It should be noted that many states have regulations that require elevation data to be produced
by licensed individuals to protect the public from any harm that an incompetent data producer
may cause. Traditionally, such licensing is generally linked to experience in proving that
products are delivered in accordance with the National Map Accuracy Standards (NMAS), or
equivalent. Information about the National Map Accuracy Standard (NMAS) and the
National Standard for Spatial Data Accuracy (NSSDA) is available from a variety of sources,
including "Digital Elevation Model Technologies and Applications: The DEM Users
Manual" and Part 5 of the referenced NDEP guidelines. An understanding of the basic
principles of these Standards will be helpful for understanding the following guidelines for
determining vertical accuracy requirements for lidar-derived elevation data.