National Surveyors Week Policy Commentary

Sunday, March 15, 2026

Today is the first day of National Surveyors Week 2026 (March 15-21). Below is a link to an article on the history of this observation I wrote last year. I led the effort in the early 1980s that resulted in a joint resolution passing Congress and President Reagan issuing a proclamation. Each day this week I’ll post a commentary on a legislative or policy initiative that should be adopted to recognize and utilize surveying-related services to enhance the practice and benefit the public. The views expressed will be solely my own and not necessarily those of any client or other organization, based on my nearly 45 years of working with the surveying and geospatial professional community. https://tinyurl.com/yp9z7ws

Repeal Davis-Bacon Act Regulations

Monday, March 16, 2026

The Trump Administration’s Department of Labor should revise/repeal Davis-Bacon Act Regulations, 29 CFR Parts 1, 3, and 5, specific to the expansion of the Act to the activities of members of survey crews.

In 2023, the Biden Administration promulgated broad new regulations implementing the Davis-Bacon Act, an outdated Depression-era law that requires prime contractors and subcontractors at any level who work on construction projects that have any Federal funding to classify certain workers as “laborers and mechanics” and pay them the government defined and mandated “prevailing wage”, rather than the actual market rate. It included in those regulations an expansion that extended application of the Act to members of land survey crews by classifying such workers as “laborers and mechanics”. This overturned more than 60 years of precedent, as stated by Secretary of Labor Arthur Goldberg in 1962 during the Kennedy Administration, that the Act applied to members of survey crews only to the extent they are “clearing brush or sharpening stakes”, which the Secretary noted “are not commonplace”.

This 60+ year precedent was overturned by the Obama Administration with AAM 212 on March 22, 2013. Fortunately, that action was reversed and repealed by the first Trump Administration with AAM 235 on December 14, 2020, only to be reinstated in the broader 2023 Biden regulations.

There are numerous reasons why this regulation should be repealed.

First and foremost, it is misplaced. As the Goldberg letter points out, the construction stake out work of survey crews is professional and intellectual, not manual or physical labor, in nature as alleged by the Biden Administration. With advancements in technology and methodologies, the nature of the work of today’s survey crews is far less manual or physical, and far more analytical and based on professional and technical judgement, than during Secretary Goldberg’s tenure in the 1960s.

Additionally, there is no legislative history that supports extending the Act to survey crews. Congress never intended for the Act to apply to survey crews, nor were surveyors and their employees mentioned by Congress. Given the Supreme Court’s 2024 decision in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo, the Biden Administration’s interpretation fails to meet the “Loper deference” standard, given that the Act is not only unambiguous, but devoid of any reference to survey crews.

Moreover, the Biden regulation places an extraordinary burden on land surveying firms, which typically are very small businesses with 3-5 employees. The payroll and administration expense for such a small business to distinguish between projects that involve Federal funds (and are subject to the Act’s prevailing wage requirements) and projects that do not include Federal funds (and are subject to the forces of the free market) is staggering. As a result, small business land surveyors often decline Federally funded work.

The Biden regulation was demeaning to the surveying community and inaccurately portrayed in the commentary of the final rule. Repeal of this regulation would reinstate surveying as a professional service, led by licensed professionals (as has been determined by numerous court decisions) and supported by trained and experienced field technicians who engage in work that is intellectual and judgement-based in nature, not as “laborers and mechanics” who engage in manual labor.

No evidence has ever been presented that members of survey crews are paid substandard wages and require the protection of a prevailing wage under the Act. In fact, there is a workforce shortage in the surveying community and market forces result in wages that are commensurate with the high demand for survey personnel.

The good news is the Office of the Chief Counsel for Advocacy of the Small Business Administration has embraced this issue in its “Red Tape Hotline” urging the Department of Labor’s revision or repeal of this misplaced, costly, and burdensome regulation.

