Governance
The governance structure of 3DEP is based on the National Geospatial Asset Elevation Theme as defined in the Geospatial Data Act of 2018 which was signed into law on October 5, 2018.
3D Nation Elevation Subcommittee
The goal of the 3D Nation Elevation Subcommittee of the FGDC is to continually improve the national elevation mapping foundation by coordinating the topographic, coastal, and bathymetric mapping activities across the Federal government.
3D Elevation Federal Interagency Coordinating Committee
Purpose: To better coordinate 3D elevation data management across the Federal Government. The focus of the committee is the 3D National Topography Model (3DNTM) and includes the USGG 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) and 3D Hydrography Program (3DHP).
National Spatial Data Infrastructure
The National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI) is defined as “… the technology, policies, criteria, standards, and employees necessary to promote geospatial data sharing..."
Theme Definition
"The measured vertical position of the earth surface and other landscape or bathymetric features relative to a reference datum typically related to sea level. These points normally describe bare earth positions but may also describe the top surface of buildings and other objects, vegetation structure, or submerged objects. Elevation data can be stored as a three-dimensional point cloud or as a continuous surface such as a raster, triangulated irregular network, or contours. Elevation data may also be represented in other derivative forms such as slope, aspect, ridge and drainage lines, and shaded relief.”