3DNTM Data Collaboration Announcement (DCA) Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

2.03 Does the USGS cost share on additional derivative products (contours, hydroenforced DEM)? 

No. Additional derivative products requested as part of the 3DEP project submission can be identified in the DCA Form 3DEP-A: Project Summary Form and in the DCA Form 3DEP-C: Request for Project Planning Estimate to be considered as part of the project cost estimation. However, the cost of these products is the sole responsibility of the applicant(s) and will be incorporated into partner funding agreement(s). 3DHP does not offer options for derivative products in on the project submission forms. 

2.04 As the full/final cost of a project may not be known at the time of submission (applicant enters a cost ESTIMATE), will the USGS matching funds be increased/decreased to maintain the requested % contribution match once the final cost of the project has been determined? The final contract price the partner signs with a vendor may be higher or lower than the estimate. 

For applicants applying for Financial Assistance through a cooperative agreement or cost-share contract, the final 3DNTM cost share amount is set and cannot be modified. Your technical approach as well as the estimated project cost will be evaluated to determine if the price represents a fair market value for the project submission. Applicants are encouraged to research data acquisition costs in advance of submitting a project. The DCA team may request additional information or request negotiation with the partner if the evaluation team has concerns that the ESTIMATED cost does not reflect a realistic cost to acquire the data. 

For applicants applying to use the Geospatial Products and Services Contract (GPSC), the final price of the project will be determined after the project selection process is complete. The estimated cost will be evaluated to determine if the price represents a fair market value for the project submission. The DCA team may request additional information or negotiation with the partner prior to project selection. The 3DNTM cost share may be increased/decreased to reflect final project costs. The applicant may also have an opportunity to increase/decrease the project size to reflect the available funding. 

2.05 For DCA applicants seeking to use the Geospatial Products and Services Contracts (GPSC), will the project planning estimate include the 6% USGS assessment? 

No, the assessment is not included in the project planning estimate. Applicants utilizing the GPSC option are subject to a 6% assessment on the value of their contribution. This assessment covers both the DOI and USGS assessments. The USGS portion of the assessment supports the cost of contract management. The final cost of the project calculated in the funding table will include the acquisition cost plus the 6% assessment. 

2.06 If we do not use a Project Planning Estimate from the USGS, how else are we expected to calculate the cost? 

You can request a cost estimate directly from a data acquisition vendor or you can use an estimate from another source along with an explanation of how the cost estimate was derived. Form 3DEP/3DHP-A provide a space to explain how the cost estimate was generated. 

For estimates not based on a USGS project planning estimate, the USGS will complete an independent review during the evaluation period to determine if the estimate reflects valid industry cost for the specific geographic area and represents a good value to the government. 

2.07 Regarding partner contributions, does a project submission need to have both state and local contributions to be considered? 

No. Federal agencies, state and local governments, Tribal Nations, academic institutions, and the private sector are eligible to submit projects. An application may be submitted on behalf of one or more partners. While the programs encourage applicants to work across levels of government to determine mutual areas of interest and seek additional funding sources to help support the project, there is no requirement to do so.  

IMPORTANT NOTE: Federal agencies, tribes, and the private sector are not eligible to apply for or receive a cooperative agreement, but they may participate as a funding partner in cooperative agreement submissions. 

2.08 Is there a minimum cost-share threshold for project submissions? 

There is no minimum state and local cost share. However, applicable statutes dictate that the USGS may not pay more than one-half the cost of topographic mapping (which includes lidar and derived elevation products, including hydrography mapping) carried on in cooperation with States and municipalities (43 USC 50). This law limits the USGS contribution to the project but does not limit the total contribution by the Federal government. Multiple Federal agencies may contribute to a project and collectively contribute greater than 50%. The submitted project funding package will be reviewed to ensure that the USGS contribution does not exceed 50%. This should not be construed as an offer from the USGS to fund 50% of a project submission. 

2.09 Our state agency receives a portion of our funding from a federal source. Should this funding be listed as a “federal” contribution or a “state” contribution? 

3DEP and 3DHP are partnership programs that rely on the collaborative efforts of federal, state, local, Tribal, non-profit, and private stakeholders to provide funding to support the programs. The programs track the percentage of federal and non-federal contributions. For accurate reporting we encourage applicants to list the full suite of funding partners who contribute funds to a project.

