National Agriculture Imagery Program (NAIP)

INFORMATION SHEET
February 2015

What is the National Agriculture Imagery Program What spatial resolution is the imagery?
(NAIP)?
NAIP imagery has a 1-meter ground sample distance (GSD).
NAIP is a USDA, Farm Service Agency (FSA) program to Beginning with the 2011 NAIP season, ½-meter GSD
acquire “leaf on” aerial imagery during the peak growing imagery is an option through a contract “buy up” if the
season, and deliver this imagery to USDA County Service additional funding for the higher cost of the imagery is
Centers. The NAIP imagery is used to maintain Common available from state or federal partners. The 2013 NAIP
Land Unit (CLU) boundaries and assist with farm programs. imagery for Idaho and the 2015 NAIP imagery for Wyoming
The goal of NAIP is to collect 1-meter imagery for the entire are the only states to have received ½-meter imagery. In
conterminous United States. The imagery is acquired as a 4- earlier years of NAIP, some states were flown at a 2-meter
band product, which can be viewed as either a natural color GSD for compliance uses.
or color infrared image.
What is reference ortho imagery?
While the focus of NAIP is on agricultural areas, FSA funds
and cost share partnerships between federal agencies are Until 2006, the horizontal accuracy of all NAIP imagery was
leveraged to acquire full state coverage. inspected by comparing the NAIP imagery to existing
orthorectified imagery, the mosaicked digital ortho quarter
Who acquires the imagery?
quads (MDOQ), which were initially used to digitize FSA
common land unit (CLU) data. The NAIP imagery was
Independent contractors acquire the NAIP imagery. The
required to match within 5-meters to the existing MDOQs.
current contract has three primary contractors acquiring
imagery for the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA).
What is the absolute accuracy specification?
Contractors are selected via “best value” criteria. Contract
proposals are evaluated on past performance, ability and NAIP transitioned to an absolute accuracy specification
capacity to perform the work, and cost. Secondary contracts beginning in 2006, which tied the imagery to true ground
with NAIP vendors are allowed, subject to FSA approval. rather than another imagery source. The contract states that
A downloadable PDF of the contract can be found on the “all well-defined points tested shall fall within 6 meters of
APFO website (http://www.apfo.usda.gov), under the true ground at a 95% confidence level”.
Contract Services subject, Business Opportunities topic. From 2006 – 2008, nine states were selected to meet the
absolute accuracy specification: Utah in 2006, Arizona in
How is the imagery acquired?
2007, and Indiana, Minnesota, New Hampshire, North
When the NAIP program began, imagery was acquired from Carolina, Texas, Vermont, and Virginia in 2008. Beginning
aircraft using film or digital cameras; at present, acquisition is in 2009, all states flown adhered to this specification.
entirely with digital sensors. Both film and digital cameras
must meet rigid calibration specifications. The digital sensors Is the imagery reviewed to make sure it is accurate?
currently in use may acquire imagery through a continuous
collection technology, or may use set “exposures,” similar to APFO has stringent imagery compliance guidelines, and all
film based acquisition. deliverables are inspected using automated and visual
methods to ensure accuracy and compliance with the contract
Aircraft…what about satellites? specifications.
Commercial satellite imagery may also be used in NAIP How long has NAIP been in existence?
contracts, although as of 2015 it has not been used. In
2004, the contract specified a spatial resolution of 1 meter or NAIP pilot projects began in 2002. The program has
higher in all color bands. In 2005, the requirement was continued to grow ever since.
changed to allow pan-sharpening of color bands in satellite
Each year several federal and/or state agencies contribute
or aircraft acquired NAIP imagery.
funds which together with the FSA funds allow for greater
What is the spectral resolution of the imagery? acquisition of data. These NAIP funding partnerships reduce
duplication of effort and fiscal waste.
The default is four-band imagery, containing red, green,
blue, and near-infrared bands. Either natural color or color The NAIP acquisition schedule avoids grouping states in
infrared imagery (CIR) can be displayed by changing the areas where weather conditions make acquisition difficult.
band assignments in the viewing software.
 In what formats can I receive the imagery? 3. Orders for CCMs and DOQQs on media can be placed
at the Aerial Photography Field Office (APFO) in
Imagery comes in two main formats: person or on the APFO website. Select Find out more
1. Compressed County Mosaic (CCM) about the NAIP Imagery Program, then Ordering
a. Mosaics are generated by compressing digital ortho NAIP Imagery.
quarter quads (DOQQs) into a single mosaic. 4. NAIP DOQQs can be added into a GIS project for
b. Compression for 2005 – 2015 Natural Color NAIP viewing through APFO’s ArcGIS service. Detailed
is MrSID MG3 at a ratio of 15:1 for 1-meter and instructions for using this web service can be found on
60:1 for ½-meter. the APFO website. Select Imagery Programs and then
c. Compression for 2004 NAIP and earlier was MrSID select NAIP Imagery. Scroll down to the section titled
MG2 at a ratio of 50:1 for 1-m and 20:1 for 2-m “How can NAIP be accessed.”
resolution imagery.
d. In 2008, 4-band NAIP imagery was compressed How much does NAIP imagery cost?
with JPEG 2000. For all other years of NAIP since
2005 3-band, MG3 has been used. Costs vary greatly by product and volume. Contact the
e. The mosaic may cover all or portions of an APFO Customer Service Section at
individual county or project area. [email protected] or at
2. Digital Ortho Quarter Quad (DOQQ). 801-844-2922 for detailed information.
a. Each individual image tile (DOQQ) within the
mosaic covers a 3.75 x 3.75 minute quarter What software is needed to view the imagery?
quadrangle plus a 300 meter buffer on all four sides.
1. NAIP CCMs from 2005 – 2013 require software that
b. The DOQQs are available in GeoTIFF format, and reads the MG3 or JPEG 2000 format. Pre-2005 CCMs
all individual DOQQs and resulting mosaics are used the MG2 format. Four band imagery will require
rectified to the specified UTM coordinate system software which can recognize all four bands. A list of
zone. free viewing software is available at the APFO
c. DOQQs can be purchased through the APFO website. Select Get a viewer for my digital imagery.
Customer Service Section. For detailed information This list is provided for convenience; USDA-FSA-
on NAIP availability and other items, please see APFO does not support or endorse these products or
the NAIP Status maps or contact the Customer services.
Service Section at 801-844-2922, or by email at 2. Most image viewing software will display GeoTIFF
[email protected] files.

