Organic Act

§ 31

TITLE 43—PUBLIC LANDS

Sec.

31e.
31f.
31g.
31h.
31i.
31j.

32.
33.
34.
35.
36.
36a.
36b.

36c.

36d.
37.
38.
39, 40.
41.
42.
42a.
43.
44.
45.
46 to 48.
49.
50.

50–1.
50a.
50b.

50c.
50d.

Geologic mapping program 5-year plan.
National geologic map database.
Biennial report.
Authorization of appropriations.
Report on resource research activities.
Biological research activity of Survey; review
and report by National Academy of Sciences.
Acting Director.
Repealed.
Scientific employees.
Repealed.
Purchase of books.
Acquisition of scientific or technical books,
maps, etc., for library.
Acquisition of lands or interests therein for
use in gaging streams or underground water
resources.
Acceptance of contributions from public and
private sources; cooperation with other
agencies in prosecution of projects.
Cooperative agreements.
Omitted.
Topographic surveys; marking elevations.
Omitted.
Publications and reports; preparation and
sale.
Distribution of maps and atlases, etc.
Use of receipts from sale of maps for map
printing and distribution.
Copies to Senators, Representatives, and
Delegates.
Sale of transfers or copies of data.
Production and sale of copies of photographs
and records; disposition of receipts.
Omitted or Repealed.
Extension of cooperative work to Puerto
Rico.
Survey’s share of cost of topographic mapping
or water resources investigations carried on
with States.
Funds for mappings and investigations considered intragovernmental funds.
Working capital fund for United States Geological Survey.
Recording of obligations against accounts receivable and crediting of amounts received;
work involving cooperation with State,
Territory, etc.
Payment of costs incidental to utilization of
services of volunteers.
Services of students or recent graduates.

§ 31. Director of United States Geological Survey
(a) Establishment of office; appointment and duties; examination of geological structure,
mineral resources, and products of national
domain; prohibitions in respect to lands and
surveys
The Director of the United States Geological
Survey, which office is established, under the Interior Department, shall be appointed by the
President by and with the advice and consent of
the Senate. This officer shall have the direction
of the United States Geological Survey, and the
classification of the public lands and examination of the geological structure, mineral resources, and products of the national domain.
The Director and members of the United States
Geological Survey shall have no personal or private interests in the lands or mineral wealth of
the region under survey, and shall execute no
surveys or examinations for private parties or
corporations.

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(b) Examination of geological structure, mineral
resources, and products outside national domain
The authority of the Secretary of the Interior,
exercised through the United States Geological
Survey of the Department of the Interior, to examine the geological structure, mineral resources, and products of the national domain, is
expanded to authorize such examinations outside the national domain where determined by
the Secretary to be in the national interest.
(Mar. 3, 1879, ch. 182, 20 Stat. 394; Pub. L. 87–626,
§§ 1, 2, Sept. 5, 1962, 76 Stat. 427; Pub. L. 93–608,
§ 2(6), Jan. 2, 1975, 88 Stat. 1971; Pub. L. 102–154,
title I, Nov. 13, 1991, 105 Stat. 1000; Pub. L. 104–66,
title I, § 1081(e), Dec. 21, 1995, 109 Stat. 721.)
CODIFICATION
Subsec. (a) of this section is from act Mar. 3, 1879.
Subsecs. (b) and (c) of this section are sections 1 and 2,
respectively, of Pub. L. 87–626.
Provisions of subsec. (a) of this section which limited
the salary of the Director of the Geological Survey to
$6,000 a year were omitted as obsolete. See section 5316
of Title 5, Government Organization and Employees.
AMENDMENTS
1995—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 104–66 struck out subsec. (c)
which read as follows: ‘‘The Secretary of the Interior
shall report to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President of the Senate on January 31 of
each year on all actions taken pursuant to subsection
(b) of this section during the year ending on the December 31 immediately preceding the reporting date and on
the results of such actions.’’
1975—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 93–608 substituted requirement of an annual report for requirement of a semiannual report.
CHANGE OF NAME
Pub. L. 102–285, § 10(a), May 18, 1992, 106 Stat. 171, provided that: ‘‘The Geological Survey established by the
Act of March 3, 1879 (43 U.S.C. 31(a)), is designated as
and shall hereafter [on and after May 18, 1992] be known
as the United States Geological Survey.’’
‘‘United States Geological Survey’’ substituted for
‘‘Geological Survey’’ in subsecs. (a) and (b) pursuant to
provision of title I of Pub. L. 102–154, which provided:
‘‘That the Geological Survey (43 U.S.C. 31(a)) shall
hereafter [on and after Nov. 13, 1991] be designated the
United States Geological Survey.’’
TRANSFER OF FUNCTIONS
For transfer of functions of other officers, employees,
and agencies of Department of the Interior, with certain exceptions, to Secretary of the Interior, with
power to delegate, see Reorg. Plan No. 3 of 1950, §§ 1, 2,
eff. May 24, 1950, 15 F.R. 3174, 64 Stat. 1262, set out under
section 1451 of this title.
CONTINENTAL SCIENTIFIC DRILLING AND EXPLORATION
Pub. L. 100–441, Sept. 22, 1988, 102 Stat. 1760, provided:
‘‘That this Act may be cited as the ‘Continental Scientific Drilling and Exploration Act’.
‘‘SEC. 2. PURPOSES.
‘‘The purpose of this Act is to—
‘‘(1) implement section 323 of the joint resolution
entitled ‘Joint Resolution making continuing appropriations for the fiscal year 1985, and for other purposes’, approved October 12, 1984 (Public Law 98–473;
98 Stat. 1875) [set out below] which supports and encourages the development of a national Continental
Scientific Drilling Program;
‘‘(2) enhance fundamental understanding of the
composition, structure, dynamics, and evolution of