Closing a Critical Gap: Why Surveying Personnel Should Be Explicitly Included in Move Over Laws

Tuesday, March 17, 2026

Members of survey crews are essential field data collectors on a wide range of critically important projects placing them in roadside environments that expose them to significant health and safety risks. Projects including but not limited to transportation and infrastructure, utilities, broadband deployment, and environmental monitoring put these crews on or near roadways where they are dangerously vulnerable to high-speed traffic, distracted drivers, limited visibility, and unpredictable work locations. These crews often perform boundary surveys, subsurface utility engineering investigations, topographic mapping, construction stakeout, as well as analysis, data collection, and determination of easements and rights of way, among other tasks. Regrettably, accidents resulting in serious bodily harm and even death to these workers occur far too often. In recent years, fatalities have been reported in Colorado, Florida, Minnesota, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, and Washington State, among others.

According to a 2024 Government Accountability Office (GAO) report to Congress, all states and the District of Columbia have “Move Over or Slow Down” (Move Over) laws, which generally require drivers to change lanes, slow down, or both when approaching certain vehicles stopped on the roadside. These laws are intended to protect vulnerable roadside workers. However, Move Over requirements vary widely from state to state, including in the specific actions required of drivers, potential penalties for a violation, and types of vehicles and roadside workers covered. While all states cover first responder vehicles such as police cars, fire trucks, and ambulances and most cover certain other types of vehicles, such as highway construction, utility, trash, or disabled vehicles, very few explicitly include surveying personnel. Moreover, there is no federal Move Over law. As a result, survey personnel are particularly vulnerable and exposed to inconsistent protections, and public confusion, particularly among drivers in states outside their home state who may be unfamiliar with local requirements.

Employers have a responsibility for providing a safe work environment under Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations and Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) standards particularly applicable to survey crews working on roadsides. However, even the most rigorous safety protocols cannot fully protect workers from speeding, careless, or distracted drivers.

As Congress considers legislation to reauthorize the current Federal surface transportation and highway program that will expire on September 30, a targeted statutory update should be included to enhance public awareness of Move Over responsibilities, provide consistency and uniformity among state laws, improve safety, reduce injuries, and extend protection to all roadside workers, including survey crews.

Surveyors are essential to every infrastructure project, yet they remain inconsistently protected under state Move Over laws. Explicit inclusion of survey personnel is a low cost, high-impact reform that enhances safety, improves clarity, and modernizes statutory language to reflect today’s workforce.

The Need for an Enhanced USACE Hydrographic Survey Program to Assess and Maintain the Capacity of Reservoirs and Other Bodies of Water

Wednesday, March 18, 2026

Every two years, Congress passes a Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) that primarily authorizes programs and projects of the civil works division of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE or “the Corps”). The Corps plays a critical role in managing the nation’s water resources, including reservoirs, canals, and other bodies of water used for water supply, irrigation, flood control, as well as flood risk management, navigation, hydroelectric power, irrigation, municipal water supply, water quality, recreation, and national water security, among others. The capacity of these water bodies is often compromised by siltation and sedimentation, reducing their effectiveness and necessitating regular dredging. Hydropower (impacted by sediment impacts on turbines and intakes), energy security (due to limited hydropower releases), ports and inland waterways (channels filling in and impeding navigation), dam safety (sediment filling reservoirs and clogging up emergency lower elevation outlets), and other critical activities are victims of a capacity less than the design size to hold water.

Hydrographic surveys, which measure and map the physical features of oceans, rivers, lakes, ports, harbors, and other bodies of water, enhance activities including navigation, construction, and environmental management. They provide foundational data that enable ships to travel safely, engineers to design marine infrastructure, and governments to manage waterways effectively. These surveys are essential for determining the capacity of water bodies and identifying areas where siltation and sedimentation have reduced their effectiveness. They provide critical data that can inform dredging operations and ensure that reservoirs, canals, and other water bodies can store and manage water as intended. The USACE currently conducts hydrographic surveys primarily for navigation purposes, maintaining and improving nearly 12,000 miles of shallow-draft inland and intracoastal waterways and 13,000 miles of deep-draft coastal channels. These surveys are conducted using single-beam and multi-beam sonar from various platforms, including small craft, large ships, and airplanes. The data collected is used to identify “shoaled” areas that require dredging to maintain navigable depths.

