On June 10, 2003, the House Government Reform Subcommittee on Technology, Information Policy, Intergovernmental Relations, and the Census conducted an oversight hearing on Geospatial Information: A Progress Report on Improving Our Nation's Map-Related Data Infrastructure.

Jack Dangermond, president of Esri, along with Mark Forman, Office of Management and Budget; Scott Cameron, Department of the Interior; Susan Kalweit, National Imagery and Mapping Agency; Gene Trobia, Arizona State Cartographer; Michael Ritchie, Management Association for Private Photogrammetric Surveyors; and others were invited to testify before the subcommittee. The purpose of the hearing was to examine the progress being made by the federal government to consolidate and improve utilization of the masses of geospatial data being collected by departments and agencies across the federal government, by state and local governments, and by the private sector. Dangermond explained the positive impact GIS is making on the nation's map-related data infrastructure and described the important role the private sector plays in arriving at cost efficiencies and improving geospatial data quality for end users.

For more information, contact Kim Burns, Esri (e-mail: kburns@esri.com).