In spring 2009, the U.S. Geological Survey, as part of its 133 Cities Urban Area mapping program, has contracted for true-color imagery covering areas around the Cities of Worcester and Springfield (see map- PDF, 284 kb). The contractor will acquire digital images and use the imagery to produce ortho images with a pixel size (or ground surface distance) of 0.3 meters (~one foot).  The horizontal accuracy specification is expected to be 0.6m RMSE. These images are expected to be publicly available late in calendar 2009; MassGIS will display and distribute this imagery via its web site.

In a similar project for eastern Massachusetts in 2008, MassGIS successfully brokered agreements between 30 municipalities that enabled them to "buy-up" to higher resolution (0.15 meter or ~6 inch) imagery.  The USGS has informed MassGIS that they are willing to make the same opportunity available to municipalities fully or partly in the Worcester and Springfield Urban Areas as shown on the above map.  At about $500 per square mile, the 30 eastern Massachusetts communities saved between 50 and 75% of the cost of procuring the equivalent imagery on their own.  Note that we cannot state at this point what the "buy-up" cost for the 2009 project will be.  However, it is reasonable to project that communities will still save significant funds through this buy-up opportunity.  While ideally we would have provided more advance notice of this opportunity so that communities had time to plan the funding, we were not able to do so as the USGS did not, in turn, know of its project funding until September.  We also are well aware that this is a difficult time for municipal finances.  Nonetheless, we hope that some communities may have already budgeted money for a similar project or may have dedicated funds that could be used  Communities interested in this opportunity should contact Paul Nutting of MassGIS (617-626-1238) by or before December 12, 2008.

MassGIS is also actively seeking partners, from the public OR the private sector, interested in contributing funds to extend the USGS 2009 project area to include as much of the remainder of the state, excluding the area of eastern Massachusetts flown in 2008.  This USGS project is a significant opportunity for organizations interested in updated statewide ortho imagery to obtain that imagery at a fraction of the cost they would pay if they were conducting the project on their own.  Any organization interested in this opportunity should contact Neil MacGaffey (617-626-1057) by or before December 12th 2008.