Airphoto Acquisition for Apostle Islands National Lakeshore- GLKN | NPS NOIP19AC00135

Opportunity Information: Apply for NPS NOIP19AC00135

The "Airphoto Acquisition for Apostle Islands National Lakeshore - GLKN" opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number NPS NOIP19AC00135) is a discretionary National Park Service (NPS) cooperative agreement intended to help Ashland County, Wisconsin acquire and deliver high-resolution aerial imagery that covers federal lands within the county, including areas associated with Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. The core goal is to produce accurate, modern orthoimagery that multiple levels of government can rely on for mapping and decision-making. The work is designed as a partnership where the NPS and the county pool resources and coordinate roles so the imagery is collected once, processed to shared standards, and then used broadly by state, county, and federal programs.

The project focuses on collecting airphotos during spring "leaf-off" conditions, which is a common requirement for mapping because it improves visibility of ground features that can be obscured when trees and vegetation are fully leafed out. After collection, the imagery must be processed into geospatial products that are geo-referenced (tied to real-world coordinates), mosaicked (stitched into seamless coverage), and compressed for distribution and practical use. The end result is intended to be accessible through online public map services, expanding the value of the investment beyond a single agency. The expected benefits specifically include improved support for transportation network planning, emergency response and dispatch, community development and land-use planning, agricultural assessment, and environmental and natural resource management.

A key feature of the award is that the county (as the recipient) is responsible for working directly with the selected aerial imagery vendor and handling the contracting administration. This includes ensuring the vendor meets the required technical specifications described by the Wisconsin Regional Orthoimagery Consortium, which functions as the standard-setting reference for how the imagery should be collected and processed. Once the vendor completes collection and processing, the recipient must provide all required products to the NPS on digital media, ensuring the Park Service receives complete deliverables suitable for its internal use and for broader distribution.

The NPS role is both supportive and quality-focused. The Park Service will provide spatial data that defines the area of interest (AOI) to ensure the acquisition covers the needed federal lands. NPS will also provide transportation and logistical support when needed for ground control surveys and for placing RTK GPS base stations, which are used to improve positional accuracy and ensure the final products align correctly with real-world locations. Before final acceptance of the deliverables, NPS will conduct a formal review of all geo-referenced products to confirm that they meet specifications and quality expectations. After acceptance, NPS will ensure the final geospatial products are posted to Geospatial One Stop for public access, reinforcing the public-facing, shared-data intent of the project.

Administratively, this opportunity was issued by the Department of the Interior, National Park Service, and categorized under community development, environment, natural resources, and regional development (CFDA 15.944). Eligibility is limited to county governments, with Ashland County identified as the cooperative partner. The posting date was May 15, 2019, with an original closing date of May 25, 2019. The award ceiling was $77,388, and the NPS anticipated making one award, reflecting a targeted, single-recipient project structured around a specific geographic area and an existing intergovernmental partnership.

• The Department of the Interior, National Park Service in the community development, environment, natural resources, regional development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Airphoto Acquisition for Apostle Islands National Lakeshore- GLKN" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.944.
• This funding opportunity was created on May 15, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by May 25, 2019. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $77,388.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: County governments.

Apply for NPS NOIP19AC00135

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