Definition
The National Agricultural Imagery Program (NAIP) is a program that first obtains digital ortho photography during peak agricultural growing seasons and then works to make the imagery available to the public within a year after obtaining it. NAIP then delivers the imagery to USDA county service centers to help maintain common land unit boundaries and to also help assist with other farm programs.

Features and Uses
NAIP imagery can be used in a variety of applications. Some uses of the imagery include assisting emergency conservation and disaster programs, locating farm and crop land, locating buildings, and identifying areas of flooding.

Map Scale/Resolution
NAIP imagery is available in two different sets of specifications. One is a 1-meter ground sample distance with a horizontal accuracy within 5 meters of reference ortho imagery. The second set of specifications is on a 2-meter ground sample distance that matches within 10 meters of reference ortho imagery. Compression for 2005 and 2006 NAIP is MrSID MG3 at a ratio of 15:1. Compression for 2004 NAIP and earlier is MrSID MG2 at a ratio of 50:1 or 20:1 for 1m or 2m resolution imagery, respectively.

Original Coordinate System
Digital Ortho Quarter Quads (DOQQS) and the Compressed County Mosaics (CCM) are set to the UTM coordinate system, NAD 83, and are transmitted into a single predetermined UTM Zone.

File Formats
NAIP imagery is available in two main formats, Compressed County Mosaic (CCM) and Digital Ortho Quarter Quad (DOQQ). “Mosaics are generated by compressing DOQQs scanned from natural color positive aerial film, color infrared positive aerial film, or digital copy into a single mosaic” (USDA). The mosaics coverage is extended beyond the county boundaries up to 1 mile, and the CCM could cover all or portions of a final product. Each tile of DOQQ within the CCM covers a 3.75 x 3.75 minute quarter quadrangle as well as a 300 meter buffer on all four sides. The DOQQs are also in GeoTIFF format.

How to Obtain This Data
To obtain a Compressed County Mosaic (CCM), request imagery through the USDA Geospatial Data Gateway (http://datagateway.nrcs.usda.gov) and download at no charge 60 days following order. If full resolution quarter quads are needed, they are available by media only, such as hard copy CD/DVD and portable hard disc drives (firewire and USB2). Orders can be placed the Aerial Field Office (APFO) in person for CCMs and quarter quads in media. For program status maps and maps of archived imagery, visit the Farm Service Agency (FSA) Web site (http://www.fsa.usda.gov), click on "Aerial Photography" in the Browse by Subject box, then click "Status Maps".

Use with Mapping and Viewing Software
Software that reads MG3 format is required for 2005 and 2006 NAIP compressed county mosaics. To see a list of viewing software visit the Farm Service Agency Web site (http://www.fsa.usda.gov), click on "Aerial Photography" in the Browse by Subject box, click "Imagery Products," then click "Viewers for Digital Imagery" in the Related Topics box. Most image viewing software will open and view GeoTIFF files.

Metadata Information

References

Contacts: For information on NAIP imagery, you may contact USDA-FSA-APFO Aerial Photography Field Office at 2222 W. 2300 S., Salt Lake City UT, 84119-2020, call 801-975-3503, or visit www.apfo.usda.gov.

Information sheets regarding USDA-FSA-APFO products and programs

More information on NAIP can be obtained from the APFO Web site at http://www.apfo.usda.gov/.