NOTE TO A/DDS&T FROM ROLAND INLOW RE MATERIAL ON THE DOMESTIC USES OF PHOTOGRAPHY FROM CLASSIFIED SYSTEMS PER YOUR REQUEST

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 01434891
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 8
• Document Creation Date: December 28, 2022
• Document Release Date: August 7, 2017
• Case Number: F-2007-00094
• Publication Date: January 23, 1975

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23 January 1975
NOTE FOR: A/DDS&T
Sayre:
Attached is additional material on the domestic uses of
photography from classified systems per your request. As you
will see this approaches the question from a somewhat different
perspective than the NPIC material, and I tried not to duplicate
the data already in John's memo. Several of the items covered
in John's outline, of course, have broad involvement.
If this overall subject is to be treated in any material
going beyond simply backup for the Director, then I urge
that the material be consolidated, if you think it is likely to
become a full-fledged topic for review, we can work with John
and begin putting it together along those lines.
Attachment
cc: Paul Walsh
John Hicks
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SUBJECT:
Civil Applications Uses of Domestic Photography
from Classified Intelligence Systems
�
1. The most substantial use of photography obtained from clas-
sified systems for domestic purposes and the one that has been underway
for the longest period of time is the use of classified photography of the
United States by the Department of Interior for the production of unclas-
sified topographic maps. Since the beginning of satellite operations, the
Department of Defense has used photography of the United States to make
special military maps,
and to meet other military needs. In addition to
the many pictures of the United States taken to support these military
requirements, other photographs are routinely taken over domestic
areas in order to get "ground truth" for satellite performance tests and
other intelligence-related support such as photo interpreter training and
analyses. Of total satellite film exposures world-wide, about seven
percent is used over the US for these purposes.
Allocation of Satellite Imagery by Geographic Area
(Percent of Total Film Flown)
Imagery of Foreign Areas 93 . 0%
Imagery of US
TOTAL
SEC
2
1 �0 0 %
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Background
2. By the mid-1960's, it became apparent that satellite photo-
graphy, which was being routinely taken of the United States for military
mapping and intelligence support purposes, Could also be used to reduce
the cost of the civil topographic mapping program. In 1967 Congress
appropriated money to the Department of Interior to build a secure facility
at Reston which the US Geological Survey (USGS) has since operated to
retain and convert photography from classified satellites into unclassified
topographic maps. Over the years this application has resulted in only
a small amount of film being expended beyond that which was required
over the US for system tests and military and intelligence support purposes.
3. The support given to the civilian mapping program has been
judged to be a useful and cost effective contribution to federal operations,
and the other instances of support involving photography of the US have
benefited the public interest without significant additional cost to the
intelligence community. It has appeared appropriate to continue to pro-
vide a way for the civilian agencies to make use of this valuable resource
of available photography; use of the USGS facility at Reston by civil
agencies has been growing.
4. Possible criticism could be levied on the intelligence commu-
nity for being involved in a program which takes pictures of domestic
areas from intelligence platforms. Recognizing this possibility and to
give assurance that the intelligence community would have no role in
passing judgment on the need for such coverage or on how the data
would be used, a Committee chaired by the Office of the President's
Science Advisor which consisted of representatives of interested civilian
agencies was used from 1966 until 1973. This committee, known as the
"ARGO Steering Committee," reviewed any requirements for coverage by
a member agency and requests judged to be sufficiently important were
then passed to the community's tasking mechanism for the satellite system.
If the requests could be satisfied without interfering with the intelligence
missions, the pictures were taken and given to cleared people from the
requesting agency. In most cases the USGS facility at Reston is used to
store and analyze the photography. This committee was disbanded when
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the Science Advisor's Office was abolished in 1973, and plans to recon-
stitute the group under the auspices of the US Geological Survey or
similar instrumentality have been under study. By using such a civil
agency committee as an interface, there is full assurance that the intel-
ligence community has no involvement in the selection and end use of
the photography.
5. In 1972-73, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
conducted a study of civilian mapping, charting, and geodesy (MC&G)
requirements, operations, rproducts, and methods. A summary of the
investigation, conclusions, and recommendations was published by OMB
in July 1973 under the title, "Report of the Federal Mapping Task Force
(FMTF) on Mapping, Charting, Geodesy and Surveying .'t Three of the
recommendations made in this report were:
a. "The once-over coverage of the United States
with suitable cloud-free photographs by the reconnaissance
satellite system be endorsed as a national domestic require-
ment, to be completed within one year."
b. "Recoverage be provided to an extent of 750,000
square statute miles, unique, 90 percent cloud-free, per
year . Such an allocation is to be considered separate
from and without any impingement on the military MC&G
requirement."
c. Development of a common data base (photo
repository) of materials derived from classified systems
for use in civil applications.
