In 2017, the Oregon Legislature passed HB 2906, now codified as ORS 276A.500-515, to improve and increase the sharing of critical geospatial data. A key part of this recent legislation is the duty of public bodies[1] to share both open and secure geospatial framework data and for this data to be securely accessed or stored in a geospatial data library. For this reason, GEO created a portal called GEOHub for secure data exchange that enables public bodies to share geospatial data without the need for written agreements in a user-friendly and persistent manner.
Geospatial data management and sharing is a critical piece of the State's Data Strategy. The goal of GEOHub is to support these outcomes by providing high-quality, authoritative data to public bodies, while also improving data governance, data validation, and collaboration across administrative boundaries. GEOHub is the solution that will provide the infrastructure, user access control, and data management needed to accomplish the State's goal of improving and increasing access to much needed geospatial data.
GEOHub is designed to be a one-stop hub for geospatial data and resources for the public and public bodies. It will be built to organize authoritative data by Framework themes and provide users a searchable catalog to locate and access data. It will also provide links to other geospatial data catalogs and services, further enhancing a user's ability to find the data they are searching for. It will provide secure public body access to restricted geospatial data not intended for public distribution. Finally, GEOHub leverages new, modern technologies for the creation of a data library, integrates with Open Data platforms, and reduces duplication and storage of data through the incorporation of data services from trusted partners.
As GEOHub is developed over the next few years, our goal is for public bodies to view GEOHub as the data repository for authoritative geospatial data in Oregon. Public bodies should increasingly see GEOHub as a reliable and trusted source of geospatial data, and realize the efficiencies and improvements in government service delivery because of data collaboration and sharing efforts.
Related Resources
[1] “Public Body" has the meaning given that term in ORS 174.109 (ORS 276A.500 (6)). Public body means state government bodies, local government bodies and special government bodies (ORS 174.109) [2001 c.74 §2]. A list of public bodies is available here.