 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
Kentucky, elevation data are critical for agriculture and precision farming, natural resources conservation,
flood risk management, infrastructure and construction management, forest resources management, geologic
resource assessment and hazards mitigation, 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. “Kentucky from Above,” the Kentucky Aerial Photography and Elevation Data Program
(http://kygeonet.ky.gov/kyfromabove/),
provides statewide lidar coordination with local, Commonwealth, and national groups in support of 3DEP
for the Commonwealth.
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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U.S. Department of the Interior |
U.S. Geological Survey