with academia to fulfill these research needs. The majority of the needs are technical and applied. Nevertheless, for long-term survival The National Map and enhanced National Atlas need a research agenda that focuses on technical challenges and the new options that these databases create.

Many of the data development, data maintenance, and integration tasks currently believed to be USGS responsibilities may best be done in collaboration with partners. A user requirements assessment, perhaps conducted through the FDGC structure, will increase project participation and buy-in and increase the value of the data holdings. An effective implementation plan will recognize that needs vary at the local tier, and that the focus should not be solely federal-down but also local-up.