Photogrammetric Engineering & Remote Sensing (PE&RS)

A National three-dimensional (3-D) landscape mapping program is being considered by the Federal government to provide seamless, National-scale landscape 3-D data for mapping, monitoring, and other operational and/or science uses. The ultimate vision is a program that collects, preserves, and makes publicly available 3-D landscape data acquired by various lidar instruments and other technologies to help address pressing issues, such as climate change to resource management and flood risk mitigation. To help inform program planning, the USGS is leading a National Enhanced Elevation Assessment under the auspices of the National Digital Elevation Program (NDEP), and in concert with many other stakeholders. The Assessment is using an inclusive approach, which incorporates public and private input to document business requirements supported by elevation data and the associated benefits. The Assessment will help discover economies of scale, potential multiple data uses, and universal business requirements that may be met through a more comprehensive national approach for improving elevation data in the United States and its territories, including coastlines.