The Aerial Photography Field Office (APFO) transitioned to the USDA Farm Production and Conservation Business Center's Geospatial Enterprise Operations Branch (GEO) as of August 16, 2020.

APFO is now part of a larger enterprise level geospatial organization. The function statement of this new organization within USDA is "Delivers best-in-class innovative customer focused geospatial information and solutions that are accessible, current, and authoritative."

NAIP is a USDA, Farm Service Agency (FSA) program to acquire “leaf on” aerial imagery during the peak growing season, and deliver this imagery to USDA County Service Centers. The NAIP imagery is used to maintain Common Land Unit (CLU) boundaries and assist with farm programs. The goal of NAIP is to collect 60 centimeter or higher spatial resolution imagery for the entire conterminous United States. In 2021 Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands were also collected for the first time. The imagery is acquired as a 4- band product, which can be viewed as either a natural color or color infrared image.

While the focus of NAIP is on agricultural areas, FSA funds and cost share partnerships between federal agencies are leveraged to acquire full state coverage. 

On the map click on the map tack pins in each state for more information.

Independent contractors acquire NAIP imagery. This example shows the breakup of states for 2 primary contractors acquiring imagery for the USDA in 2021.

Starting in 2022 NAIP is now awarded to contractors through the five-year USDA PINE Aerial Imagery blanket purchase agreement (BPA). The 5-year PINE contract is being administered through the General Services Administration's (GSA) multiple award contract vehicle. The PINE BPA is in effect until 2026.

More information about solicitations can be found on the FPAC-BC Website, under Business Management topic.

When the NAIP program began, imagery was acquired from aircraft using film or digital cameras; at present, acquisition is entirely with digital sensors. Both film and digital cameras must meet rigid calibration specifications. The digital sensors currently in use may acquire imagery through a continuous collection technology, or may use set “exposures,” similar to film based acquisition.

Source: Jensen, 2007.

Commercial satellite imagery may also be used in NAIP contracts, although as of 2017 it has not been used. In 2004, the contract specified a spatial resolution of 1 meter or higher in all color bands. In 2005, the requirement was changed to allow pan-sharpening of color bands in satellite or aircraft acquired NAIP imagery.

The default is four-band imagery, containing red, green, blue, and near-infrared bands. Either natural color or color infrared imagery (CIR) can be displayed by changing the band assignments in the viewing software.

NAIP imagery has a 0.6-meter ground sample distance (GSD). Beginning with the 2011 NAIP season, ½-meter GSD imagery was an option through a contract “buy up”. The 2013 NAIP imagery for Idaho and the 2015 imagery for Wyoming and New York were delivered at 0.5-meter GSD. In 2016, 0.6-meter GSD imagery was acquired for: CA, CT, IN, KY, MA, MI, MO, MS, ND, NE, NH, RI, SD, and VT. In 2017, 0.6-meter GSD imagery was acquired for: AZ, MT, and ND. In 2018 all states acquired were 0.6-meter GSD except OR which was 0.30-meter. In 2019 and 2020 all states were acquired at 0.6-meter GSD. In 2021 AL, LA, and MS were acquired at 0.30-meter GSD and all other states at 0.6-meter GSD. From 2002 - 2007 imagery for some states was acquired at a 2-meter GSD for compliance uses.

The illustration at the right shows the difference between a 1 meter, 10 meter, and 30 meter pixel from left to right.

Source: Mahesh P. Chakkarwar 

Until 2006, the horizontal accuracy of all NAIP imagery was inspected by comparing the NAIP imagery to existing orthorectified imagery, the mosaicked digital ortho quarter quads (MDOQ), which were initially used to digitize FSA common land unit (CLU) data. The NAIP imagery was required to match within 5-meters to the existing MDOQs.

USGS publications provide more information about ortho imagery.