Several laws and programs support hydrographic surveying and related activities within the USACE:

• 33 CFR § 209.325: This regulation requires the USACE to supply channel condition information to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for inclusion on nautical charts;
• eHydro: The USACE’s eHydro program provides a centralized database for hydrographic survey data, allowing for efficient data management and dissemination; and
• Engineer Regulation (ER) 1110-2-8164: This regulation establishes general criteria and policy for the execution of hydrographic surveying throughout USACE projects.

While the USACE’s current hydrographic survey activities are extensive, they are primarily focused on navigation channels. There is a need for a dedicated and enhanced hydrographic survey program within the USACE to assess and maintain the capacity of these water bodies, ensuring they operate at their full, design capacity, leading to enhanced water availability and increased flood control. Recent Congressional hearings have identified the phenomena of siltation and sedimentation in these water bodies significantly reducing their capacity and adversely affecting water resource and flood control. Congress should include in the 2026 WRDA a dedicated expansion of hydrographic survey efforts to include reservoirs, canals, and other water bodies used for water supply, irrigation, and flood control.

A dedicated hydrographic survey program would:

• Assess Capacity: Regularly measure the capacity of reservoirs, canals, and other water bodies to ensure they can store and manage water as designed;
• Identify Siltation: Determine the extent of siltation and its impact on water storage capacity;
• Inform Dredging Operations: Provide data to inform dredging operations, ensuring that water bodies are maintained at their full capacity; and
• Support Water Management: Enhance the USACE’s ability to manage water resources effectively, supporting water supply, irrigation, and flood control efforts.

To implement a dedicated hydrographic survey program, Congress should authorize a program in WRDA to:

• Expand Existing Programs: Leverage the existing eHydro program and other hydrographic survey initiatives to include reservoirs, canals, and other water bodies;
• Dedicated Funding: A source of funding to support expanded survey activities and a series of multiple award, task order contracts (MATOC) to access the vast capabilities of the private sector professional surveying, mapping, hydrography, and geospatial firms that exist in the United States to assure that the USACE program does not duplicate or compete with private enterprise, pursuant to 33 U.S.C. 569(e) and 2922;
• Enhance Collaboration: Collaborate with other federal and state agencies, such as NOAA, USGS, BOR, and USDA, to share data and resources; and
• Develop New Regulations: Establish new regulations and guidelines specifically for hydrographic surveys of non-navigation water bodies.

By expanding existing survey activities and leveraging current laws and programs, Congress can ensure these critical water resource activities of the Corps are managed effectively, supporting the nation’s water needs and reducing flood risk. A dedicated USACE hydrographic survey program is essential for maintaining the capacity of reservoirs, canals, and other water bodies used for water supply, irrigation, flood control, hydroelectric power generation, and other purposes.

The USACE Corps Water Management System (CWMS) supports regulation of river flow through more than 700 reservoirs, locks, and other water control structures. It collects and processes hydrometeorological data like river stage, reservoir elevation, precipitation, and forecasts. Water managers use CWMS to model watershed responses and evaluate reservoir operations, including flood impacts and release strategies. CWMS includes map-based interfaces and GIS tools to visualize data and model outcomes. It is active 24/7 across over 35 Corps District and Division offices with water management missions.

