Common Land Unit for Trempealeau, Wisconsin

SDE Feature Class

Description Spatial Attributes

Keywords
Theme: Aerial photograph, Aerial photo, rectified, photo maps, CLU, Common Land Unit, Field Boundaries, Farm Tracts, Digitizing, Farming, APFO, USDA, USA, FSA, USDA-FSA-APFO Aerial Photography Field Office, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)
Place: Trempealeau, Wisconsin, 55121, WI, TREMPEALEAU CO WI FSA

Description
Abstract
The common land unit (CLU) dataset consists of digitized farm
tract and field boundaries and associated attribute data. The
USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) defines farm fields as
agricultural land that is delineated by natural and man-made
boundaries such as road ways, tree lines, waterways, fence
lines, etc.  Field boundaries are visible features that can be
identified and delineated on aerial photography and digital
imagery. Farm tracts are defined by FSA as sets of contiguous
fields under single ownership. Common land units are used to
administer USDA farm commodity support and conservation
programs in a GIS environment.

The CLU  data set was prepared by digitizing farm tracts and
fields using 1:7920 scale rectified photomaps that have been
maintained by FSA in USDA Field Service Centers.  Using the
photomaps as reference tract and field boundaries were digitized
on-screen with digital orthophotography using ESRIs
(Environmental Systems Research Institute) ArcView GIS Product.
Each of the boundaries of the CLU are digitized to a tolerance
of 3 meters (approximately 10 feet) from ground features
visible on the digital orthophotograph.

The base ortho imagery was produced by mosaicking  digital
orthophoto quarter quads (DOQs) into a seamless county
image. The CLU were digitized from an image base of digital
ortho quadrangles mosaiked together creating a seamless image
base.  The moasaicking process eliminates or minimizes any
offset that would normally be present between standard USGS
quarter quadrangles. CLU datasets are projected in the UTM
coordinate system, NAD 83. In counties that are split by two
UTM  zones, the CLU will be projected in the single,
predominant zone.

Purpose
This CLU data will aid County Field Service Centers in identifying
and delineating farm tracts and field boundaries as they administer
USDA programs for their customers.  Better providing more accurate
time-saving acreage, field and tract information to their customers.

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Status of the data

Time period for which the data is relevant

Publication Information
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Data storage and access information

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