Expires: 9/30/2012

To:                   All Field Officials

From:               Director, National Landscape Conservation System and Community Partnerships

Subject:           National Landscape Conservation System Data Standard        DD: 2/28/2011 

Program Area: National Landscape Conservation System.

Purpose: The purpose of this Instruction Memorandum (IM) is to transmit the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) National Landscape Conservation System (NLCS) Data Standard Report, Implementation Guidelines, and Domains.

Background: The BLM Director and Field Committee recognize the development of national corporate data standards and databases as being critical to facilitating BLM-wide comprehensive data management. A team of subject matter experts­­ including representatives from field offices, state offices, the Washington Office (WO), and the National Operations Center (NOC) collaborated to develop a data standard for the BLM’s NLCS.  Consistent use of the NLCS data standard will result in fewer data calls and less overall effort by state and local personnel using the Bureau’s geospatial information.  This will also facilitate timely sharing of BLM information with partners and the public and produce significant long-term savings for the BLM.

Budget Impact: None.

Coordination: Development of this standard was coordinated amongst WO-171, WO-210, representative state program leads, State Data Administrators, and GIS coordinators.