March 24, 2015 (Washington, DC) - Momentum is growing for the National Surveying and Mapping Conference as USGS joins a burgeoning, information-packed program.

MAPPS and National Society of Professional Surveyors ( NSPS) have joined together to host Collaboration: The Map of the Future, April 13-16, at the Hilton Hotel in Crystal City (Arlington), VA. The conference features several mini-conferences, including the MAPPS Federal Programs Conference. Under that umbrella comes the latest addition to the program: USGS Stakeholders Meeting.

The stakeholders meeting will update involved parties on the 3D Elevation Program ( 3DEP), a partnership designed to produce nationwide LiDAR coverage (IFSAR in Alaska) to address the requirements of 34 Federal agencies, 50 states and local, tribal, and private organizations. The meeting will also serve as a forum for executive dialogue and collaboration on strategies to implement and sustain 3DEP for the benefit of its Federal stakeholders and the broader community. The meeting is by invitation only, sent to more than a dozen non-Federal organizations.

Since its inception in 2012, the USGS and its partners have been laying the foundation for implementing national data coverage in 8 years. A fully funded program will provide a 5:1 return on investment and more than $690 million annually in new benefits to government entities, the private sector, and citizens. 3DEP presents a unique opportunity for collaboration between all levels of government, to leverage the services and expertise of private sector mapping firms that acquire the data, and to create jobs now and in the future.

"The message of this conference is collaboration and no other agency personifies that more in the field of mapping and surveying than USGS through its 3DEP program," said John Palatiello, MAPPS Executive Director. "We have been working with USGS to educate and inform policy makers of the importance of the 3DEP initiative, and we're thrilled to be part of this very important stakeholder meeting."

Other agencies appearing at the Federal Programs Conference include Department of Homeland Security Licensed Data Forum, NOAA's National Geodetic Survey Programs, and Fish and Wildlife.

About MAPPS

Formed in 1982, MAPPS is the only national association exclusively comprised of private firms in the remote sensing, spatial data and geographic information systems field in the United States. The MAPPS membership spans the entire spectrum of the geospatial community, including Member Firms engaged in satellite and airborne remote sensing, surveying, photogrammetry, aerial photography, LIDAR, hydrography, bathymetry, charting, aerial and satellite image processing, GPS, and GIS data collection and conversion services. MAPPS also includes Associate Member Firms, which are companies that provide hardware, software, products and services to the geospatial profession in the United States and other firms from around the world. Independent Consultant Members are sole proprietors engaged in consulting in or to the geospatial profession, or provides a consulting service of interest to the geospatial profession.

About NSPS

NSPS is the voice of the professional surveying community, with more than 15,000 individual members, primarily within the United States. Through its joint membership program with the respective state surveying societies, NSPS has a strong constituency base for communicating with lawmakers, agencies, and regulators at both the national and state levels. NSPS also collaborates with a multitude of other organizations within the geospatial community to address issues of mutual importance. As the lead society for the evaluation of college-level programs seeking accreditation through ABET, NSPS is instrumental in assuring that prospective professional surveyors receive an education that is relevant to the role they will play in society. NSPS is the U.S. representative to FIG (the international organization for surveyors), placing representatives on the respective practice-area Commissions. NSPS has a Certified Survey Technician (CST) program and a Hydrographic surveying certification program, and offers competitions for both high school and college-level students.

MEDIA CONTACT: 
Beth Hawley
MAPPS Communications Manager
703-787-6665
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