Alaska Geospatial Council

Alaska Geospatial Council (AGC)

  • PROGRAM BACKGROUND & NEED

    The Alaska Geospatial Council addresses a long-standing deficiency in digital map data essential to economic development, public safety, and the responsible scientific understanding of the physical environment. Alaska is the last State in the union to acquire digital geographic data of uniform resolution and accuracy offering seamless statewide coverage.

    The current map of Alaska is over 50 years old, does not meet National Map Accuracy Standards and does not support modern electronic information management practices or analyses. Accurate geographic data is mission critical and foundational to informed policy decisions across all business lines.

    "In short Alaska lacks the basic geospatial infrastructure considered essential for conducting business in the rest of the United States" - US Geological Survey

    Improvements are being made and advancements once thought unlikely are steadily being realized through increased transparency, stakeholder collaboration and intergovernmental cooperation. The AGC is an extension of this collaboration and is the logical evolution of the Statewide Digital Mapping Initiative (SDMI), which it replaces.

    ABOUT AGC

    The Alaska Geospatial Council (AGC) was established through a Memorandum of Agreement between six state agencies and endorsed by Governor Sean Parnell on June 23, 2014. The purpose of the AGC is to improve geospatial activity in Alaska by:

    • Eliminating redundant taxpayer expenditures and unnecessary staff activity across all business units;
    • Modernizing Alaska's geospatial holdings and infrastructure;
    • Fostering data sharing while making geospatial data broadly available to all stakeholders through enlightened data acquisition and distribution policy, and in general the
    • Implementation of the Alaska Geospatial Strategic Plan incrementally, as feasible.

    The council is led by co-chairs from the Alaska Departments of Natural Resources and Transportation and Public Facilities. The AGC has an intergovernmental complexion to include federal and local governments to foster broad based coordination. Additionally, academia and Alaska Native representation on the council is prescribed by the MOA.

    The AGC is the local and regional voice of Alaska as it interfaces with the Alaska Mapping Executive Committee.

    Alaska DEM image