Governments depend on a common set of base geographic information as a tool for economic and community development, land and natural resource management, scientific investigation, and health and safety services. Emergency management and homeland security applications rely on this information. Private industry, nongovernmental organizations, and individual citizens use the same geographic data. Geographic information underpins an increasingly large part of the Nation’s economy.

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is committed to meeting the Nation’s needs for current base geographic data and maps. By working with partners, the USGS will provide the Nation with access to current, accurate, and nationally consistent digital data and topographic maps derived from these data. This synthesis of information, products, and capabilities, The National Map, will be a seamless, continuously maintained set of on-line, public domain geographic base information that will serve as a foundation for integrating, sharing, and using other data easily and consistently.


Partnership Opportunities in Idaho
Partnerships with other Federal, State, county, and local government agencies, the private sector, academia, and the public are essential to the success of The National Map. The USGS will coordinate, integrate, and, where needed, produce and maintain base geographic data..


Fiscal Year 2004 Accomplishments and Goals in Idaho
– The USGS, FSA, NRCS, and additional Federal, State, Tribal, local, and private entities are cost sharing the acquisition of statewide 1-meter color DOQs, scheduled for summer 2004, through the U.S. Department of Agriculture's NAIP Program

– Integration of Tax Commission, USDA Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, and USGS data to form a statewide boundary layer for display in The National Map

– 2003 Boise Urban Area high-resolution (6-inch and 1-foot) natural color imagery is being made available to the public

– Idaho is nearing completion of a statewide high-resolution (1:24,000) National Hydrography Dataset (NHD). Of 89 sub-basins in Idaho, 77 are complete, 10 are in progress, and 2 remain to be funded

– Local transportation, hydrography, boundary, and structure data have been delivered by Ada County for inclusion in The National Map—the best available and most current data over the defined Boise Urban Area

– Partnership formed with the Coeur d'Alene Tribe to present their high-resolution local data over Tribal lands in The National Map

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