Hawaii Framework Demonstration Project
Geospatial data users in Hawaii are very familiar with the U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS) Digital Line Graph (DLG) and Digital Elevation Model (DEM) data products. Primarily through Joint Funding Agreements with USGS in the early 1990's, the State of Hawaii was among the first, if not the first State to obtain complete sets of 1:24,000 7-1/2 minute DLG and DEM coverages. The State's strong interest in obtaining USGS digital coverages was to establish a credible set of digital base layers for the State's developing Geographic Information System (GIS) Program.
One of the problems associated with the collection and eventual mapping of spatial data in Hawaii is that projects are usually site specific, leading to piecemeal development of cartographic products. While it is fortunate that most developers of spatial data sets use the USGS 7-1/2 minute quadrangle series as a base upon which new information is displayed, there are also times when other non-standard base maps are used. As such, the framework approach embodied in the National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI) concept is a very appropriate means of establishing an officially recognized base for future developers of spatial databases. The fact that the Counties of Hawaii, Kauai and Maui have not yet developed digital cartographic databases is further evidence that the framework approach could be implemented at a ground level for seven of the main eight islands. The one island that already has a detailed cadastral-based coverage is the Island of Oahu, where the City and County of Honolulu has developed parcel level databases to support their GIS functions. In this regard, the framework concept can be further tested to see how it works in the context of an existing parcel database. In other words, the Island of Oahu offers an opportunity to verify the framework approach that will be developed from this demonstration project.
Since the public release of DLG data for Hawaii in the early 1990's, this particular source has become a recognized base mapping standard for most users of GIS technology in the State, primarily due to the aforementioned fact that a digital cadastral base does not exist for any of the islands except Oahu. Most current users of the DLG data use modified versions of these data sets since working with the major/minor attribute coding is quite cumbersome and not intuitive to use in their native form. Again, this is usually done on a piecemeal basis, usually quad-by-quad. Using DLG data, users in the State of Hawaii have established layers such as major and secondary roads and perennial stream coverages. Probably the least used DLG layer in Hawaii, however, is the Administrative Boundary data. The geographic accuracy of these lines are not fully known. State Forest Reserves are in some cases said to be incorrect. At least one boundary category, the ahupuaa, is reportedly incomplete. This is significant since the ahupuaa land division system is unique to Hawaii and is a major contributing element to all modern land boundaries in the islands.
While the USGS DLG data tend to be informally used as framework data, there are no formal mandates which recognize this as a fact. As such, the purpose of this proposal is to establish an organization and a process that would result in an accepted and formally recognized framework data layer which would be officially used and recognized by the geospatial data user community. In addition, verification of the appropriate use of the data (developed by organizations within the framework mode) based on the metadata collected for each data source will be implemented.
The primary goal of the proposed project is to develop a model by which all State geospatial framework data will be collected, documented, certified and distributed. To reach this goal, first and foremost, we plan to establish an organization which is based on partnerships with other State, Federal, County, private entities and non-profit organizations in Hawaii for the unified purpose of developing a framework of digital boundary data and to establish institutional roles. A second objective of this project is to identify high quality coverages which are essential in establishing a credible source of framework data. Third, it is important that the framework data be readily used as a basis for developing other boundaries. Fourth, this project will demonstrate the use of the Federal Geographic Data Committee's (FGDC) metadata standards in the development and use of the framework data layer. Fifth, we intend to establish mechanisms and protocols to distribute the data so that it will be widely used. Finally, there is a need to establish a procedure to ensure maintenance and updating of data.
Relevant to the NSDI's efforts, the Hawaii Framework Demonstration Project (HFDP) will incorporate the use of the FGDC's endorsed standards for cadastral data. In particular, we will address the three components--content standards, collection standards, and clearinghouse metadata profile--of the cadastral standards. To assist us in complying with these standards, we intend to contact other states that are working on similar projects. In particular, we note that North Carolina is employing a similar approach in their efforts to establish a framework procedure. We also intend to contact Ms. Nancy von Meyer, who commented on our proposal summary and indicated an interest in assisting us, particularly with respect to the special and unique conditions which exist in Hawaii.
The HFDP will not only increase the availability of quality data of Hawaii to the local users, but to the global community, as well. This will be accomplished by making the resultant framework data available on the Internet, most likely from the State of Hawaii's GIS web page at http://www.hawaii.gov/dbedt/gis. Furthermore, part of the State of Hawaii's overall strategy in organizing and coordinating geospatial activities is to establish a clearinghouse of metadata which would include information on the framework coverage. It is one of the State's goals to eventually establish a node within the National Geospatial Data Clearinghouse.
