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National Digital Orthophoto Program (NDOP)
Programs and Partnerships
May 2006
Numerous Federal and State programs comprise the imagery components for
the NDOP: the National Agriculture Imagery Program (NAIP) of the U.S. Department
of Agriculture; the USGS National Orthoimagery Program; numerous State aerial
photography and orthoimagery programs, as well programs such as the National
Digital Elevation Program (NDEP), Homeland Security (133 Urban Areas), the
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Flood Map Modernization Program,
and the Census Bureau MAF/TIGER Modernization Program.
Table 1 – Orthoimagery programs
Agency |
Program |
Cycle |
Coverage |
Resolution |
Ground Condition |
| USDA/FSA |
NAIP |
Annual |
Agricultural Lands |
1 and 2-meter |
Leaf-on |
| USGS |
USGS Orthoimagery Program
|
5-year |
National |
1-meter or finer |
Leaf-off |
| USGS/NGA |
Urban Areas |
2-year |
133 Urban Areas |
<1-meter |
Leaf-off |
| Other Federal Agencies |
FEMA, COE, NOAA, DHS |
Irregular |
Local or Regional |
Varies |
Varies |
| State |
Individual State Programs |
Varies |
Statewide |
Varies but generally 1-meter or finer |
Varies |
Coordination Objectives:
Coordination among these and other National and State programs for aerial
photography and digital orthoimagery requirements constitutes one of the
primary objectives of the NDOP. The objectives allow the greatest flexibility for partnerships, in order
to share costs and lessen data duplication, while allowing individual
organizations to meet their specific imagery requirements.
- No duplication of coverage in a given year.
- Acquisition of multi-use orthoimagery. (Strive to acquire imagery
that meets the needs of the majority of partners.)
- Lower acquisition costs per partner through cost sharing.
- Establishing flexible contracting mechanisms that will allow partners
to utilize those that best meet their requirements.
- NDOP will strive to shorten the cycle time from photograph to
orthophoto by evaluating and utilizing new technologies.
- States cost sharing with the NDOP will pay a percentage of the
government cost estimate determined by the number of participating cooperators,
or will pay a mutually agreed-upon amount.
- NDOP will consider imagery from other sources such as USFS and
BLM resource photography and commercial satellite and aerial imagery.
NDOP Orthoimagery Programs:
Digital orthoimagery are collected by a variety of Federal and State agencies
and organizations, each with specific areas of interests and requirements.
The primary aerial photography and orthoimagery programs of the Federal
government are USDA's NAIP,
USGS' orthoimagery program
, and the USGS/ National Geospatial Information Agency's (NGA), 133
Urban Areas program. Many States also have their own orthoimagery
programs, many with requirements for 1-foot or finer coverage. Requirements
gathered from the States are forwarded to the NDOP Project Subcommittee
for coordination with Federal requirements in an effort to leverage the
various programs and products. Coordination eliminates duplication and
lessens the costs to partners. The following are abstracts of some of
the imagery programs included in the NDOP.
USDA/FSA NAIP
Initiated in 2002, the National Agriculture Imagery Program of the USDA's
Farm Services Program annually collects 1- and 2-meter, leaf-on imagery
of the Nation's agricultural lands. Orthoimagery from NAIP imagery are
used to verify and ascertain crop compliance, measure farm acreage, maintain
farm records (CLU boundaries), and as a base data layer in FSA's GIS.
NAIP requirements, annual plans
USGS Orthoimagery
Program
The USGS National Digital Orthoimagery Program evolved from the NAPP-based Digital Orthophoto Quarter Quadrangle (DOQQ) activity of the 1990's and focuses on acquisition through partnerships and dissemination of digital orthoimagery from NAPP-like imagery. Orthoimagery at the USGS is used as one of the base layers for The National Map and as a source for up-dating its vector digital data and orthoimagery data base. While adhering to many of the DOQQ product specifications, the primary difference between the old and new activity is the USGS no longer creates orthoimagery in a production mode. Rather, the success of the program relies on partnerships with other Federal and State organizations to meet its imagery requirements.
133 Urban Areas
The 133 Urban Areas activity seeks to acquire natural color, 1/3-meter
resolution orthoimagery for 133 urban areas of the United States to meet
critical Homeland Security and Emergency Services requirements. In partnership
with NGA, the USGS seeks a 2-year maintenance cycle for this imagery.
Other Federal Orthoimagery Programs
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) – NOAA's Costal Service
Center uses Digital Orthophoto Quadrangles produced in partnership with the various States and the U.S. Geological Survey as a primary base map for Flood Forecast Mapping, for post-hurricane recovery efforts, analyzing coastal hazard risk and vulnerability and as a tool for managing costal erosion.
- Bureau of Land Management (BLM)– BLM partners for orthoimagery
to help it more efficiently manage over 406,000 square miles of United
States land it has responsibility over.
- U.S. Forest Service – The Forest Service manages over 191 million acres of DOQs of National forests and grasslands. The DOQs are a framework layer for a GIS foundation and the national aerial photography provides the base information used to plan for, manage and monitor the health of forests and grasslands. They are used by managers and scientists in transportation planning, fire hazard monitoring, watershed restoration, research and recreation on forest lands.
- FEMA – The Department of Homeland Security's FEMA utilizes digital orthoimagery as a primary base map features source for creating their Digital Flood Insurance Rate Map (DFIRM).
State High-Resolution Imagery
A number of States have embarked on State-wide, high-resolution orthoimagery
programs, many in response to Homeland Security and Emergency Response
requirements. Below are links to various State high-res orthoimagery programs
with which the NDOP partners.
State High-Resolution Imagery - Maintenance Goals:
- NDOP will participate in high-resolution orthoimagery programs
through partnerships with Federal, State, local, tribal, and private organizations.
- NDOP will encourage State high-resolution programs to coordinate
county and other local requirements into their respective programs. Likewise,
NDOP will encourage local governments to coordinate their imagery plans
with their State program.
- NDOP encourages State partners to archive and maintain their respective
high-resolution orthoimagery data and metadata, and to provide access
and distribution of unrestricted public domain data on NSDI Clearinghouse
nodes via the Geospatial One-Stop portal.
- NDOP contributions to State high-resolution orthoimagery programs
will not exceed one-half the government cost estimate for NAPP-like or
NAIP photography collection at 1:12,000-scale, 1-meter resolution.
Partnership Considerations:
- NDOP will seek partnerships with Federal agencies and States to
acquire imagery conforming to NAPP-like or NAIP specifications, and generate
Federal profile DOQs made from NAPP-like or NAIP imagery.
- Vintage of existing imagery will be evaluated.
- Government purchased products must be archived in the public domain.
No restrictions, licensing, or copyright use infringements are acceptable.
- USGS (EROS Data Center) and USDA (APFO and NRCS) will offer archive
and distribution services for states and Federal agencies.
- Minimum size area to be contracted must be cost effective; i.e.,
contiguous, or include the entire area of interest (e.g. county, state,
national forest, wildlife management area, etc.).
- Metadata must meet the FGDC metadata content standard.
- The quality of high-resolution imagery samples will be assessed
before cooperatively funded projects are brought to agreement.
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