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Fact Sheet 2013–3052

The 3D Elevation Program—Summary for Virginia

By William J. Carswell, Jr.

Thumbnail of and link to report PDF (253 KB)Abstract

Elevation data are essential to a broad range of applications, including forest resources management, wildlife and habitat management, national security, recreation, and many others. For the Commonwealth of Virginia, elevation data are critical for urban and regional planning, natural resources conservation, flood risk management, agriculture and precision farming, resource mining, infrastructure and construction management, and other business uses. Today, high-quality light detection and ranging (lidar) data are the sources for creating elevation models and other elevation datasets. Federal, State, and local agencies work in partnership to (1) replace data, on a national basis, that are (on average) 30 years old and of lower quality and (2) provide coverage where publicly accessible data do not exist. A joint goal of State and Federal partners is to acquire consistent, statewide coverage to support existing and emerging applications enabled by lidar data. The new 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) initiative, managed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), responds to the growing need for high-quality topographic data and a wide range of other three-dimensional representations of the Nation’s natural and constructed features.

First posted August 22, 2013

For additional information contact:
Director, National Geospatial Program
U.S. Geological Survey
511 National Center
Reston, VA 20192
http://www.usgs.gov/ngpo/
http://nationalmap.gov/3DEP/

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Suggested citation:

Carswell, W.J., Jr., 2013, The 3D Elevation Program—Summary for Virginia: U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet 2013–3052, 2 p., https://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2013/3052/.



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