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Since 1959, two definitions of the foot have been used in the United States: the International Foot and the U.S. Survey Foot. The U.S. survey foot is longer by 2 parts per million than the international foot, and having both measurements in use creates confusion. Modernizing the National Spatial Reference System in 2022 represents an opportunity to eliminate this confusion. Representatives from NGS, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and the Department of Commerce's Office of the General Counsel, unanimously decided to phase out the survey foot. NIST and NGS will issue a Federal Register Notice (FRN) to solicit public comment on the proposed change. A second FRN will formally announce the change, with the details and process of this change based on the comments received.
For more information, contact: Michael Dennis