A robust and technically advanced program for conducting hydrographic surveys to monitor siltation and sedimentation in reservoirs and other water bodies is essential for maintaining design capacity and ensuring operational effectiveness. It should include underwater site plans for reservoirs, navigation channels, locks, dams, and shoreline structures and use multibeam sonar, differential GPS, and inertial navigation systems to produce high-resolution bathymetric maps to track sediment accumulation, evaluate dredging needs, and verify project clearances. It should utilize the eHydro System: National Data Repository, a centralized system for managing and sharing hydrographic survey data:

• Data Products: Includes bathymetric maps, sediment profiles, and geospatial metadata;
• Coverage: Over 112,000 surveys across 36 districts;
• Access: Public-facing dashboard allows downloads and GIS integration; and
• Sediment Monitoring: Supports the National Sediment Management Framework and National Channel Framework.

While there is no single national standard for sediment monitoring frequency, sediment capacity monitoring is conducted through surveys conducted by Corps districts based on:

• Reservoir age and sedimentation rate;
• Flood events and inflow variability;
• Operational needs (e.g., hydropower, water supply); and
• Environmental or regulatory requirements.

These surveys inform sediment management strategies, including dredging, sediment bypassing, and adaptive reservoir operations.

The Corps is not fully realizing the design capacity of its reservoirs due to sedimentation and evolving environmental conditions. Here are some key findings of recent studies:

• Reservoir Sedimentation in the Context of Climate Change (USACE, 2016) – This technical report highlights that sedimentation has significantly reduced reservoir volumes over time, even though it was considered during initial design. Many USACE reservoirs have operated for over 50 years, and sedimentation has led to a gradual loss of functionality for flood control, water supply, and recreation. Climate change is accelerating sediment delivery through altered precipitation patterns, freeze-thaw cycles, and flood dynamics. Establish sediment baselines and increase survey frequency to better manage capacity loss and plan sustainable operations.
• Nicholas Institute Study on Reservoir Operations (Duke University, 2020) – This five-year collaboration between Duke University and USACE examined how aging infrastructure and changing conditions affect reservoir performance. Many reservoirs are operating under conditions vastly different from those anticipated during design—especially regarding sedimentation and water supply needs. Data inconsistencies across USACE districts hinder large-scale analysis and timely response. The study produced interactive tools and publications to help modernize reservoir management strategies.
• Reservoir Sediment Management Workshop (USACE RSM Program, 2019) – This workshop emphasized that the traditional strategy of trapping sediment is unsustainable. Over half of USACE dams have surpassed their sediment design life (50–100 years), risking complete loss of reservoir benefits. Without proactive sediment management, operations and maintenance costs will rise, and reservoir services will decline. There are systemic challenges —especially related to aging infrastructure, climate variability, and inconsistent data practices — that may prevent reservoirs from fully meeting their original design capacity.

In WRDA, Congress should authorize and the USACE should implement a dedicated and enhanced hydrographic survey program to assess and maintain the capacity of these water bodies, ensuring they operate at their full, design capacity, leading to reduced water availability and increased flood control.

Surveying as a Component of SUE

Thursday, March 19, 2026

Subsurface Utility Engineering (SUE) is a practice focused on managing the risks associated with identifying, locating, and mapping existing underground utilities using defined quality levels and standardized investigative methods. It is a process, not a technology, that collects, evaluates, and communicates reliable information about underground utilities to support project planning, design, and construction. It reduces conflicts, delays, and unexpected utility encounters.

For several decades, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has been encouraging the use of SUE on Federal-aid Highway projects as an integral part of the preliminary engineering process. While the “One-Call Notification System” (aka “811”,”Miss Utility”, or “Call Before You Dig”) to locate utilities just prior to construction is more commonly known to the public, SUE contributes to timely and cost-effective project delivery by collecting and analyzing location and other data about underground utilities during the planning/preliminary engineering phase of a project (“SUE Before You Design”). FHWA considers SUE a process to identify the quality of subsurface utility information needed for highway plans and to acquire and manage that information. It is a structured, risk-based engineering, surveying, and geophysical process for identifying, documenting, and managing underground utilities throughout project development. It provides risk management and conflict avoidance benefit to the design engineer and project owner by identifying underground utilities early in a project so a project can be designed in a manner that avoids conflict with or damage to existing subsurface infrastructure, enhance safety to construction workers and the public, and minimizes costly utility relocation.

