1995 U.S. Code
Title 43 - PUBLIC LANDS
CHAPTER 2 - UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
Sec. 31c - Geologic mapping program

There is established in the United States Geological Survey a National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program. The geologic mapping program shall be developed in consultation with the advisory committee and shall be designed and administered to achieve the objectives set forth in subsection (c) of this section.

(1) The Survey shall be the lead Federal agency responsible for planning, developing priorities, coordinating, and managing the geologic mapping program. In carrying out this paragraph, the Secretary, acting through the Director, shall—

(A) develop a geologic mapping program implementation plan in accordance with section 31e of this title, which plan shall be submitted to the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate within 300 days after May 18, 1992;

(B) appoint, with the advice and consultation of the State geological surveys, the advisory committee within 90 days after May 18, 1992, in accordance with section 31d of this title; and

(C) within 210 days after May 18, 1992, submit a report to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the United States Senate and to the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives identifying—

(i) how the Survey will coordinate the development and implementation of the geologic mapping program;

(ii) how the Survey will establish goals, mapping priorities, and target dates for implementation of the geologic mapping program;

(iii) how long-term staffing plans for the various components of the geologic mapping program will lead to successful implementation of the geologic mapping program; and

(iv) the degree to which geologic mapping activities traditionally funded by the Survey, including the use of commercially available aerial photography, geodesy, professional land surveying, photogrammetric mapping, cartography, photographic processing, and related services, can be contracted to professional private mapping firms.

(2) In addition to paragraph (1), the Secretary, acting through the Director, shall be responsible for developing, as soon as practicable—

(A) in cooperation with the State geological surveys, other Federal and State agencies, public and private sector organizations and academia, the geologic-map data base; and

(B) maps and mapping techniques which achieve the objectives specified in subsection (c) of this section.

The objectives of the geologic mapping program shall include—

(1) determining the Nation's geologic framework through systematic development of geologic maps at scales appropriate to the geologic setting and the perceived applications, such maps to be contributed to the national geologic map 1 data base;

(2) development of a complementary national geophysical-map data base, geochemical-map data base, and a geochronologic and paleontologic data base that provide value-added descriptive and interpretive information to the geologic-map data base;

(3) application of cost-effective mapping techniques that assemble, produce, translate and disseminate geologic-map information and that render such information of greater application and benefit to the public; and

(4) development of public awareness for the role and application of geologic-map information to the resolution of national issues of land use management.

The geologic mapping program shall include the following components:

(1) A Federal geologic mapping component, whose objective shall be determining the geologic framework of areas determined to be vital to the economic, social, or scientific welfare of the Nation. Mapping priorities shall be based on—

(A) national requirements for geologic-map information in areas of multiple-issue need or areas of compelling single-issue need; and

(B) national requirements for geologic-map information in areas where mapping is required to solve critical earth-science problems.

(2) A geologic mapping support component, whose objective shall be providing interdisciplinary support for the Federal Geologic Mapping Component. Representative categories of interdisciplinary support shall include—

(A) establishment of a national geologic-map data base, established pursuant to section 31f of this title;

(B) studies that lead to the implementation of cost-effective digital methods for the acquisition, compilation, analysis, cartographic production, and dissemination of geologic-map information;

(C) paleontologic investigations that provide information critical to understanding the age and depositional environment of fossil-bearing geologic-map units, which investigations shall be contributed to a national paleontologic data base;

(D) geochronologic and isotopic investigations that (i) provide radiometric age dates for geologic-map units and (ii) fingerprint the geothermometry, geobarometry, and alteration history of geologic-map units, which investigations shall be contributed to a national geochronologic data base;

(E) geophysical investigations that assist in delineating and mapping the physical characteristics and three-dimensional distribution of geologic materials and geologic structures, which investigations shall be contributed to a national geophysical-map data base; and

(F) geochemical investigations and analytical operations that characterize the major- and minor-element composition of geologic-map units, and that lead to the recognition of stable and anomalous geochemical signatures for geologic terrains, which investigations shall be contributed to a national geochemical-map data base.

(3) A State geologic mapping component, whose objective shall be determining the geologic framework of areas that the State geological surveys determine to be vital to the economic, social, or scientific welfare of individual States. Mapping priorities shall be determined by multirepresentational State panels and shall be integrated with national priorities. Federal funding for the State component shall be matched on a one-to-one basis with non-Federal funds.

(4) A geologic mapping education component, whose objective shall be—

(A) to develop the academic programs that teach earth-science students the fundamental principles of geologic mapping and field analysis; and

(B) to provide for broad education in geologic mapping and field analysis through support of field teaching institutes.

Investigations conducted under the geologic mapping education component shall be integrated with the other mapping components of the geologic mapping program, and shall respond to priorities identified for those components.

(Pub. L. 102–285, §4, May 18, 1992, 106 Stat. 167; Pub. L. 103–437, §16(a)(1), Nov. 2, 1994, 108 Stat. 4594.)

1994—Subsec. (b)(1)(A), (C). Pub. L. 103–437 substituted “Natural Resources” for “Interior and Insular Affairs” before “of the House”.

Committee on Natural Resources of House of Representatives treated as referring to Committee on Resources of House of Representatives by section 1(a) of Pub. L. 104–14, set out as a note preceding section 21 of Title 2, The Congress.

This section is referred to in sections 31b, 31f of this title.

1 So in original. Probably should be “geologic-map”.