These efforts to develop the framework data and then to publish this data as well as the metadata on the Internet will raise the level of awareness of those organizations in the State of Hawaii which are developing geospatial databases of the national efforts being promoted by the FGDC in establishing the NSDI. The establishment of governmental unit boundaries as a recognized standard will encourage the cooperating agencies and institutions to apply the framework concept as a prototype upon which further collection of coverages throughout the State of Hawaii will be based.
Finally, the framework and its organization will be used as a means to support the establishment of a State of Hawaii Geographic Information Coordinating Council (HGICC). The State of Hawaii is concurrently applying for an FGDC grant to initiate the establishment of the HGICC. As an umbrella organization overseeing geospatial activities in the State, the HGICC would use the results of the framework as a basis for developing potential legislative proposals for spatial data issues.
To demonstrate the framework concept, we intend to collect, organize and maintain high quality coverages of land units which are managed by government entities for the Island of Molokai, County of Maui. Given that over 38 percent of all lands in the State of Hawaii are managed by Federal, State or County entities, government land boundaries provide a significant starting point for establishing an appropriate framework layer. The coverages would then be used as a basis for developing other boundaries including large private land owners, and ultimately, parcel data.
Since there are likely to be multiple sources of government land boundaries, we will survey many organizations to locate and obtain all possible publicly accessible databases. As a starting point, we plan to evaluate the boundary information in the DLG Administrative Boundary layer of State lands including forest reserves, Natural Area Reserves, Marine Life Conservation Districts, State Parks and Federally managed areas including National Parks, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service refuges, and military reservations.
Some of the other sources of data which may exist, include government surveys, private land surveys and tax map key data. These various sources, including their associated attributes, will be automated, as necessary, compared and evaluated against other sources. To complicate matters, for certain survey data, there are known instances where monuments used as points of reference can not be located. Reasons for the loss of monuments might include vandalism, land slides or the markers being covered by recent lava flows. These types of situations would also be documented.
Research will also be carried out to document information on traditional Hawaiian boundaries such as the ahupuaa land division system which was used by native Hawaiians. Before the arrival of the missionaries in 1820, a feudal land tenure system was in place, where all lands were considered to be the property of the king and were held for him by the high or district chiefs. Each district, or moku was divided into ahupuaa, which was ruled by a lesser chief. The ahupuaa was typically a strip of land extending from the mountains to the sea, thereby providing the chief and the inhabitants with a wide range of resources from the mountains, the central cultivated areas and the ocean. The Great Mahele (Division) of 1848 was the beginning of the sub-dividing and dispersal of lands which eventually enabled commoners or tenants to obtain land ownership rights. It is thought that today's land ownership boundaries can be traced back to the ahupuaa divisions which were established before the Mahele.
Using the various sources of data collected, a framework model will be developed. Overall, the following tasks have been identified as some of the fundamental steps that will be taken to implement the project:
As summarized in Attachment W, the HFDP is proposed to focus on the establishment of a cadastral reference system of large publicly administered land units. As there is no Public Lands Survey System in the entire State of Hawaii, the establishment of a cadastral framework data layer based on large government landholdings is essential as a framework layer. The completion of the proposed framework coverage will provide a blueprint for the completion of similar governmental unit coverages throughout the State. The establishment of acceptable cadastral boundaries of government lands will be crucial as more questions on native land rights and jurisdictional authorities are raised. Future involvement of geospatial data is not intended to resolve disputes, but would be used to maintain accurate cadastral databases to be used for future data queries. Participants will be encouraged to use this framework layer for reference and as a link to other data attribute collections.
To ensure that this a manageable project, we intend to focus our demonstration on the Island of Molokai. This particular island was selected because the presence and variety of large areas of lands managed by government agencies as well as private interests is representative of the entire State of Hawaii. Molokai includes areas managed by agencies such as the National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, State of Hawaii, State Department of Hawaiian Home Lands and the County of Maui. In addition, there are also significant private landholdings which will provide an opportunity to test the attitudes of private interests in making their boundary databases public. We believe that Molokai presents an area which would indicate that the digital file sizes would be manageable, thereby facilitating our ability to demonstrate the framework concept. Furthermore, this project shall focus on establishing a detailed vector layer complete with metadata documented for each vector coverage, with the intent to create a combination vector/polygon coverage which would have metadata for each polygon coverage. Limiting the demonstration to the Island of Molokai provides a workable data set for developing the procedures in creating metadata for the different feature types.
The scale and resolution of the data will be at the level of 1:25,000 or better. The preferred situation is to integrate large scale data which would serve as a lowest common denominator to make available the best possible information for users requiring varying scales.
The information collected and integrated will provide some indications on what could be expected for the other islands. It is our intent to use this project as an educational process where we would learn from this demonstration and then apply the resultant framework concept to the entire State.
