Page 190 - Special Topic Session (STS) - Volume 1

STS 423 Avery S. et al.
ground reference data (above 95% producer’s accuracy) (Boryan et al., 2018),
and has been operationally used for Hurricanes Harvey and Irma in 2017 and
Hurricanes Florence and Michael in 2018. During fire events, daily optical
imagery, such as MODIS data, and active fire location geospatial data, such as
Cal Fire (Cal Fire, 2019) and the USDA Forest Service Remote Sensing
Applications Center (USDA/Forest Service Remote Sensing Applications
Center, 2019), are combined with the CDL and Cultivated Layer to identify
agricultural areas within an active fire perimeter. This methodology was
implemented for agricultural areas impacted by the 2017 northern California
wildfires 2017 and a 2018 Oregon substation fire.

3. Current and Future Efforts
The CDL and its derivatives have been used to inform NASS processes as
in the yield modelling and the JAS imputation. NASS is now moving to
integrate its survey and administrative data with the remotely sensed
information. Two examples will be discussed here. First, as discussed above,
official estimates of the acreages planted to various crops are published each
year. Currently, initial estimates are obtained from survey data, FSA data, and
the CDL. These estimates are combined using expert opinion during the
Agricultural Statistics Board process. However, the information from all of
these sources can potentially be geospatially integrated to provide an
improved estimate. Efforts are now underway to evaluate this approach for the
state of Iowa with the goal of providing estimates for all states.
Currently, the responses to the Census of Agriculture questionnaire
provide the foundation for all official Census estimates. For the 2022 and
subsequent censuses, NASS is moving rapidly to make full use of the remotely
sensed information and administrative data. In addition to using current
administrative data to reduce respondent burden, remotely sensed data will
be used to inform estimates. Using the CDL with the FSA administrative data
as the foundation with the questionnaire being used to fill in gaps in
information is being explored for possible implementation for the 2027
Census.

4. Discussion and Conclusion
The numbers of uses and derivative products of the CDL have increased
over its 11-year history. Most recently NASS has begun developing maps
displaying the extent of the impact of natural disasters, such as floods and
fires, as well as quantifying the extent of the potential damage by crop. The
resulting products have been used, within NASS, within the US Department of
Agriculture, and more broadly to inform relief efforts. Yet, other opportunities
for using the CDL certainly exist, especially as NASS moves to integrate the
CDL information with NASS survey and administrative data. By combining

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