How can I get NAIP imagery? Who do I contact for more information?

1. Compressed County Mosaics (CCMs) are available 45 days 1. NAIP acquisition and other information can be found
or less after the end of the state flying season. The natural on the NAIP Status Maps site.
color CCMs are available to the general public through the 2. For sales information, contact USDA-FSA-APFO at
USDA Geospatial Data Gateway. All years of available 2222 W 2300 S, Salt Lake City UT, 84119-2020, call
imagery may be downloaded as ½, 1, or 2 meter CCMs 801-844-2922, or visit the APFO website.
depending on the original spatial resolution. Downloads are 3. For further information contact the NAIP Project
free. CCMs with a file size larger than 8 GB may not be Manager David Davis 801-844-2933; or GIS
downloaded from the Gateway; they can be obtained by Specialists Joan Biediger 801-844-2951 and Nathan
contacting the APFO Customer Service Section. Pricing and Pugh 801-844-2927.
delivery methods can be found in the contact information
listed below.
2. Full resolution quarter quads (DOQQs) are delivered to
APFO within 30 days after the acquisition period ends.
They will be available in a natural color format, through the
public facing web service, after the entire state has been
received at APFO. The four band DOQQs are available for
purchase. Media options for delivery include hard copy
photos, CD/DVD, and portable hard disc drives.

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