As previously indicated, we intend to first evaluate the DLG Administrative Boundary layer for the Island of Molokai. A cursory examination of this particular layer reveals that most of the vectors of this DLG layer are not coded. Therefore, this project will include a concerted effort among the participants in determining the DLG vector feature codes, devising a logical coding scheme for framework purposes, verifying the accuracy of the existing DLG boundaries, completing incomplete layers, and adding other boundary information, as appropriate. To do this, other existing databases from other sources will be processed and integrated. Participants which have authority over a given boundary would be responsible for final verification and resolution of boundary determinations. For example, the National Park Service would be the ultimate authority over the boundaries for National Parks, while the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service would be the ultimate authority over the boundaries for National Wildlife Refuges. Based on the above mentioned coding of the DLG's, we propose to develop and implement an attribute coding scheme which would be "user-friendly" and intuitive. It should also be noted that it is not the intent of this proposal to correct errors, however, if there are obvious errors in certain databases, they may be corrected or at a minimum, the errors will be documented.
Development of a model for HawaiÔi will include provisions for the role of current and historical cadastral data sources, legal considerations, organizational roles and accuracy standards. A procedure for tracking and investigating the inconsistencies between data sources will be established. The procedure should 1) retain original sources, 2) create a best resolution, if possible, or valid alternatives, and 3) provide a generalized solution that attempts to be free of conflict. There will also be a mechanism for updates and revisions based on a transactional approach. The update procedure should include a method for notification of government land unit changes and a policy that provides for timely processing of updates. The reason, author and dates of specific database changes should be included in the update records. There is also a need to develop a simple but sophisticated database design. The existence of Hawaiian Homelands within National Parks and the use of leased and ceded lands by the military are examples of the complexity that must be addressed. A determination of user needs can be addressed by proactively searching for unrealized user needs. For example, in the development of new census boundary delineations the information created could be used to augment the U.S. Bureau of the Census' (USBC) digital data by identifying the differences in the local census block boundaries. These improved census boundaries could then be potentially used by USBC to improve their source for census block boundaries, thereby creating a common data standard to be used for census data collection. The data could be used to assist in the identification of Hawaiian Home Lands for Federal census purposes. There will be a need to establish methods of data distribution that serve a wide range of users and be able to meet the needs of the uninitiated user as well as established GIS operations. Finally, there will be a strong effort to coordinate with other framework, metadata and clearinghouse groups both locally and nationally.
In order to avoid restrictive practices, the principles provided in U.S. OMB Circular A-130, "Management of Federal Information Resources," (US OMB, 1993), will guide the Framework Working Group. As such, only publicly available data will be considered for inclusion in the framework. In addition, requirements for membership in the Framework Working Group will be clearly stated and will include all levels of government as well as professionals in the private sector. Information about the data limitations, optimal uses, and liability will be provided through metadata which meet the FGDC Geospatial Metadata Content standards. The content and collection standards for cadastral data, as defined by the Subcommittee on Cadastral Data of the Federal Geographic Data Committee will perform the following tasks:
All data will be evaluated based upon the needs of County, State, Federal, and private organizations, and their ability to be integrated into their existing systems. An initial subset of the full standard will be designated for implementation. The Working Group will decide how to provide the data in a public, non-proprietary format that conforms to the Spatial Data Transfer Standard Vector Profile.
A primary objective of the previously mentioned umbrella HGICC and the Framework Working Group is to define verification procedures to certify that the data submitted to the Hawaii GeoSpatial Data Clearinghouse node meets framework metadata standards. The HGICC and its sub-committees will use ISO 9000 standards as a guideline in determining procedures for verifications. A final process outline of the verification procedures shall be in the final document. The procedures shall be subject to amendments and addendums to accommodate any new or exceptional conditions that arise when attempting to apply the procedures to other potential framework data sets.
In the business context, our deliverable would be a final document describing the findings, procedural standards, and recommendations which shall be completed by the HGICC and submitted to the FGDC for acceptance. The document shall be distributed to all State and County agencies for use in determining requirements for submittal and acceptance of framework data for use in the National GeoSpatial Data Clearinghouse (NGDC).
There is a well established history of cooperation between the various public and private organizations regarding spatial data in the State of Hawaii. Due to the unique geographical location of the Hawaiian Islands, there is a recognition that organizations and agencies must form partnerships and alliances to create, produce, and distribute geospatial data. Hawaii is also unique because it contains only Federal, State and County governments; there are no smaller levels of jurisdictions. As a result there is a limited, but committed, number of public agencies upon which to draw resources to support the implementation of the framework. The coordination of geospatial data programs throughout the State involves individuals that have maintained strong networks of communications. All of these individuals are responsible for local data collection programs and have a vested interest to ensure the delivery of quality and dependable framework data.