Many state agencies receive a portion of their annual operating expenses from a federal source and use it as they see fit based on the authorities under which the funds were transferred to the state. An applicant must adhere to any specific instructions or conditions noted in the original agreement. 

If the USGS will receive funds directly from the federal agency (via an Interagency Agreement) or will need to invoice the federal agency directly, the applicant MUST list the federal agency as a funding partner and note the contribution as “Federal” in the funding table of Form 3DEP-A or 3DHP-A.

Applicants applying for Financial Assistance (Cooperative Agreements) should be as explicit as possible to support the reporting requirements of the DCA; however, the minimum requirement is to list the agencies providing funds in direct support of the project. For example, if a state Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is providing $100,000 to support a project, the project submission can list the state DNR as the funding partner regardless of whether the state DNR received any portion of their funding from a federal source. The programs encourage applicants to note any collaboration with federal partners in their project summaries. 

2.10 Do contributions from partner federal agencies (like USFS) count towards the applicant's cost share? 

Federal funding that comes from state or regional federal agency offices should be included in the DCA application and should be counted towards the applicant’s cost share. Generally federal funding that comes from a federal headquarters organization will be counted towards the 3DEP or 3DHP cost share. 

2.11 Is there an upper limit (dollar amount) for DCA projects? 

The USGS does NOT set either a minimum or a maximum dollar amount for DCA projects. Because each project is a different size, both the partner contribution and the 3DEP or 3DHP contribution are project dependent. The common factor between all projects is the percentage of the project funding provided by the partner. The USGS has a limited amount of funding to support DCA projects. 3DEP and 3DHP reserve the right to negotiate with the applicant if a project submission is worthy but exceeds the available funding. In several cases USGS and the partner have agreed to a smaller project to reflect available funding. 

2.12 We have applied for a state grant to cover a portion of our state cost share. Notification on this grant will not occur until December. Can we still submit a DCA project? 

The deadline for DCA submissions is generally around late Fall (check the DCA Portal for this year's exact due dates). Project submissions received by the due date will receive priority consideration for funding. DCA project submissions will be considered for review until no remaining FY25 funds are available for obligation. 

To meet the submission deadline, we suggest you submit the project and note the contribution as "Pending" (see example below) and provide the date when a decision on the funding will occur. The USGS reserves the right to hold the submission until such time as the certainty of the funding has been determined. 

2.13 For funding contributions, when would we have to have the money available? 

Funding timelines depend on the date of acquisition. We ask that partners have their funding agreements in place 60 days in advance of acquisition and no later than mid-July of the coming calendar year (actual date TBD). The USGS could hold project submissions with a large percentage of pending funding until more certainty is provided around the available funding. 

2.14 For 3DEP data acquisition windows in spring, getting the funding agreement in order 60 days in advance of acquisition may limit collection opportunities for spring leaf-off. Would allowances or exceptions be made in this case? 

3DEP will prioritize projects that indicate a spring collection and will do everything we can meet the desired collection season. It is dependent on when spring occurs in your state and how quickly agreements can be put in place. 

2.15 Some of my funding may be from a non-profit foundation. Can the USGS implement an agreement directly with that funding entity as part of the funding for a DCA project? 

Yes, funding agreements with private and non-profit institutions are done through a Collaborative Agreement (CA) or, less commonly, a Technical Assistance Agreement (TAA). 

2.16 When you refer to “cost share", does that mean the state contribution part? 

“Cost Share” reflects the partner (applicant) funding. Applicants can be federal agencies, states, localities, Tribal Nations, non-profits, or private industry. If you are a state agency applying for DCA funding, then your state funds would be the state “cost share”. The funding package for each DCA Partnership Project consists of the “partner funding” and the “funds requested from either 3DEP or 3DHP”. The funding partner(s) and their proposed contribution are listed in the “Proposed Funding Table” in the Project Summary Form (Form 3DEP-A or Form 3DHP-A). 

IMPORTANT NOTE: Federal agencies, tribes, and the private sector are not eligible to apply for or receive a cooperative agreement, but they may participate as a funding partner in cooperative agreement submissions. 

2.17 What are the agreements called between the USGS and local and federal partners for a GPSC contract? 

For those choosing to use the Geospatial Products and Services Contracts (GPSC), non-federal and local partners provide their portion of the project funding to the USGS through a Joint Funding Agreement (JFA). Federal funding is managed through Interagency Agreements (IA). 

