GIS Nation: Dangermond et al. push for a National GIS

The GIS Nation website was set up earlier this year when several formal and informal groups proposed ideas to Congress to use stimulus monty to build or at least enhance geospatial data for the country. (Our coverage: 1, 2, 3, 4) Since then, I’ve heard nothing about what became of that particular effort. Today GCN spends four (electronic) pages the national GIS effort, ESRI and other issues. Apparently the “GIS Nation effort” is now a 28 member organization, with ESRI’s Jack Dangermond among the membership. There’s no list of the members on the website or in the article. The article highlights that Dangermond cites Maryland’s StateStat app as a possible model for a national GIS, but it also notes challenges to any national effort.