The USGS National Geospatial Program (NGP) sponsored various forms of volunteer map data collection projects over the past two decades. Citizen cartographers revised many maps during this period, but the program was suspended in 2008 due to funding limitations.

New technologies and Internet services have made it easy to georeference many different types of information and share this information with others on map-based Internet platforms and social networking sites in recent years.

This activity has been referred to as crowdsourcing, and the information produced has been called volunteered geographic information (VGI).

In light of this rapidly changing technical landscape, the increasing use of social software for citizen mapping, and the mandates for more transparency and citizen involvement in government, the USGS is considering revitalizing its volunteer program.

As a result, the USGS has launched a pilot project to once again encourage citizen participation.

The future of The National Map Corps

If the results of this project demonstrate that data of suitable quality can be produced by volunteers at reasonable cost, the project will be expanded to encompass diverse geographies, and contributors.

Potential volunteer groups that might be engaged in the future are current National Map Corps volunteers, the OpenStreetMap community, GIS Clubs, university students in cartography and GIS, K-12 students, volunteer fire departments, and 4-H clubs.

Eventually the USGS hopes to expand nationwide. A way to automate the verification and processing of volunteer data could create a more cost-effective method of mapping while also allowing citizens to actively engage with government, contribute to the creation of complete and accurate maps of our country, and democratize government data.

Information about potential resumption of this program will be posted to this site.