USDA announced yesterday that they would be flying the National Aerial Imagery Program (NAIP) again this summer over Iowa.  Federal funds are available to cover the entire cost of the flight for 3-band color.  There is a state funded buy-up available to 4-bands (RGB and near IR) for $91,000.  I think this would be a tremendous opportunity to get all of Iowa flown in the summer-time with 4-band imagery for the first time at the one meter resolution.

I am asking again for any local contribution to the $91,000 needed for the 4-band NAIP buy-up in 2010.  I am asking for ANY amount you feel comfortable with.  So far DNR has more than half of the funds needed, and if we have to, we'll come up with the rest internally.  But I feel it needs to be a community effort, at least on some level, so I am asking for your help.  Local contributions will be collected by IGIC again early next fall, so funds can come out of this year's or next year's budget.

Why do we need the 4-band buy-up since USDA is going to fly it anyway without our help? Going to 4-band insures that the entire project is all digital.  All our previous NAIP flights were color film.  I have examples of 4-band digital that ASI did in North Dakota in 2009, with some comparisons to their 2006 film (they don't fly every year like us). And some comparisons of their digital to our film from 2009.  The digital is so much better than the film for seeing detail and the colors are much richer.  Here's my examples: ftp://ftp.igsb.uiowa.edu/Download/Jim/2010NAIP/

The fourth band (NIR) will really help our efforts to construct a one meter high resolution land cover, using the lidar, NAIP and 2' spring time orthos.  The fourth band will greatly increase the accuracy of the classification.  These data sets will be free and available to anyone to use, of course.

I know we are all hurting financially, but now more than ever, the state needs good GIS data to move forward.

Thanks

Jim Giglierano
Iowa DNR
319-335-1594

PS We have local commitments to help from Ida, Greene, Pottawattamie, Cerro Gordo and Johnson Counties, and from Hertz Farm Management, Pete Buckingham, Inc and Aerial Services.  Thank you for your generous support.