The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources will capture aerial photography for 28 counties in 2005 as part of the effort to create a seamless digital base map of the state.

The statewide digital base map is being created by the DCNR Bureau of Topographic and Geologic Survey in partnership with other state agencies, counties, the federal government and other government entities.

Once completed, it will be the one base map used by every entity in the state and at the federal level, and the data will be contributed to the National Map being created of the entire U.S. in support of the National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI).

Free of charge, the PAMAP aerial photography will be provided to all counties and will be available to all governments and first responders and to the public on the PA GIS Clearinghouse website.

The 28 counties covered during the spring 2005 are: Bradford, Carbon, Clinton, Columbia, Crawford, Erie, Lackawanna, Lancaster, Lebanon, Lehigh, Luzerne, Lycoming, McKean, Monroe, Montour, Northampton, Northumberland, Pike, Potter, Snyder, Somerset, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Tioga, Union, Warren, Wayne and Wyoming.

Thirteen counties were mapped in 2003 and 2004. The first complete PAMAP aerial photography update of the entire state is expected to be completed by the end of 2006. Once completed, the goal is to have about a third of the Commonwealth updated each year as part of an ongoing PAMAP maintenance program.

The color, digital aerial photography will have a one-foot resolution.

The primary source of funding for the 2005 project is a $1.5 million Growing Greener grant through DCNR. Additional funds are being provided by the state departments of Community and Economic Development, Environmental Protection, Health, Transportation, the Office of Administration and the Bureau of Geospatial Technologies, as well as the U.S. Geologic Survey, Federal Highways Administration, Lancaster County and the North Central Regional Counter-Terrorism Task Force.

For more information, visit the PAMAP webpage.

6/24/2005