National Satellite Land Remote Sensing Data Archive Collection Policy

The National Satellite Land Remote Sensing Data Archive (NSLRSDA) managed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center, is the largest civilian archive of remotely sensed land imagery in the world. The NSLRSDA was created to identify, collect, preserve, and make available land-based, remotely sensed imagery. The collection policy is based on the concept of maintaining imagery collections that serve environmental, agricultural, mapping, energy, economics, and global change research communities in addition to the general public. Once collections are formally accepted by the USGS for inclusion into the NSLRSDA, the records become the responsibility and property of the USGS. Accepted NSLRSDA collections may ultimately be transferred to other entities such as the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), when deemed appropriate by the USGS.