U.S. Department of the Interior, manages more land - 264 million surface acres - than any other Federal agency. Most of this public land is located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The bureau, which has a workforce of about 9,000 employees, also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the Nation. The BLM preserves open space by managing the public lands for multiple uses, including outdoor recreation, livestock grazing and mining, and by conserving natural, historical, cultural, and other resources on the public lands.

The USDA Forest Service manages public lands, known collectively as the National Forest System, located in 44 States, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. The lands comprise 8.5 percent of the total land area in the United States. The natural resources on these lands are some of the Nation's greatest assets and have major economic, environmental, and social significance for all Americans.

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