The standard for the performance of SUE services is American Society of Civil Engineers ASCE 38-22, Standard Guideline for Investigating and Documenting Existing Utilities. ASCE emphasizes that SUE is a process, not a technology, defining it as a practice that involves managing risks associated with subsurface utility data collection and depiction, including the use of geophysics and vacuum excavation to confirm utility location.

A related protocol, ASCE 75-22, Standard Guideline for Recording and Exchanging Utility Infrastructure Data defines how utility infrastructure data should be recorded, structured, and exchanged (“as built”) to ensure consistent, accurate, and interoperable information across projects and organizations. It focuses on both underground and above ground utilities and supports modern digital workflows, including 3D models and digital twins. As a data standard, not a practice standard, ASCE 75‑22 does not specify that its tasks be performed by a PE or LS, as it focuses on what utility infrastructure data must be recorded and exchanged, not who must perform the work.

Nor does ASCE 38‑22 mandate that SUE investigations be performed by a licensed professional engineer, surveyor, or geophysicist. However, it does require that the work be performed under the responsible charge of a qualified professional, and the standard leaves the definition of “qualified” to state laws, project requirements, and professional licensure regulations.

A few states, CO and PA in particular, have laws requiring SUE on certain projects. According to data collected by the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES), it is still an open question among most state licensing boards on whether SUE is the practice of surveying or engineering. NC defines SUE as the practice of surveying, CO and NE consider it engineering, and the states of ID, MA, MD, ME, OH, OK, OR, and RI have determined it is both a PE and LS activity. Many state transportation agencies with robust SUE programs have policies and contract provisions on PE or LS licensing requirements.

Costs for SUE services are eligible for Federal participation. However, some state DOTs still do not utilize SUE as a standard operating procedure on many of their projects. This practice ignores the substantial benefits of SUE as documented in studies over the past 30 years. The landmark FHWA-sponsored 2000 study by Purdue University, based on 71 transportation projects, found an average return of $4.62 saved for every $1 invested in SUE. PennDOT’s subsequent analyses—including the PennDOT 2007 SUE Manual and internal benefit-cost evaluations—reported double-digit benefit-cost ratios, with some projects exceeding $11 saved per $1 spent. Additional state DOT and university studies (e.g., Louisiana, North Carolina, and Virginia) have repeatedly confirmed significant reductions in unforeseen utility conflicts, relocations, and construction delays when SUE is applied early and at appropriate quality levels.

FHWA announced on February 24 it is implementing an “Every Day Counts” (EDC) initiative promoting the use of SUE by state departments of transportation. EDC is a State-based model that identifies and deploys proven, yet underutilized innovations – saving time, money and resources that can be used to deliver more projects. While not binding on state DOTs, EDC help promote best practices and encourages agency implementation.

While the aforementioned studies have repeatedly confirmed the positive return on investment by the use of SUE, they have become dated. Since many of these studies were conducted, revolutionary advancements in SUE have been introduced into the market and adopted as best practices. These include new technologies, advanced methodologies, and the introduction ASCE 38-22 and 75-22 provides a structured, risk-based process for identifying, documenting, and managing underground utilities throughout project development.

