EPIC & CGS provide comments to USGS RFI to inform interagency efforts to develop the American Conservation Stewardship Atlas
Traditionally, we have viewed environmental data as a static product and our ability to monitor conservation progress as a yearly exercise. There has been substantial progress in evolving processes and technologies that enable a paradigm shift from static to dynamic systems. This shift is critically needed in the government and nonprofit sectors so we can update and track environmental data and evaluate conservation status in real time.
It will be next to impossible to meet the goals set forth in America the Beautiful if we do not embrace a more modern and dynamic data and technology systems, and we will also lose a unique moment in time to create the infrastructure needed for cross-agency and partner collaboration for management and monitoring for conservation purposes. A more integrated system will make it easier to connect to and use data from other non-DOI agencies and partners to achieve multiple goals related to health, environmental justice and other positive outcomes for the American people. The development and long-term maintenance of the American Conservation and Stewardship Atlas (Atlas) is a ripe opportunity to embrace a modern, dynamic data infrastructure and we offer three targeted recommendations to realize it’s potential:
Government does not need to own, deliver, or control the mechanisms by which basic environmental or climate data are collected, stored, and transmitted to users. Nor does the government doing so ensure long-term continuity or success.
The Atlas is an inherently data-intensive initiative. We must invest in digital infrastructure modernization, adjust procurement processes, and prioritize hiring leadership that understands technology to maximize environmental stewardship.
Expanding the definitions of what is counted towards our national conservation goals and using established technologies that enable real-time environmental quality monitoring for key indicators will allow for a more accurate accounting of conservation in the United States. To meaningfully reflect the conservation work underway across the US, the Atlas needs to adopt and operationalize a set of definitions and monitoring techniques to inform more rapid and proactive environmental stewardship of a variety of landscapes.
Changes to our communities and landscapes are happening on an increasingly accelerated time frame and as managers, practitioners, decision-makers and implementers, we need the best and most up to date data and technology systems to respond. The environmental data and process for evaluating conservation status need to be managed as dynamic systems because conservation priorities and decision making is adapting on a daily basis as agencies and local partners respond to and review new environmental challenges. USGS will undoubtedly encounter challenges when coordinating the Atlas across agencies. The NGO and private sector should be consulted to provide best-in-class services to help agencies build and manage the integration tools and processes to ensure the Atlas is current and comprehensively reflect inter-agency plans and programmatic goals.
