In the last several years, the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) has developed a Cropland Data Layer (CDL) in geographic information system (GIS) format (See Figure 1) for public use. It is being used by over 1000 GIS proficient users for watershed monitoring, agribusiness planning, prairie water pothole monitoring, crop rotation pattern analysis and animal habitat monitoring and value added analysis by private sector remote sensing/GIS industry. The CDL can be viewed and ordered on CD at the http: //www.nass.usda.gov/research/Cropland/SARS1a.htm address. The benefits to GIS proficient data users seem to easily outweigh the program costs. State governments especially are saving considerable resources by partnering with NASS in the Cropland Data Layer Program. As the number of States continue to expand, the costs per State will continue to decline and the benefits will be expanding with more data users and uses.