Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced that the Interior Department is seeking nominations for membership on the National Geospatial Advisory Committee (NGAC).

The NGAC was created to advise the Federal government on the management of national geospatial programs and the development of the National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI). The NSDI promotes sharing of geospatial data throughout all levels of government, the private and non-profit sectors, and the academic community. The NGAC provides advice and recommendations on Federal geospatial policy and management issues and provides a forum to convey views representative of partners in the geospatial community. The NGAC was established by the Department of the Interior on behalf of the Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) under the authority of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA).

"Geospatial information is a vital tool to help us achieve our goals of open, collaborative, and transparent government," said Salazar. "The National Geospatial Advisory Committee plays an important role in allowing us to work with our partners to pursue common goals through an inclusive geospatial governance process."

The NGAC includes 25-30 members, selected to generally achieve a balanced representation of the viewpoints of the various partners involved in national geospatial activities. NGAC members are appointed for staggered terms, and approximately one-half of the seats on the committee will be appointed during this round of appointments.

Nominations for appointment to the NGAC should be submitted electronically to ngacnominations@fgdc by Aug. 21, 2009. Nominations may be submitted on behalf of others, or individuals may self-nominate. Instructions about qualifications and the nomination process can be found at www.fgdc.gov/ngac.

Final selection and appointment of NGAC members will be made by the Secretary of the Interior. Members of the Committee serve without compensation. However, members may be reimbursed for per diem and travel expenses incurred while attending Committee meetings in accordance with the Federal travel regulations as implemented by the Department of the Interior.

The NGAC will operate under the requirements of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA). The purpose of FACA, which was enacted by the Congress in 1972, is to ensure that advice rendered to the executive branch by the various advisory committees, task forces, boards and commissions formed over the years by Congress and the President, be both objective and accessible to the public. The Act formalized a process for establishing, operating, overseeing, and terminating these advisory bodies. The U.S. General Services Administration is responsible for implementing the Federal Advisory Committee Act. Additional information about FACA may be found at the FACA Web site (www.gsa.gov/faca).

Additional information about the NGAC, including the current Charter, may be found on the NGAC Web page at www.fgdc.gov/ngac.