The FMTF Report as a whole, and its various recommendations have
been under review within affected federal agencies and departments,
but have not been finally approved or fully implemented to date.
6. Several Departments have been conducting pilot studies in
the Reston facility that are directly or indirectly associated with MC&G
activities. Some of the agencies in these Departments have already indi-
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cated a commitment to utilize the classified system source materials in their
programs. This has been accomplished with a certain amount of program
risk involved since their requirements have not been approved formally by
the USIB and only a limited amount of imagery, has been available in direct
support of their programs. There is under review a formal request
from these agencies for USIB approval and assurances concerning the
long run availability of coverage of the US from classified systems to�
support their programs.
Examples of On-Going Programs
7. Department of Agriculture. The Forest Service has been
conducting pilot studies in the USGS classified facility since 1972. As
a result of these investigations, the Forest Service has identified several
programs that have been proposed for implementation with the support
of satellite imagery.
a. National Forest Inventory: The Forest Service
has adopted a mapping system based on the USGS 1: 24,000-
scale quadrangles that cover the National Forests. Resource
overlays" will be developed that include timber classifica-
tion, slope information, soil classification, mineral activities,
communication information, administrative sites, etc.
b. Monitor Disturbances on Forest Lands: The
Forest Service also is responsible for maintaining an inventory
of forest resources (area, location, timber types, and volume)
on a nationwide basis. The inventory cycle is 5-10 years
and is determined by the rate of change in the area.
8. The Soil Conservation Service, Statistical Reporting Service,
and the Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service also are con-
ducting investigations in the use of satellite imagery to support their
programs.
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9. Department of the Army, Corps of Engineers (Civil Works).
The Corps of Engineers (Civil Works) is responsible for the accomplish-
ment of many domestic programs that can be supported by satellite
imagery. Imagery has been used to develop geologic analyses for pro-
posed water resource projects, to investigate sites to determine their
potential for pumped-storage power facilities, and to do base-line
environmental mapping for regional .water resource studies. Imagery
will also be used to locate and monitor coastal and river-bank erosion
problems, monitor Federal lands to limit encroachments, and to assess
flood hazards and damages.
10. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA). The National Ocean Survey (NOS), NOAA, has
the assigned mission to produce and maintain navigational charts (aero-
nautical and nautical) for the US and surrounding coastal waters. The
program requirements are to revise the aeronautical charts twice a year
and the nautical charts as required by changes in terrain and cultural
features. Timely acquisition of photography of the type provided by
classified systems is essential to update these charts. NOAA also has
used imagery to assess damage after coastal flooding, and to monitor ice
movement in the Great Lakes and locate coastal fish populations.
11. Department of the Interior. The Geological Survey has been
utilizing the materials from the satellite system in support of the National
Mapping Program since 1969. The Survey has instituted other activities
that include a Land Use and Data Analysis (LUDA) program, environ-
mental studies, and the classification and inventory of natural resources.
12. In addition to these programs, the Bureau of Land Manage-
ment and the Bureau of Indian Affairs also have pilot activities in the
classified facility. These agencies are actively engaged in the administra-
tion and management of approximately 30 percent of the land area of the US.
For these purposes, satellite imagery provides an excellent and economical
management tool to classify and monitor the natural and man-created effects
on the environment.
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Mechanism for Approving Civil Requirements
13. Until 1973, the committee (ARGO) chaired by the Office of
the President's Scientific Advisor and composed of representatives from
interested civilian agencies reviewed civil requirements for imagery and
passed these to the United States Intelligence Board's (USIB) Committee
on Imagery Requirements and Exploitation (COMIREX) . This arrange-
ment avoided intelligence community involvement in passing judgment on
the validity of the needs expressed by the civil agencies and on the sub-
sequent use of the data. The ARGO Committee was disbanded in 1973
when the Science Advisor's Office was abolished. A new mechanism is
needed to act as the intermediary between civil users and the intelligence
community; in the interim the guidelines and channels developed by the
ARGO Committee continue to be used.
14. The DCI has approved access by personnel in the civil
agencies to classified satellite imagery, but neither the DCI nor the
intelligence community are involved in decisions concerning the civil
user's needs or priorities. The DCI does have the responsibility to
ensure that collection to satisfy civil needs does not interfere with the
national intelligence mission.
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