The GeoNIS is intended to be the spatial data component of the network-wide NIS development. The project exposes and merges heterogeneous GIS data from the 26 LTER sites into a standard format available for the Network and broader community to perform synthetic analysis, data discovery, and visualization. Goal 3.1 of the NIS is to increase data quality through standard approaches. This project will use site level GIS data to develop templates for display and analysis products that will be deployed for all LTER sites. The GeoNIS will also provide a network wide map of the EcoTrends socioeconomic county level data and the Network Basemap data gathered through the Hollingsworth IM Buyout proposal. Examples of background data are world ecoregions and global climate model output, though the open nature of our framework would be flexible as new data options arise.