The 3D Elevation Program: summary for Massachusetts
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Resource Abstract:
<p>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 Massachusetts, elevation data are critical
for flood risk management, natural resources conservation, agriculture and precision farming, infrastructure and construction
management, coastal zone management, 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.</p> <br /> <p>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 interferometric synthetic aperture radar (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, the Office of
Management and Budget Circular A16 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 Nations natural and constructed features.</p>
Citation
Title The 3D Elevation Program: summary for Massachusetts