Lesson 11b2: Using the 3DEP BAA – USGS Areas of Interest Project Collector Tool.
In this lesson you will learn how to use the USGS areas of interest project collection tool to add your lidar project
to the Seasketch Demonstration Site for Federal Mapping Data Acquisition Coordination.
The USGS is implementing the 3D Elevation Program or 3DEP to acquire new 3D elevation data for the Nation.
To that end the USGS began offering partnership funding in 2015
for lidar acquisition projects through a USGS Broad Agency Announcement or BAA.
The BAA is a competitive solicitation for partnerships to acquire lidar data.
BAA reference materials for potential partners can be found here.
On average, partnership funding is provided to about 25 to 30 projects submitted through the BAA each year.
This number can be higher or lower depending on available funding and the number of proposals submitted.
The list and brief description of awarded projects is available.
The USGS anticipates funding another round of projects next fiscal year.
The 3D Elevation Program and the Interagency Working Group on Ocean and Coastal Mapping
have established a system to share information about areas of interest,
proposed and planned elevation projects.
The draft Federal requirements for the next BAA cycle and public areas of interest are available at the NOAA sponsored Seasketch site.
All Federal agency and stakeholder areas of interest will be made available for viewing through this site
to enable comparison and facilitate discussion with other 3DEP stakeholders.
The site includes:
Mapping Priorities: which are unfunded needs, Requirements;
Planned and Ongoing Mapping Projects; funded projects which are underway or will be soon;
and Existing Data.
Interested parties are encouraged to share their potential projects through this system, big or small, funded or not.
Projects should represent geographic areas under consideration in the next 1 to 3 years.
Sharing your potential project will let others know of your interest and may result in additional partners.
Lesson 11d provides more information on using SeaSketch.
Use the public areas of interest project collection tool to submit your project.
It is a simple form with a KML file or shapefile upload.
If you need to create a KML file or a shapefile, video lesson 12b provides quick methods for creating these files.
When filling out this form it is important to specify the quality level of your project.
The USGS Definitions for Lidar Quality Levels are specified in detail in the USGS Lidar Base Specification.
Which can be found at www.usgs.gov/ngp/lidar-base-specification.
While there are other important considerations, the quality levels are often distinguished by nominal pulse spacing
and vertical accuracy requirements for the DEM.
These are the specifications for nominal pulse spacing and vertical accuracy.
Within days your area of interest will appear in the Seasketch Demonstration Site for Federal Mapping Data Acquisition Coordination.
To view your project open SeaSketch
and expand Topographic Lidar 3DEP Areas of Interest which is the first item under Mapping Priorities.
Expand Federal 3DEP Interest and check USGS 3DEP areas of interest.
Clicking on a project on the map will provide additional information about the project requirements.
Your project will appear under USGS 3DEP Interests once it is processed with others from around the country.
Let’s look at what FEMA and state and local interests have input as their areas of interest.
Trends begin to emerge regarding potential partnerships where areas of interest overlap or are in close proximity.
This information will facilitate the development of partnerships and make higher resolution elevation information cost-effective for everyone.
Lesson 11d provides an in depth discussion of how to fully utilize the capabilities of the SeaSketch interface.
This concludes lesson 11b2.