The National Spatial Data Infrastructure

The National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI) was created by President Clinton's Executive Order 12906 (April, 1994). The NSDI was defined as the "technologies, policies, and people necessary to promote sharing of geospatial data throughout all levels of government, the private and non-profit sectors, and the academic community."

The larger goals of the NSDI are to promote geospatial information sharing, reduce duplication efforts, and develop a national geographic information strategy. Through these goals, the NSDI has helped to establish key partnerships among local, state, and federal agencies that did not exist before, while making geographic data more accessible to the public.

Much of the NSDI groundwork has been built since 1994. And now, federal, state and local agencies, academia, and the private sector continue to contribute greatly to its growth and maintenance. Currently, the three groups operating at the federal level are coordinating the NSDI: Geospatial One-Stop, FGDC, and The National Map. Read more about this inter-agency collaboration and the roles of each within the NSDI:

• A Clear Vision of the NSDI
• FGDC, GOS, and TNM Working Together

Learn more about the past, present, and future directions of the NSDI:

• FGDC's NSDI site
• FGDC Future Directions
• "A Strategy for NSDI (1997)"
• Join the NSDI discussion list

A core component of the NSDI has been the establishment of numerous clearinghouses of geospatial metadata. Currently, there are more than 250 clearinghouses worldwide, each able to be searched (independently or simultaneously) by open and standard protocols.

Since 1996, the State of Delaware has actively contributed to the building of the NSDI through its maintanance of the Delaware Spatial Data Clearinghouse, the National Map, Geospatial One-Stop, and other DGDC activities. To learn more about the Delaware Geospatial Information Clearinghouse, visit the "Delaware Clearinghouse".