Esri provides open access to key federal geospatial data

Esri has announced that in collaboration with federal agencies, it is opening up access to dozens of high-priority, high-demand national data layers, referred to by government users as National Geospatial Data Assets (NGDA). This development is critical for decision-making in areas of national concern like infrastructure development and disaster response.

The information being made available includes cartographic boundary files and demographic data from the US Census Bureau; National Agriculture Imagery Program (NAIP) data from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA); and the National Inventory of Dams (NID) database, managed by the US Army Corps of Engineers.

This new collection of federal maps and apps is now accessible via ArcGIS Online. It includes over 75 national geospatial datasets on dams, bridges, federal public lands, runways, rail nodes, and more, which are regularly updated from federal sources. Those seeking this data can simply access it on the web; an ArcGIS user license is not required. Available under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license, anyone can use, share, and adapt the data with proper attribution. Esri will also be releasing the NGDA datasets through a custom explorer app on the launch page.

www.esri.com