Evidence of a cooperative spirit among organizations in the State is demonstrated by a variety of interagency programs to enhance the use of geospatial data. A cooperative program to purchase SPOT imagery brought together 26 participants from public and private sector,reducing costs and emphasizing partnerships. Federal agencies have worked to publish a CD-ROM of base layer data themes for the entire State, a common source for all GIS users. Memorandums of agreements have been established between the State and other agencies, including the City and County of Honolulu and the Natural Resource Conservation Service, to exchange geospatial data. The USGS's National Mapping Division's acceptance of Honolulu street data as a source for the update of DLG-3 files, illustrates the efforts to establish cooperatives between local and Federal geospatial data collection programs. Initiating the development of the formal framework layers would improve and complement these efforts.
The following organizations are expected to be contacted as part of the framework demonstration project:
A. State of Hawaii: Office of Planning; Office of Hawaiian Affairs; Department of Hawaiian Home Lands; Department of Accounting and General Services, State Survey Office; Department of Lands and Natural Resources, Division of Forestry and Wildlife, Molokai and Lanai Soil and Water Conservation District; Historic Preservation Division and Division of Land Management.
B. Maui County: Planning Department; City and County of Honolulu, Department of Land Utilization; Finance Department, Real Property Division.
C. Federal Government: U.S. Department of the Interior: National Park Service, Pacific Islands Cluster and GIS Field Technical Support Center; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Pacific Islands Ecoregion; U.S. Geological Survey, Water Resources Division; U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service. D. Other organizations: The Nature Conservancy; Molokai Ranch; Geographic Decision Systems International (GDSI); GeoInsight International.
In addition, to develop this framework grant application, an informal working group was established. They were called upon because they currently participate as members of an informal Hawaii GIS coordination network, which would serve as the core of the proposed HGICC. This consortium collects, creates and shares digital geospatial data and are already committed to supporting the implementation of the framework.
The implementation of an administrative organization for the framework will include participants from the Federal Government agencies, various State and County departments, educational institutions, private business, and non-profit organizations. Involvement of representatives from private land owners, local military branches, and public utilities is also expected. The individuals that shall be responsible for establishing policies, are also committed to performing the tasks required to complete the framework project.
The aforementioned proposed HGICC is the informal coordinating committee that shall establish the policies recommend by the Hawaii framework sub-committees. Until the State geospatial coordinating committee is officially sanctioned by the State of Hawaii, membership in this informal group is determined by the State of Hawaii Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism (DBEDT), Office of Planning (OP). OP has been officially recognized by legislative statute as the coordinating agency of State-wide geospatial information. Overall guidance of the development and operation of the framework will chaired by OP, and they will be responsible for managing funding, coordinating meetings, developing legislative proposals, and providing oversight to the HGICC.
The HGICC will act as the Advisory Committee to the Framework Management Teams. The HGICC will establish policies, approve standards, determine resource requirements, identify work tasks, evaluate monetary needs, and coordinate the implementation of the framework. Roles and responsibilities of project participants will also be established by the HGICC, and distributed among HGICC members.
To meet the objectives of the framework, the expertise of HGICC members will be used to manage the institutional responsibilities of the Framework Management Teams. Representatives from organizations such as the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) Historic Preservation, Forestry and Wildlife and Land Management divisions will provide expertise in assessing historical sources and accuracies of ahupuaa and State land boundaries. Federal agencies, including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, and the Geological Survey will provide support for managing the integration of diverse data sets with local data sources. Local County Governments shall provide support for assessing local cadastral data sources, and knowledge on unique area conditions and circumstances. Representatives from the Nature Conservancy of Hawaii, Hawaii Natural Heritage Program shall assist in developing partnerships with local land owners to acquire boundary line source data. Oversight of the technical specifications will be provided by the University of Hawaii Geography Department, and will include the use of graduate student programs to carry out specific work tasks assigned by the HGICC. Expertise in supporting the institutional responsibilities is critical to establishing an organization that can effectively develop a framework data source for use by all organizations.
As the development of the framework continues, the HGICC will report on progress to the user community and elected/appointed officials. Various methods of public information sources will be provided including status reporting from the University of Hawaii Geography Department Internet Web page. Forums to discuss and report on progress will also be provided. A major announcement and panel discussion will occur at the 5th Annual State of Hawaii GISMAP conference, which will be held in the Spring of 1998. This annual conference has historically provided an excellent opportunity for representatives of State-wide geospatial data collection programs to inform the public and the users of geospatial data on the status of interagency coordination efforts. A session specific to the development and status of the Hawaii framework project will be included at the conference. The presentation is intended to raise the awareness of the activities of the HGICC, and to allow the public to provide feedback on the goals and objectives of the framework program.
