Components of NGP
The National Geospatial Program (NGP) provides a foundation of digital geospatial data representing the topography, natural landscape, and manmade environment of the United States. Customers can incorporate NGP geospatial products and services into their decision-making and operational activities. NGP data and derived products and services can be accessed through The National Map Data Download and Visualization Services (TNM Viewer). These products and services are developed by working with partners and organizations whose activities align with those of NGP. Additionally, NGP works to increase the efficiency of the Nation’s geospatial community by improving communications about geospatial data, products, services, projects, needs, standards, and best practices. and here are some of the components of the NGP.
The National Map
As one of the cornerstones of the U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS) National Geospatial Program, The National Map is a collaborative effort among the USGS and other Federal, State, and local partners to improve and deliver topographic information for the Nation. It has many uses ranging from recreation to scientific analysis to emergency response. The National Map is easily accessible for display on the Web, as products and services, and as downloadable data. The geographic information available from The National Map includes orthoimagery (aerial photographs), elevation, geographic names, hydrography, boundaries, transportation, structures, and land cover. Other types of geographic information can be added within the viewer or brought in with The National Map data into a Geographic Information System to create specific types of maps or map views. The National Map is a significant contribution to the National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI) and currently is being transformed to better serve the geospatial community by providing high quality, integrated geospatial data and improved products and services including new generation digital topographic maps. To learn more about The National Map an introduction video is provided.
3D National Topography Model (3DNTM)
Topography is defined by terrain and water, each influencing and shaping the other. The 3D National Topography Model (3DNTM) is a new U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) initiative (Anderson and others, in review) to embrace this inherent relationship between the Earth’s surface and the water that interacts with it. The initiative updates and integrates USGS elevation and hydrography data to model the Nation in 3D. The transition to an integrated approach to create and manage elevation and hydrography data will result in higher quality data that are updated more frequently. The 3DNTM provides the terrestrial component of the USGS and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) shared vision of a 3D Nation to build an elevation foundation – from the peaks of our mountains to the depths of our waters – for stronger, more resilient communities and the United States (U.S.) economy. The 3D Nation Elevation Requirements and Benefits Study (3D Nation Study) (NOAA, 2022) conducted jointly by NOAA and the USGS identified potential annual benefits of 10.8 billion dollars U.S. for new topographic and inland bathymetry data. These benefits are possible when publicly available data without use restrictions are available to support innovative uses and mission critical requirements of a broad user community.
3D Elevation Program (3DEP)
The 3D Elevation Program is managed by the U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS) National Geospatial Program to respond to growing needs for high-quality topographic data and for a wide range of other three-dimensional (3D) representations of the Nation's natural and constructed features. The goal of 3DEP is to complete acquisition of nationwide lidar (IfSAR in AK) to provide the first-ever national baseline of consistent high-resolution elevation data – both bare earth and 3D point clouds.
3D Hydrography Program (3DHP)
The 3DHP will significantly improve the level of detail, currency, and content of hydrography data by deriving (1) three-dimensional (3D) stream network datasets and watersheds from high-quality 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) data and (2) other elevation derivatives to support applications like hydrologic and hydraulic modeling. The 3DHP will improve the ability to track information related to water as it moves through the hydrologic cycle by connecting surface-water features traditionally represented in the National Hydrography Dataset (NHD) to data about wetlands, engineered hydrologic systems, and groundwater; it will also improve the attribution of important hydrologic characteristics like streamflow permanence.
User Engagement
The National Map partnership network cultivates and maintains long-term relationships with partners and develops agreements for The National Map and other initiatives that support USGS science. Partnerships are the foundation of The National Map because they leverage funding across organizations as a way to provide significant cost savings, reduce redundancy in geospatial data acquisition and stewardship, and ensure the availability of common base data to a broad range of users and applications.
Board on Geographic Names
The Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) is the Federal and national standard for geographic nomenclature. The U.S. Geological Survey developed the GNIS in support of the U.S. Board on Geographic Names as the official repository of domestic geographic names data, the official vehicle for geographic names use by all departments of the Federal Government, and the source for applying geographic names to Federal electronic and printed products.
The National Map Corps
The National Map Corps (TNMCorps) is an online crowdsourcing mapping project with volunteers successfully editing structures data in all 50 States, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Structures include schools, hospitals, post offices, police stations, cemeteries, and other important public buildings. By updating and verifying structures data, volunteers are making significant contributions to the USGS National Structures Dataset, The National Map, and ultimately U.S. Topo Maps! Anyone with an interest in contributing can volunteer. It is easy to sign up and get started!
The National Map Viewer
The National Map provides easy access to topographic information. The geographic information available from The National Map includes orthoimagery (aerial photographs), elevation, geographic names, hydrography, boundaries, transportation, structures, and land cover. Other types of geographic information can be added within the viewer or brought in with The National Map data into a Geographic Information System to create specific types of maps or map views.
National Digital Trails
Our Nation is home to a vast network of recreational trails traveled by millions of citizens. The trails are managed by numerous organizations and jurisdictions and do not form a coherent, connected network. The overall objectives of the National Digital Trails project are to provide data and tools to enable land managers to visualize opportunities to increase the connectivity within this network.
Alaska Mapping
The Alaska Mapping Initiative is a U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) program to support and improve maps and digital map data for Alaska, bringing Alaska topographic map and digital map data quality in line with the conterminous United States. The goal of the Alaska Mapping Initiative (AMI) is to acquire and enhance foundational digital map layers such as elevation, surface water, and boundaries that will be used to produce new US Topo maps for Alaska. This multi-year mapping initiative will improve The National Map's Alaska data to benefit high-priority applications in safety, planning, research, and resource management.
Small-Scale Data
The 1997-2014 Edition of the National Atlas of the United States was retired in September 2014. However, The National Map (TNM) recognizes the importance of continuing to make a collection of the small-scale datasets, originally developed for the National Atlas, available to users.