To provide up-to-date information and to facilitate the full use of SUE to realize the value of these technologies, methodologies, and standards, and in support of its EDC initiative, USDOT/FHWA should conduct updated cost-benefit studies quantifying SUE’s impact on project delivery, public safety, and lifecycle cost efficiency. These analyses will allow agencies to measure the financial and operational return on implementing modern utility investigation practices and help justify policy, funding, and programmatic decisions. Such an updated study will help quantify the value of modern SUE practices in today’s project delivery environment. Documenting benefits such as reduced change orders, fewer utility strikes and service disruptions, fewer and shorter project delays, enhanced environmental protection, and enhanced safety provides a strong evidence base for institutionalizing SUE across all project phases. With expanding infrastructure programs and increasing underground congestion, updated economic analyses are essential for demonstrating SUE’s role in controlling risk, improving schedule certainty, and protecting workers and the traveling public.

Implementing the FLAIR Act

Friday, March 20, 2026

On December 29, 2022 President Biden signed into law the Consolidated Appropriations Act, FY 2023, also known as the Omnibus appropriations bill, Public Law 117-328. Included in Division DD – Public Land Management, Title I Department of the Interior Provisions, Sec. 103, “Cadastre of Federal Real Property”.

That provision enacted essential elements of the long-awaited Federal Land Asset Inventory Reform (FLAIR) Act, a proposal first introduced in Congress in 2008, but had its origins in a 1980 National Research Council report, “Need for a Multipurpose Cadastre” and a 1981 bill known as the Federal Land Survey Act.

The 2022 law mandates the creation of a comprehensive, accurate inventory of federal land assets to improve management, transparency, and efficiency, and set specific deadlines that the Department of the Interior under the Biden Administration and now the Trump Administration has failed to meet. This has hindered progress in achieving the Act’s objectives. These missed deadlines have delayed the development of a unified, searchable database of federal land assets, which is crucial for effective land management, energy development, and other decision-making.

Under the Act, by June 27, 2023, the Secretary of the Interior was required to submit a report to Congress on various issues related to existing Federal land inventory activities including a report to Congress describing the existing duplicative, non-interoperable real property inventories, the cost of maintaining the estimated 100+ old school land records systems in the Interior Department and the National Forest System of the Department of Agriculture, those that would remain and those that will be consolidated into a modern cadastral GIS, and the cost savings that will be achieved by eliminating or consolidating duplicative or unneeded real property inventories or any components of any cadastre of Federal real property currently maintained that will become part of the multipurpose cadastre.

A current and accurate inventory of federal land is essential for several reasons. It enables better stewardship of our public lands by providing a clear understanding of what assets the federal government owns and their respective conditions. This information is vital for making informed decisions about land use, conservation, and resource management. A comprehensive land inventory supports the energy and critical minerals priorities the Trump Administration is currently advancing. Creating an inventory of inventories supports the concept of “map it once, use it many times” as it allows for the consolidation of multiple, duplicative land inventories into a single, interoperable system. This not only reduces redundancy and administrative costs but also enhances the accuracy and accessibility of land data for various stakeholders.

Implementation of the FLAIR Act will ensure that a more efficient, transparent, and effective management of our federal lands, ultimately benefiting the American people.

Lighting the Fire: The Untold Story Behind 3DEP’s Rise and the Partnership That Made It Possible

Saturday, March 21, 2026

When the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) took the stage at Geo Week 2026 to announce the completion of the 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) baseline, I was flattered that former USGS Associate Director Kevin Gallagher graciously pointed out the role my colleague John “JB” Byrd and I played in making the national elevation data program a reality.

The fact is, Mr. Gallagher formed an unprecedented partnership that was responsible for 3DEP’s success.

Long before 3DEP became a billion dollar national program, it began with a conversation when he invited Byrd and me to a series of meetings to develop a strategy. Prior concepts – Imagery for the Nation, Parcels for the Nation and others – never got traction. Gallagher was determined 3DEP would not meet a similar fate. As the agency responsible for the elevation layer of the National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI), USGS needed to approach this initiative differently than any mapping activity USGS ever attempted. Working with us, Gallagher endorsed certain features of the strategy. First, he would hire a firm to do a comprehensive feasibility study. The National Enhanced Elevation Assessment (NEEA) conducted by Dewberry, documented national level requirements for enhanced elevation data, an estimate the benefits and costs of meeting those requirements, the most significant uses and applications of the data, and the users and beneficiaries. In hindsight, NEEA was extremely conservative in its forecast. 3DEP became a classic “build it and they will come” scenario. Once data began to become available, literally hundreds of new applications never imagined by Dewberry or the scores of government agencies at all levels and the private sector, among others, who were interviewed for NEEA, developed with the data.

