a. Oklahoma Conservation Commission?s Office of Geographic Information

PROJECT PURPOSE

4. This proposal is being submitted by the Oklahoma Office of Geographic Information (OGI) through the Oklahoma Conservation Commission (OCC) in coordination with the State Geographic Information Council (OSGIC). We are requesting Oklahoma to invest American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds in high-resolution, color, leaf-off digital aerial photography and Lidar-derived elevation data that will support both Broadband and Next-Generation 9-1-1 (NG911) statewide initiatives. These technologies will support broadband delivery, 9-1-1 dispatch operations, first responder activities (medical, law, fire), state, local and regional government agencies, educational institutions, businesses, non-profits, and the general public statewide. Accurate elevation data is critical to broadband planning and deployment. High-resolution aerial photography is a critical component in mapping systems that provide situational awareness within the area of interest one is wanting to visualize. Accurate elevation data is also critical as part of the situational awareness environment that first responders will be entering. Whether it involves buried or overhead wireline installation or deployment of fixed-base wireless transmit/receive stations, the configuration of terrain between consumers of broadband and their providers is of critical importance. Consumers of internet and 9-1-1 services in the state?s 210 Qualified Census Tracts will benefit greatly from these two technologies.

EVIDENCE

a. The OGI currently monitors the downloading of aerial photography and Lidar elevation data from OKMaps. Each request for all data products is logged into a database that includes the time/date, product name, size of the data download and other information. Using this data, the OGI can establish a baseline of aerial photography and elevation data download frequency. Once the newly acquired data is available through OKMaps the frequency and volume of downloading these types of data can be monitored to measure whether the demand for these data products have increased relative to the established baseline.

POPULATION DESCRIPTION

a. All residents of the state will benefit from this proposal. Specifically, there are 136 census tracts containing 166,332 households with 461,246 residents whose average income is 20% below the poverty level that will benefit from upgrading elevation data from QL3 to QL2. Out of these households only 31% have access to internet service. Likewise, there are 55 Qualified Census Tracts (QCTs) that will benefit from upgrading elevation data from QL3 to QL2. Additionally, there are 79 QCTs that will benefit from upgrading QL2 to QL1 elevation data. These upgrades to elevation data will enable internet service providers to better design broadband delivery systems so that these vulnerable populations will have access to internet service or improved internet service.

PERFORMANCE MEASURING

a. Applicable required programmatic data for projects of this nature will be collected from all contractors and sub-contractors fulfilling the requirements of a state of Oklahoma issued contract for aerial photography services to ensure that wages paid are at a rate not less than those prevailing for the employees involved. Also, those contractors and sub-contractors involved with he USFGS 3DEP BAA grant award will be required to certify that wages paid are at rates not less than those prevailing for the corresponding classes of employees involved in the project.

ONGOING INVESTMENT AMOUNT

$

ONGOING INVESTMENT DESCRIPTION

State appropriations with possible cost-share from local units of government

ONGOING INVESTMENT REQUIRED

Not able to continue operation without additional funding from the State of Oklahoma