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An Interagency Perspective on Improving Consistency and Transparency of Land Use and Land Cover Mapping

Circular 1549
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https://doi.org/10.3133/cir1549

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Executive Summary 

Geospatial products of land use and land cover are broadly used in many applications. For example, the annual national greenhouse gas inventory uses the National Land Cover Database, the Coastal Change Analysis Program, Landscape Fire and Resource Management Planning Tools, the Forest Inventory and Analysis, and the National Resources Inventory to represent the land use and management base of the United States and attribute sources and sinks of greenhouse gas emissions. Federally produced land use and land cover datasets for the United States, including those from the Multi-Resolution Land Characteristics Consortium, set the foundation for developing and informing applications such as land change, conservation, greenhouse gas monitoring, urban planning, agricultural production, ecosystem functions, and water quantity and use. No single land use and land cover product is optimal for all land use and land cover applications. Approaches for defining and mapping land use and land cover classes differ across Federal map products, reflecting the tailoring of product specifications to match specific agency needs. These differing approaches present a challenge when attempting to integrate and harmonize multiple land use and land cover products into single analysis or application frameworks. Nuanced understanding of how these products are designed and produced may not be immediately evident to users; however, the availability of a diverse suite of products also represents an opportunity, providing multiple approaches for observing landscape change. In response to the National Strategy to Advance an Integrated U.S. Greenhouse Gas Measurement, Monitoring, and Information System, this Multi-Resolution Land Characteristics Consortium-led interagency report presents (1) the current status of U.S. Federal land use and land cover products (as of May 2024), (2) existing synergies and integration among these federally produced land use and land cover products, (3) inherent challenges of creating a single consistent framework, and (4) strategies for collectively tackling these challenges to improve coordination and collaboration among data producers and facilitate the adoption of land use and land cover products for greenhouse gas monitoring and a variety of other applications.

Suggested Citation

Sohl, T., Schleeweis, K., Herold, N., Lang, M., La Puma, I., Wickham, J., Mueller, R., Rigge, M., Dewitz, J., Brown, J., Ingebritsen, J., Ellenwood, J., Wengert, E., Rowe, J., Flanagan, P., Kachergis, E., Garthwaite, I., and Wu, Z., 2025, An interagency perspective on improving consistency and transparency of land use and land cover mapping: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 1549, 47 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/cir1549.

ISSN: 2330-5703 (online)

Study Area

Table of Contents

  • Executive Summary
  • Introduction
  • Current State of Land Cover and Land Use Products (May 2024)
  • Improving Transparency in Using Land Use, Land Cover, and Change Products
  • Future Directions and Considerations
  • Summary
  • References Cited
Publication type Report
Publication Subtype USGS Numbered Series
Title An interagency perspective on improving consistency and transparency of land use and land cover mapping
Series title Circular
Series number 1549
DOI 10.3133/cir1549
Year Published 2025
Language English
Publisher U.S. Geological Survey
Publisher location Reston, VA
Contributing office(s) Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center, Office of Land Remote Sensing (Geography)
Description vi, 47 p.
Country United States
Online Only (Y/N) Y
Additional Online Files (Y/N) N
Google Analytic Metrics Metrics page
Additional publication details