Merrick & Company awarded aerial photography and LIDAR contract

Merrick & Company was awarded a contract by REIS, Inc. (Monroe, NY) to deliver raw and processed LIDAR data and digital black and white orthophotography for approximately 900 square miles in Sullivan County, New York. The company is a world leader in LIDAR, digital ortho imaging, photogrammetry and GIS mapping.

The flight missions are planned for the spring of 2007 with delivery of data expected in May 2007. The geospatial data will be delivered in accordance with FEMA guidelines and will support 2-foot contour generation.

Gary Outlaw, GISP, Merrick's Vice President of Business Development, GeoSpatial Solutions explains, "A thick canopy of cedar trees covers 20-percent of the county. Merrick's LIDAR solution allows for bare surface data collection where traditional photogrammetric methods would fail or be cost prohibitive."

"I chose Merrick because of their technical LIDAR capabilities and their history of successful projects in our region," said Dave Washburn, President, REIS, Inc. "The LIDAR data will be usable for the engineering stage of development and will significantly reduce cost and time spent in the field running line transects in the thick hemlock and pine canopy."

Sullivan County is 60 miles north of New York City and is growing due to demand for affordable housing within commuting distance to the City. Anticipating continued growth, REIS is assembling a consortium of survey companies that will participate in the ownership of the geospatial data. In addition to FEMA's scheduled flood mapping update in 2008, the data will be available for use by developers and government entities to manage the County's growth.