Wisconsin Geospatial News

US Geological Survey announces 3DEP LiDAR awards for Wisconsin

The US Geological Survey (USGS) National Geospatial Program has publicized the first round of awards for the 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) announcement issued on July 17, 2015. Several projects will be funded in Bayfield, Buffalo, Forest, Portage, Taylor, Washburn, and Winnebago Counties in Wisconsin. These projects are being managed through the Wisconsin Department of Administration’s WLIP (Wisconsin Land Information Program).

Details of the Wisconsin awards are as follows:

Wisconsin Department of Administration – QL2 Lidar Processing for Winnebago County, Wisconsin: The Wisconsin Land Information Program (WLIP) in cooperation with 3DEP and local funding partner Winnebago County will process lidar data collected in 2014 to QL2 standard and create a classified point cloud, breaklines, and DEM to 3DEP specifications. The total project area is 432 square miles and will cost $99,244, including data processing, contract and grant administration. Total data processing cost is $83,575. Project partners are contributing $41,787.50 or 50% to the data collection and $57,456.50 of total project costs or 58%. 3DEP will contribute $41,575.50 or 42% of total project cost. WLIP will administer the coop agreement and distribute 3DEP funds to Winnebago County. Winnebago County will contract directly with GPSC contractor Quantum Spatial, for data processing services.

Wisconsin Department of Administration – 2016 Wisconsin Statewide Lidar Data Collection: The Wisconsin Land Information Program (WLIP) in cooperation with 3DEP will acquire QL2 Lidar data for six Wisconsin counties. With overlapping areas of interest from USGS, NOAA, NPS, and FWS, in addition to high priority areas for FEMA, this data will provide great benefit to multiple organizations while sharing the cost. The total project area is 4,816 square miles and will cost $1,418,414, including data collection, contract and grant administration. Total data collection cost is $1,324,400. Project partners are contributing $662,200 or 50% to the data collection and $756,214 of total project costs or 53.3%. 3DEP will contribute $662,200 or 46.7% of total project cost. WLIP will administer the coop agreement and distribute 3DEP funds to counties. Local contributing partners of Bayfield, Buffalo, Forest, Portage, Taylor, and Washburn will individually contract with GPSC contractor team, Ayres Associates/Quantum Spatial, for data collection and processing services.

Wisconsin also received several 3DEP awards in last year’s funding round for Lincoln, Oneida, Vilas, Douglas, Bayfield, and Manitowoc Counties.

3DEP is a collaboration between federal, state, local and private agencies, to respond to the growing needs for high-quality elevation data for the United States. The primary goal of 3DEP is to systematically collect LiDAR data over the United States and U.S. territories over an 8-year period.

For more information on this year’s Wisconsin 3DEP projects contact Wisconsin Geographic Information Officer Jim Giglierano, the primary point of contact for the 3DEP awards.