The purpose of creating and using the NPS cultural resource spatial data transfer standards is to consolidate our spatial representations of resources and integrate this data with the existing descriptive attribute databases.  Creating a foundation of accurate locations, based on agreed upon methods of spatially representing cultural resources, which can then be associated with any existing database will significantly enhance our collective ability to manage and share cultural resource data in a meaningful way.  Additionally, by using a data transfer standard we can better document the origins of our spatial data to insure the data is used appropriately.

• The standards will help insure spatial data consistency, quality and accuracy so that users can be confident in incorporating cultural resource data into their own applications
• Using locations as a way of linking our existing cultural resource databases provides a way for users to explore all perspectives related to a single cultural resource
• Use of the standards will lead to more comprehensive access to all of our available cultural resource data and provide an integrated approach to cultural resource data management
• Because feature level metadata (documentation) is the focus of the standards we can record the lineage of our current as well as legacy cultural resource data, insuring it can be used appropriately
• Ultimately migrating cultural resource spatial data into the standard will allow the NPS cultural resource program to participate in the NPS Enterprise GIS effort, providing a single authoritative data source that is always current and accurate, but created and maintained by the resource specialists themselves