NAIP transitioned to an absolute accuracy specification beginning in 2006, which tied the imagery to true ground rather than another imagery source. The contract states that “all well-defined points tested shall fall within 6 meters of true ground at a 95% confidence level”. Beginning in 2016 the requirement was changed from 6-meters to 4-meters.

From 2006 – 2008, nine states were selected to meet the absolute accuracy specification: Utah in 2006, Arizona in 2007, and Indiana, Minnesota, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Texas, Vermont, and Virginia in 2008. Beginning in 2009, all states flown adhered to this specification.

FPAC-BC-GEO has stringent imagery compliance guidelines, and all deliverables are inspected using automated and visual methods to ensure accuracy and compliance with the contract specifications.

The NAIP acquisition schedule avoids grouping states in areas where weather conditions make acquisition difficult.

Click on the blue View Application button to open the NAIP Program Change 2002-2023 story map (opens in a new window). This map highlights the history of the NAIP imagery program.

Imagery comes in two main formats:

1. Compressed County Mosaic (CCM)

• Mosaics are generated by compressing digital ortho quarter quads (DOQQs) into a single mosaic.
• Compression for 2005 – 2018 (except 2008) is MrSID MG3, Natural Color at a ratio of 15:1 for 1-meter and 60:1 for 0.5 and 0.6-meter imagery.
• In 2008, 4-band NAIP imagery was compressed with JPEG 2000. For all other years of NAIP since 2005, 3-band, MG3 has been used.
• Compression for 2004 NAIP and earlier was MrSID MG2 at a ratio of 50:1 for 1-m and 20:1 for 2-m resolution imagery.
• The compressed county mosaic may cover all or portions of an individual county or project area.

2. Digital Ortho Quarter Quad (DOQQ)

• Each individual image tile (DOQQ) within the mosaic covers a 3.75 x 3.75 minute quarter quadrangle plus a 300-meter buffer on all four sides.
• The DOQQs are available in GeoTIFF format, and all individual DOQQs and resulting mosaics are rectified to the specified UTM coordinate system zone.
• DOQQs can be purchased through the FPAC GEO Customer Service Section. For detailed information on NAIP availability and other items, please see the FPAC-BC-GEO website or contact the Customer Service Section at 801-844-2922, or by email at geo.sales@usda.gov

1. Compressed County Mosaics (CCMs) are available 45 days or less after the end of the state flying season. The natural color CCMs are available to the general public through the USDA Geospatial Data Gateway. All years of available imagery may be downloaded as 0.5, 0.6, 1, or 2 meter CCMs depending on the original spatial resolution. Downloads are free. CCMs with a file size larger than 8 GB may not be downloaded from the Gateway; they can be obtained by contacting FPAC GEO Customer Service. Pricing and delivery methods can be found in the contact information listed below.

2. Full resolution quarter quads (DOQQs) are delivered to APFO within 30 days after the acquisition period ends. The DOQQ imagery is also made available through a cached public facing web service, after imagery for the entire state has been received at FPAC-GEO. The four band DOQQs are available for purchase. Media options for delivery include hard copy photos, CD/DVD, USB flash drive, portable hard disc drive, or electronic delivery (limited file size).

3. Orders for CCMs and DOQQs on media can be placed at the USDA FPAC-BC-GEO in person, by phone, or email. Additional information can be found on the website under Customer Services.

Costs vary greatly by product and volume. Contact the FPAC GEO Customer Service Section at geo.sales@usda.gov or at 801-844-2922 for detailed information.

1. NAIP CCMs from 2005 – present require software that reads the MG3 or JPEG 2000 format. Pre-2005 CCMs used the MG2 format. Four band imagery will require software which can recognize all four bands. A list of free viewing software is available on our Website. Select Support Documents, Information Sheets, Data Viewers. This list is provided for convenience; USDA-FPAC-GEO does not support or endorse these products or services.

2. The NAIP DOQQs are in the Geo TIFF format. Most image viewing software will display this format.

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