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TITLE 43—PUBLIC LANDS

the continental crust, and how such processes affect
natural phenomena such as earthquakes, volcanic
eruptions, transfer of geothermal energy, distribution
of mineral deposits, the occurrence of fossil fuels, and
the nature and extent of aquifers;
‘‘(3) advance basic earth sciences research and technological development;
‘‘(4) obtain critical data regarding the earth’s crust
relating to isolation of hazardous wastes; and
‘‘(5) develop a long-range plan for implementation
of the Continental Scientific Drilling Program.
‘‘SEC. 3. FINDINGS.
‘‘Congress finds that—
‘‘(1) because the earth provides energy, minerals,
and water, and is used as a storage medium for municipal, chemical, and nuclear waste, an understanding of the processes and structures in the earth’s
crust is essential to the well being of the United
States;
‘‘(2) there is a need for developing long-range plans
for a United States Continental Scientific Drilling
Program; and
‘‘(3) the Continental Scientific Drilling Program
would enhance—
‘‘(A) understanding of the crustal evolution of the
earth and the mountain building processes;
‘‘(B) understanding of the mechanisms of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions and the development
of improved techniques for prediction;
‘‘(C) understanding of the development and utilization of geothermal and other energy sources and
the formation of and occurrence of mineral deposits;
‘‘(D) understanding of the migration of fluids in
the earth’s crust for evaluation of waste contamination and the development of more effective techniques for the safe subsurface disposal of hazardous
wastes;
‘‘(E) understanding and definition of the size,
source, and more effective use of aquifers and other
water resources; and
‘‘(F) evaluation and verification of surface geophysical techniques needed for exploring and monitoring the earth’s crust.
‘‘SEC. 4. IMPLEMENTATION OF CONTINENTAL SCIENTIFIC DRILLING PROGRAM.
‘‘The Secretary of the Department of Energy, the
Secretary of the Department of the Interior through
the United States Geological Survey, and the Director
of the National Science Foundation shall implement
the policies of section 323 of the joint resolution entitled ‘Joint Resolution making continuing appropriations for the fiscal year 1985, and for other purposes’,
approved October 12, 1984 (Public Law 98–473; 98 Stat.
1875) [set out below] by—
‘‘(1) taking such action as necessary to assure an effective, cooperative effort in furtherance of the Continental Scientific Drilling Program of the United
States;
‘‘(2) taking all reasonable administrative and financial measures to assure that the Interagency Accord
on Continental Scientific Drilling continues to function effectively in support of such program;
‘‘(3) assuring the continuing effective operation of
the Interagency Coordinating Group to further the
objectives of such program;
‘‘(4) taking such action to assure that the Interagency Coordinating Group receives appropriate cooperation from any Federal agency that can contribute to the objectives of such program, without adversely affecting any program or activity of such
agency;
‘‘(5) acting through the Interagency Coordinating
Group, preparing and submitting to the Congress,
within one hundred and eighty days after the enactment of this Act [Sept. 22, 1988] a report describing—
‘‘(A) long and short-term policy objectives and
goals of the United States Continental Scientific
Drilling Program;

