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 State of Tennessee,
elevation data are critical for agriculture and precision farming, flood risk management, natural resources
conservation, infrastructure and construction management, forest resources management, aviation navigation and
safety, and other business uses. Today, high-density light detection and ranging (lidar) data are the
primary sources for deriving elevation models and other datasets. Federal, State, Tribal, and local agencies
work in partnership to (1) replace data that are older 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 National Enhanced Elevation Assessment evaluated multiple elevation
data acquisition options to determine the optimal data quality and data replacement cycle relative to
cost to meet the identified requirements of the user community. The evaluation demonstrated that lidar
acquisition at quality level 2 for the conterminous United States and quality level 5 ifsar
data for Alaska with a 6- to 10-year acquisition cycle provided the highest benefit/cost ratios.
The 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) initiative selected an 8-year acquisition cycle for
the respective quality levels. 3DEP, managed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the Office of Management
and Budget Circular A–16 lead agency for terrestrial elevation data, responds to the growing need for
high-quality topographic data and a wide range of other 3D representations of the Nation’s natural
and constructed features.
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First posted March 12, 2014
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