USGS Update

USGS confirms that Hank Garie’s Interagency Personnel Agreement (IPA), essentially an “exchange program” for state/local officials and others to work within the federal government, has expired. The State of New Jersey has a statute that prevents an extension, so Garie has returned to his post in the state.

At the end of his tenure at USGS, Garie served as chief of Geographic Information Integration and Analysis (GIIA) with the role of “overseeing and unifying The National Map, Geospatial One-Stop, EGIM (Enterprise Geographic Information Management), and the GEODE (Geologic Data Explorer) system.” GIAA falls within The National Geospatial Programs Office (NGPO) a component of the USGS Geospatial Information Office. Wendy A. Budd is now acting in that capacity, but a vacancy will be posted soon to permanently fill the position.

Finally, an announcement regarding the investigations into the Rolla decision is expected later today.