2.18 What does funding for 3DEP look like now that the national baseline is nearing completion? Will funding continue for new lidar? 

The goal of the 3DEP baseline is to complete data acquisition of nationwide lidar (IfSAR in Alaska) to provide the first-ever national baseline of consistent high-resolution topographic elevation data – both bare earth and 3D point clouds. The USGS is prioritizing partnerships to complete the 3DEP baseline, while also transitioning towards the next generation of 3DEP coverage for areas where the baseline data are 5 or more years old (8 years in Alaska, Hawaii, and U.S. territories). 

2.19 Will in-kind data be accepted as a match for project submissions, and what are the requirements? 

Proposed in-kind contributions will be assessed on an individual basis to determine how well the proposed resource enables or benefits a project and whether the contribution represents a good value to the government. There are two primary forms of in-kind contribution commonly offered in DCA project submissions: services and data.

Services like surveying or data validation will not be accepted as in-kind contributions to the DCA. As a rule, if the government would not ordinarily pay for a proposed service, the service won’t be accepted as an in-kind contribution. 

Data that is not already in or expected to be in the public domain may be considered for in-kind, within limits. Care must be taken when offering data collected under a grant from another federal agency where the terms of the grant include a requirement to put the data in the public domain. These types of data may be considered for an in-kind contribution if the grant data collection is scheduled to occur during or very close to the same year as the proposed DCA data collection. Data that should be in the public domain should not be held back to use as in-kind contributions to future planned DCA applications. 

It is important to note that project submissions are expected to include new data acquisition in addition to any offered in-kind data. 

In short, organizations should carefully consider the value of the prospective in-kind contribution to the project and specifically outline how the contribution will benefit the project in the DCA project submission. Questions about the applicability of a specific in-kind contribution can be sent to 3dep_dca@usgs.gov or 3dhp_dca@usgs.gov for review and discussion. 

3.01 Are you required to submit your project in SeaSketch? 

No. 3DEP, 3DHP, and the Integrated Working Group on Ocean and Coastal Mapping (IWG-OCM) have established a system to share information about areas of interest and proposed and planned elevation projects. The NOAA-sponsored SeaSketch site: U.S. Mapping Coordination, A Collaboration Site for Mapping Data Acquisition provides a comprehensive look at federal requirements and offers an opportunity for you to identify potential funding partners. The tool is useful for DCA project formulation; however, there is no requirement for an applicant to enter their project in SeaSketch, nor is registration in SeaSketch used as part of the DCA evaluation process. 

3.02 If the project information associated with an Area of Interest (AOI) in SeaSketch has generic Point of Contact (POC) information, such as "USACE", how can we find out more about who to contact regarding potential collaboration opportunities? 

The USGS encourages all submissions to SeaSketch to include specific POC information. For federal projects lacking this level of detail, the USGS can provide you with contact information for the federal agency representative to the 3DEP or 3DHP Working Group (WG). These representatives work at the national level; if they are unable to provide direct assistance, they may direct you to the appropriate regional POC. Inquiries on specific project AOIs can be submitted to 3dep_dca@usgs.gov or 3dhp_dca@usgs.gov for resolution and follow-up. 

3.03 Areas shown in SeaSketch cross our proposed AOI - can those entities be brought in as partners? 

We encourage applicants to reach out to all Points of Contact (POCs) listed for Areas of Interest (AOIs) that intersect their proposed project area to develop funding packages. If a POC isn’t listed for an AOI, contact 3dep_dca@usgs.gov or 3dhp_dca@usgs.gov. The USGS, working with the 3DEP and 3DHP Working Group member agency POCs and the network of USGS National Map Liaisons, will help connect you with federal and non-federal partners. 

3.05 Should large lakes be removed from 3DEP project boundaries? 

Large bodies of water can be removed from your defined project area (DPA), but the collection area must fully capture both the waterbody shoreline and any islands of a size required to meet hydroflattening requirements defined in the Lidar Base Specification. Please describe the omission from the DPA in the “Additional Project Details or Clarifications” section of the DCA Form 3DEP-A. USGS may request negotiations to evaluate removal of the waterbody if necessary. 

