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+# How the CODEOWNERS file works:
+# https://docs.github.com/en/repositories/managing-your-repositorys-settings-and-features/customizing-your-repository/about-code-owners
+
+# Earthaccess default set of maintainers who will be automatically requested for review
+*   @betolink @jhkennedy @jrbourbeau @mfisher87 @chuckwondo
+
+# Decision committee members
+docs/governance/decisions/*   @betolink @jhkennedy @mfisher87 @chuckwondo @asteiker @itcarroll
diff --git a/docs/governance/governance-process.md b/docs/governance/governance-process.md
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+# Earthaccess Governance
+
+Earthaccess is an open source project devoted to providing easy access to NASA's Earth data. Earthaccess, importantly, is developed _for_ and _by_ the community.  
+
+As with any project, from time to time, decisions will need to be made about direction, features, engineering choices. Eathaccess values reaching a community consensus on those decisions and including as many community perspectives as possible.
+
+Examples of when the decision committee may need to be invoked:
+* Issues that relate to **significant changes** to earthaccess framework, or way we develop earthaccess
+* When there is a **disagreement** on a path forward
+
+In order to reach consensus, Earthacess has a developed an _asynchronous_ decision processes, that in brief looks like:
+
+1. GitHub issues can be labeled `needs: decision` by anyone to kick off the decision committee process
+2. A PR will be automatically created with a blank decision record document and a member of the decision committee will be assigned at random to shepherd the decision through the processes
+3. The assignee will create a _first_ draft of the decision record document, summarizing the relevant issues, discussion, and pull requests, and then mark it as ready for review
+4. The decision committee will use PR review mechanics to discuss the decision and suggest changes or edit the decision record to reflect the decision and discussion
+   - Decision committee members endorse a decision as written by approving the PR
+   - Decision committee members can reject a decision _as written_ by requesting changes in the PR
+   - Decision committee member can express neutral discussion points by leaving PR comments 
+5. Once N decision committee members endorse a decision (approve the PR), the decision is considered "decided" and the PR should be merged to record the decisions
+6. The PR assignee should update any relevant GitHub issues, discussion, and pull requests with the decision and a link back to the decision record PR
+
+## Decision Committee Members
+
+Decision committee members are listed in the [CODEOWNERS](../../.github/CODEOWNERS). Importantly, this is the _default_ members of the committee. The committee can change based on the issue itself by requesting additional reviewers. 
+
+Want to be part of decisions? Open a PR adding yourself to the CODEOWNERS file!
+
+
+## Process in detail
+
+### Kicking off the decision committee process
+
+### Decision records
+
+### The review process
+
+### When a decision is made