The agreed upon strategy also called for a broad coalition of partners from all sectors, a collaborative government structure, a funding strategy, and a procurement plan that relied on private sector contractors selected by USGS for its Geospatial Products and Services Contracts (GPSC), a “Brooks Act” qualifications based selection process.

To kick off the coordinated national elevation strategy, Gallagher, Byrd and I organized a stakeholders meeting in 2015 at the Hilton Hotel in Crystal City (Arlington), VA. That meeting helped crystallize the vision for 3DEP and marked the moment when the idea shifted from aspiration to actionable initiative. It was the first step in building the “coalition of the willing” that Gallagher has described as essential to the program’s success.

Understanding that 3DEP would require sustained Congressional support—and that no single federal appropriation would ever cover the full cost, Byrd and I took a decisive step: formation of the 3DEP Coalition, a broad alliance of private sector organizations committed to advocating for the program in Congress.

This coalition became the engine behind 3DEP’s legislative momentum. It helped secure key legislative wins, including the National Landslide Preparedness Act, which formally authorized 3DEP, coordinated annual letters for funding support from members of the U.S. House and Senate to their respective Appropriations Committees and letters from more than 50 coalition members, demonstrating industry and profession-wide backing. Byrd organized coalition meetings with the Office of Management and Budget in the Executive Office of the President at the White House, and arranged for me to testify several times before the House Appropriations Committee. All this demonstrated that 3DEP wasn’t just a good idea; it was a national priority and resulted in steady funding for the program.

At a critical point, Gallagher questioned whether the private sector could handle the scale of nationwide lidar acquisition. Any concerns were allayed when we did a market study of existing and projected capacity that showed the private sector was more than capable of delivering the program’s ambitious requirements. To broaden public and Congressional understanding, Byrd launched the 3DEP for America website, a hub explaining the program’s benefits, and led the production of a “coffee table book” with strong support from REIGL USA, featuring images of LiDAR data and applications.

A decade after the initial 2015 “coalition of the willing” stakeholders meeting and an investment of $1 billion by USGS, other Federal agencies, and state and local partners, the vision of national elevation coverage has become a reality. GPSC prime contractors – Dewberry, NV5, and Woolpert – who not only accomplished a huge portion of the 3DEP collection and processing, but added considerable political clout to the effort, also deserve recognition.

The fact that national elevation mapping was completed in ten years is a feat to be acknowledged, particularly given that the USGS 7.5 minute quadrangle topographic map series, the predecessor to 3DEP, took 45 years to complete. It’s a testimony to the partnership, as well as the enlightened vision of USGS to build 3DEP with private contractors, rather than the agency’s historic reliance on in-house production.

But that’s not the end of the story. While 3DEP provided first generation coverage, it always anticipated a repeat cycle. Every time a bulldozer reshapes the land by cutting, pushing, and leveling soil, it significantly alters the earth’s surface and changes local elevation. Natural phenomena such as subsidence, sea level rise, erosion, Tectonic motion, and Glacial Isostatic Adjustment (GIA) also impact elevation. And building off of the success of 3DEP, the next chapter is the 3D National Topography Model (3DNTM), an ambitious effort to merge high resolution lidar with modern hydrography. This integration will create a dynamic, continuously updated model of how water moves across the landscape.

The completion of 3DEP is a triumph of persistence, innovation, and collaboration. It proves that the geospatial profession — the federal government, private enterprise, state and local partners, and committed advocates — can accomplish big, transformative things.