3.06 Am I required to buffer my project boundary? 

For 3DEP, The Defined Project Area (DPA) must be the Area of Interest (AOI) plus a 100-meter buffer. In addition, all tile indices must be clipped to the DPA. 

Instructions for how to buffer your 3DEP project boundary are included with the DCA release materials in Form 3DEP-B: Instructions for Creating 3DEP Defined Project Area and Tile Delivery Scheme. 

For 3DHP, The Defined Project Area (DPA) must be comprised of whole 10-digit or larger hydrologic units (HU) from a current version of the Watershed Boundary Dataset (WBD) with no buffer applied. Instructions for creating a 3DHP DPA are included with the DCA release materials in Form 3DHP-B: Instructions for Creating 3DHP Project Boundaries. 

3.07 Am I required to use a specific tiling scheme or coordinate reference system? 

3DEP DCA project deliverables will be delivered in the coordinate reference system(s) (CRS) and tiling scheme of the applicant’s choosing. The chosen CRS must have a registered EPSG code and the tiling scheme of choice must conform to the 3DEP Lidar Base Specification. If the applicant does not have a preferred tiling scheme, the 3DEP National Indexing Scheme is available for use. The 3DEP National Indexing Scheme is designed to be used with Albers Equal Area CRS (EPSG 6350). It is available as a map service for visualization. 

The Watershed Boundary Dataset (WBD) serves as the tiling scheme for 3DHP. Project area boundaries must be extracted from WBD data downloaded from the Access National Hydrography Products page no more than one month prior to application submission to ensure the boundary is derived from a current version of WBD. 3DHP data must be produced in the Albers NAD83(2011) (EPSG 6350) coordinate reference system (CRS) to maintain national consistency. The vertical CRS will be NAVD88 (EPSG 5703). 

3.08 Can I clip my 3DHP project boundary to a political or administrative boundary? 

No. Project boundaries that include partial hydrologic units such as those clipped by a political boundary will not be accepted except where HU cross over the international boundary with Canada or Mexico or to remove areas of open water area where a HU extends into ocean to the NOAA 3 Nautical Mile Line or in bays, estuaries, and sounds. 

3.09 For areas of the country identified as In-Progress or Existing Lidar Data, what is the best way to identify the 3DEP QL of the lidar point cloud? 

All 3DEP data is included in the United States Interagency Elevation Inventory (USIEI) and the quality level is included as illustrated below. The quality level of the data is also available through the USGS Lidar Explorer. 

3.14 Are samples of final 3DHP project data available to improve understanding of how this data may be used at the local level? 

One 8-digit hydrologic unit (19050401- Noatak River) of elevation-derived hydrography in Alaska (derived from IfSAR) is available in the 3DHP service accessible from The National Map REST Services. Additional data in Alaska and for the conterminous U.S. will be available through the 3DHP service as soon as it is available. 

3.15 In the August webinar it was noted that 3DHP won’t be focused in areas with ongoing work. What is the spatial extent for determining that? 

A shapefile of available or in-progress EDH for 3DHP is available as part of the 3DHP DCA application materials linked on the  DCA Portal. The shapefile can be accessed from the link to Map 3DHP-E - 3DHP Status. 

3.16 What is the anticipated turnaround time for a 3DHP project? 

The timeframe for data to go from collection through validation is currently estimated at approximately 1.5 years, dependent upon project size and complexity of terrain. 

3.17 For 3DHP, does the lidar data need to be collected in the same year as contract award or can historical data within the last year be used if it meets the specification? 

There is no requirement regarding the vintage of the lidar collection but Elevation-derived hydrography (EDH) for 3DHP must be produced from existing, published 3DEP data. Lidar data that has not been validated and published by 3DEP as meeting the Lidar Base Specification (LBS) or meeting the LBS with an accepted variance may not be used for 3DHP DCA projects. 

4.01 Are lidar-derived products like bare-earth model covered by DCA? 

The DCA covers the acquisition, data validation and delivery of all products as defined in the “Deliverables” section of the Lidar Base Specification. A bare-earth DEM is included as a standard deliverable. For applicants selecting to make use of the USGS Geospatial Products and Services Contracts (GPSC), additional products and services are available; however, the full cost of the upgrades are the responsibility of the applicant. 

4.02 Can you explain the conditions under which Geiger Mode and Single Photon Lidar would be considered?