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 Texas, elevation data are critical for natural resources
conservation; wildfire management, planning, and response; flood risk management; agriculture and
precision farming; infrastructure and construction management; water supply and quality; and other
business uses. Today, high-quality light detection and ranging (lidar) data are the source 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.
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First posted October 18, 2013
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