AlabamaView – Alabama Digital Orthophoto Recurrent Fly Plan

Partners affiliated with AlabamaView are developing methods of acquiring digital orthophotography for the entire state in a more cost effective manner.  The State Fly Plan takes advantages of efficiencies created by developing partnerships and data sharing agreements, along with allocated cost schedules to collect data that will serve users at all levels of government.

• Create High Resolution Orthoimagery for a different portion of the state each year completing the cycle every 3-4 years.

• Create a State Map.

• Make it available, where appropriate, giving GIS users across the state especially at local government level access to the data through AlabamaView Portal

• A diverse group of users would derive substantial benefit from high resolution imagery on a timely basis.

Digital Ortho Images Allow:

• Distance measurements

• Area calculations

• Determination of feature shape

• Direction calculations

• Determination of coordinates at any  given location

The program's goal is to create a plan to obtain imagery for the entire State on repeated 3-4 year cycles.  The program will create updated high-resolution orthoimagery for a portion of the State every year.  The program could consist of base products which are 100% State funded, and an array of options, which can be selected and funded by local governments or agency partners.

Potential Benefits of the Program:

• Consistent dataset Statewide

• Access to data for approved users

• Elimination of redundant data sets

• Cost per square mile is significantly reduced when contracting large blocks of orthoimagery

• A typical area is between 10,000-14,000 sq mi vs. 400-1,000 sq mi for a single county

• Cost sharing of data acquisition

• Sharing of other common geographic datasets

• Leverage current programs (i.e., NGS Height Modernization Project, etc.) to reduce cost for updating geodetic control network and targeting associated with imagery acquisition

• Increased communication and cooperation among governmental agencies

The following Alabama agencies have been briefed on the exercise:

• AL Department of Homeland Security

• AL Department of Transportation

• AL Department of Revenue

• Alabama Assoc. of Regional Development Councils

• AL Criminal Justice Information Center

• Alabama Emergency Management Agency

• Geological Survey of Alabama

• ADECA

• ADEM

• Water Resources

• AL Cooperative Extension System

• USDA Farm Services Agency

• Forestry Service