Larry Cutforth with the USDA Farm Service Agency in Madison announced on April 18th that 2008 WI National Agriculture Imagery Program (NAIP) contract has been awarded to Surdex Corporation of St. Louis. This signals a positive end to many months of speculation regarding a 2008 project in Wisconsin.
The U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Forest Service, and five Wisconsin counties (St Croix, Jackson, Sauk, Dodge, and Portage) contributed funding toward the project. According to Cutforth, the 2008 NAIP project would not have been possible without their support.
The 2008 WI NAIP product will have a 1-meter resolution, true color, and leaf-on imagery with statewide coverage. The NAIP acquistion period starts June 1st and ends August 30th. The total cost for the project is $850,000.