Partner with USGS to Acquire Data
The 3D National Topography Model (3DNTM) Data Collaboration Announcement (DCA)
provides a mechanism for partnering with the USGS and other Federal Agencies to acquire high-quality 3D Elevation or 3D Hydrography data to provide the Nation with high-resolution topographic products to support a broad array of applications.
3D Elevation Program Broad Agency Announcement and Data Collaboration Announcement Projects Web Mapping Application
3DEP is truly a community effort, the partners that fund acquisition, the vibrant lidar industry and private sector mapping firms that collect data, and an innovative user base.
Data Collaboration Announcement
The DCA provides a mechanism for partnering with the USGS and other Federal Agencies to acquire high-quality 3D Elevation or 3D Hydrography data to provide the Nation with high-resolution topographic products to support a broad array of applications.
Coordinate with your National Map Liaison
Share your plans and areas of interest by contacting your regional National Map liaison.
The 3D National Topography Model (3DNTM) is a new initiative that updates, improves, and integrates USGS elevation and hydrography data to support the most demanding scientific requirements and enable data-driven decisions across user communities. Key elements of the 3DNTM are in place or under active development.
As part of the 3DNTM implementation, the USGS National Geospatial Program (NGP) changed its process for finding and selecting partnerships beginning in federal fiscal year (FY) 2024. The revised and streamlined structure is called the 3DNTM Data Collaboration Announcement (DCA). The DCA includes data acquisition partnerships for both the 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) and the 3D Hydrography Program (3DHP).
The USGS collaborates with many stakeholders including Federal agencies and State, Tribal, and local governments to share costs of topographic and hydrographic data acquisition in support of collective mission and business requirements. The DCA provides a mechanism for partnering with the USGS and other Federal agencies to acquire high-quality 3D elevation and hydrography data to provide the Nation with high-resolution topographic and hydrographic products to support a broad array of applications. Applicants to the 3DNTM DCA may contribute funds toward data acquisition via the Geospatial Products and Services Contracts (GPSC) or they may request funds toward data acquisition where the requesting partner is the acquiring authority.
The 3DNTM DCA replaced the 3DEP Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) which was established in 2015. The BAA provided a fair and open process for developing 3DEP data acquisition partnerships to support community needs for high quality topographic information. The best practices established in the BAA will continue to be used for the 3DNTM DCA. The transition to the DCA in FY 2024 was the first year a partnership process was available for 3DHP.
More information about the DCA, its predecessor the Broad Agency Announcement (BAA), and past selected projects can be found on the DCA Portal.
Sharing Proposed 3DEP and 3DHP Areas of Interest
The USGS anticipates funding another round of projects in FY 2026. The Federal agencies that partner on 3DEP and 3DHP have compiled their priorities for lidar and hydrography acquisition and published them on an interactive online map. Overlap with these Federal priorities will be one of the key evaluation criteria for DCA applications. Interested parties are encouraged to share their potential projects through this system in order to assist in finding additional partners for projects.
About the U.S. Mapping Coordination site: View Proposed Collection Areas
The 3DEP, 3DHP 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. Planned and potential Federal projects as well as State and local areas of interest are available at the NOAA sponsored U.S. Federal Mapping Coordination Site, a collaboration site for Federal and partner mapping data acquisition.
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 and 3DHP stakeholders. This mapping site is comprehensive, showing areas of interest for proposed, planned, in-work, and completed elevation and terrestrial hydrography projects. Viewing instructions and basic tutorials on how to use the U.S. Mapping Coordination system are available on the U.S. Mapping Coordination website.
Find Elevation Data Available from Other Organizations
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Contribute Data
Does your organization have lidar data that you would like to contribute to The National Map? If your organization is interested in contributing lidar data, please contact the National Map liaison for the state in which the lidar survey is located. Only data that is offered to USGS free of charge and without use restrictions can be considered.
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Collaborate with Others
The USGS National Geospatial Program (NGP) manages the 3D Elevation Program (3DEP), a program designed to acquire nationwide lidar for the lower 48, Hawaii and the US Territories, and IfSAR data over Alaska. The NGP works with Federal, State, Tribal, and local agencies to set priorities and establish the annual acquisition plans.
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USIEI and U.S. Mapping Coordination Videos
The videos linked below provide information on tools for 3DEP coordination and collaboration: the United States Interagency Elevation Inventory (USIEI) and the U.S. Mapping Coordination site.
