Cooperative Agreement G23AC00368

PROJECT TITLE: KYFROMABOVE 2023 LIDAR ACQUISITIONPROJECT PERIOD: 06 29 2023 - 06 30 2025PROJECT ABSTRACT:KENTUCKY COMPLETED STATEWIDE LIDAR COVERAGE IN 2017 AND IS ACTIVELY WORKING TO COLLECT QL2 OR BETTER DATA IN AREAS THAT WERE COLLECTED MORE THAN 8 YEARS AGO OR MAY ONLY HAVE QL3 DATA. THE ONGOING KYFROMABOVE EFFORT HAS SECURED 1,510,000 FOR THE ACQUISITION OF QL2 LIDAR DURING 2023. THE AIM IS TO ACQUIRE NEW LIDAR DATA FOR 52 COUNTIES THAT WERE PREVIOUSLY CAPTURED IN THE 2010-2017 TIMEFRAME, DELIVERED IN AN EARLY LAS VERSION, AND THAT HAVE BEEN DESIGNATED HIGH-PRIORITY BY PROGRAM PARTNERS. IMPORTANTLY, THE 2023 AOI INCLUDES ALL COUNTIES THAT WERE IMPACTED BY THE HISTORIC FLOODING IN EASTERN KENTUCKY THIS PAST SUMMER. ALL PARTNERS UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF ACQUIRING NEW LIDAR DATA TO CAPTURE THE POSTFLOOD LANDSCAPE. THE 2023 KYFROMABOVE AREAS OF INTEREST (AOI) CONSISTS OF TWO SEPARATE FOOTPRINTS COVERING 52 COUNTIES. THE FIRST COVERS 49 CONTIGUOUS COUNTIES LISTED ON PAGE THREE OF THIS APPLICATION. ALL COUNTIES HAVE BEEN DESIGNATED HIGH-PRIORITY BY FEMA, THE KENTUCKY DIVISION OF WATER (DOW), AND NRCS AND OTHER PROGRAM PARTNERS. THIS AREA IS CONTIGUOUS TO PREVIOUS KYFROMABOVE LIDAR AOIS AND INCLUDES COUNTIES THAT WERE PREVIOUSLY ACQUIRED IN THE 2010-2017 TIMEFRAME. THE AOI IS SITUATED IN EAST-CENTRAL KENTUCKY AND INCLUDES THE AREAS IMPACTED BY THE 2022 FLOODS. THE SECOND AOI CONTAINS JEFFERSON, OLDHAM, AND BULLITT COUNTIES WHICH ARE SITUATED IN CENTRAL KENTUCKY ALONG THE OHIO RIVER. ACQUISITION OF THESE COUNTIES WILL ENSURE THAT THEY MEET OR EXCEED THE REQUIRED SPECIFICATIONS. PREVIOUSLY, LIDAR DATA FOR THIS AOI WAS CONTRIBUTED TO THE KYFROMABOVE EFFORT BY LOJIC, THE GIS CONSORTIUM THAT COVERS THE LOUISVILLE METROPOLITAN AREA. NRCS INDICATES THEY ARE CONTRIBUTING 400,000 THROUGH AN IA FOR THE ACQUISITION OF LIDAR DATA. THEIR FOCUS IN THIS REGION IS REPLACING THE 2010, 2011, AND 2012 VINTAGE DATA. INTERAGENCY COOPERATION, ALONG WITH USGS BAA FUNDING FOR THE COUNTIES CONTIGUOUS TO THE NRCS AOI, WILL ALLOW FOR COMPLETE COVERAGE OF A LARGE FOOTPRINT IN EAST-CENTRAL KENTUCKY. THE DIVISION OF WATER WILL UTILIZE THE NEWLY COLLECTED LIDAR DATA TO IMPROVE FLOODPLAIN DELINEATIONS, PERFORM INUNDATIONS STUDIES, AND DAM BREACH ANALYSIS WITHIN THE AOI. NRCS LEVERAGES THE DATA FOR LAND ASSESSMENT, DRAINAGE DESIGN, DEVELOPMENT OF BEST LAND MANAGEMENT PRACTICES, AND OTHER AGRICULTURAL NEEDS. THE KENTUCKY TRANSPORTATION CABINET ROUTINELY UTILIZES LIDAR DATA IN THE PLANNING AND DESIGN PHASES OF MOST ALL TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS. OTHER USES INCLUDE INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT, HABITAT MODELING, ARCHEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATIONS, AND WATER WASTEWATER PLANNING. ALL COLLECTED DATA WILL BE SHARED ACROSS STATE GOVERNMENT AND IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN. THE KYFROMABOVE PROGRAM WILL RE-ACQUIRE LIDAR DATA FOR COUNTIES THAT WERE PREVIOUSLY COLLECTED DURING THE 2010-2017 TIMEFRAME. REACQUISITION OF DATA FOR THIS AREA WILL ENSURE THAT IT MEETS CURRENT QL2 SPECIFICATIONS. THE DATA WILL BE LEVERAGED BY THE KY DIVISION OF WATER, NRCS, KENTUCKY TRANSPORTATION CABINET, DANIEL BOONE NATIONAL FOREST AND 52 COUNTIES TO IMPROVE ANALYSIS, DESIGN, AND RESEARCH CONDUCTED WITHIN THE AOI S. ALL COLLECTED DATA WILL BE SHARED ACROSS STATE GOVERNMENT AND IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN WHERE IT BRINGS VALUE TO A WIDE ARRAY OF BUSINESS PROCESSES.