§ 31

‘‘(B) projected schedules of desirable scientific
and engineering events that would advance United
States objectives in the Continental Scientific
Drilling Program;
‘‘(C) the levels of resources and funding for fiscal
year 1989 that would be required by each participating Federal agency to carry out events pursuant to
subparagraphs (A) and (B);
‘‘(D) the scientific, economic, technological, and
social benefits expected to be realized through the
implementation of such program at each level described in subparagraph (C);
‘‘(E) a recommended course for interaction with
the international community in a cooperative effort to achieve the goals and purposes of this Act;
‘‘(F) the extent of participation or interest shown
to date in the Continental Scientific Drilling Program by—
‘‘(i) any other governmental agency;
‘‘(ii) any academic institution;
‘‘(iii) any organization in the private sector;
and
‘‘(iv) any governmental or other entity in the
international community;
‘‘(G) a plan to develop beneficial cooperative relationships among the entities mentioned in subparagraph (F), to the extent that the Interagency Coordinating Group deems practicable; and
‘‘(H) any other information or recommendations
that the Interagency Coordinating Group deems appropriate; and
‘‘(6) submitting to the Congress annually, beginning
one year after the submission of a report under paragraph (5), a report describing the levels of resources
and funding that would be required by each participating Federal agency for the next fiscal year to
carry out events pursuant to paragraph (5)(A) and
(B).’’
[For termination, effective May 15, 2000, of provisions
of law requiring submittal to Congress of any annual,
semiannual, or other regular periodic report listed in
House Document No. 103–7 (in which a report required
under section 4(6) of Pub. L. 100–441, set out above, is
listed as the 10th item on page 149), see section 3003 of
Pub. L. 104–66, as amended, and section 1(a)(4) [div. A,
§ 1402(1)] of Pub. L. 106–554, set out as notes under section 1113 of Title 31, Money and Finance.]
Pub. L. 98–473, title I, § 101(c) [title III, § 323], Oct. 12,
1984, 98 Stat. 1837, 1875, provided that: ‘‘It is the sense
of the Congress that the Continental Scientific Drilling
Program is an important national scientific endeavor,
benefiting the commerce of the Nation, which should
be vigorously pursued by Government and the private
sector. The Continental Scientific Drilling Program is
an important national scientific endeavor that is vital
to the understanding of the geologic evolution of the
Earth and the economic value of its resources; the most
effective and efficient means of realizing the fullest potential in the Continental Scientific Drilling Program
is through a cooperative effort by the Department of
Energy, the National Science Foundation, and the
United States Geological Survey; many important
commercial and scientific advances may result from
the Continental Scientific Drilling Program; and many
foreign nations are engaged in a comparable deep drilling program, and cooperation and coordination would
be beneficial to United States efforts. It is the sense of
the Congress that—
‘‘(1) the Continental Scientific Drilling Program is
an important national scientific endeavor by the
United States which should be enthusiastically implemented through a joint cooperative effort among
the United States Department of Energy, the National Science Foundation, and the United States Geological Survey;
‘‘(2) the private sector should be encouraged to support the Continental Scientific Drilling Program and
the participating agencies should solicit appropriate
private sector participation in such program; and
‘‘(3) the United States Government should cooperate to the extent practicable with the international

§ 31a

TITLE 43—PUBLIC LANDS

community in developing this important scientific
and technical activity.’’

§ 31a. Findings and purpose
(a) Findings
The Congress finds and declares that—
(1) although significant progress has been
made in the production of geologic maps since
the establishment of the national cooperative
geologic mapping program in 1992, no modern,
digital, geologic map exists for approximately
75 percent of the United States;
(2) geologic maps are the primary data base
for virtually all applied and basic earthscience investigations, including—
(A) exploration for and development of
mineral, energy, and water resources;
(B) screening and characterizing sites for
toxic and nuclear waste disposal;
(C) land use evaluation and planning for
homeland and environmental protection;
(D) earthquake hazards reduction;
(E) identifying volcanic hazards;
(F) design and construction of infrastructure requirements such as utility lifelines,
transportation corridors, and surface-water
impoundments;
(G) reducing losses from landslides and
other ground failures;
(H) mitigating effects of coastal and
stream erosion;
(I) siting of critical facilities;
(J) recreation and public awareness; and
(K) basic earth-science research;
(3) Federal agencies, State and local governments, private industry, and the general public depend on the information provided by geologic maps to determine the extent of potential environmental damage before embarking
on projects that could lead to preventable,
costly environmental problems or litigation;
(4) the combined capabilities of State, Federal, and academic groups to provide geologic
mapping are not sufficient to meet the present
and future needs of the United States for national security, environmental protection, and
energy self-sufficiency of the Nation;
(5) States are willing to contribute 50 percent of the funding necessary to complete the
mapping of the geology within the State;
(6) the lack of proper geologic maps has led
to the poor design of such structures as dams
and waste-disposal facilities;
(7) geologic maps have proven indispensable
in the search for needed fossil-fuel and mineral
resources;
(8) geologic map information is required for
the sustainable and balanced development of
natural resources of all types, including energy, minerals, land, water, and biological resources;
(9) advances in digital technology and geographical information system science have
made geologic map databases increasingly
available as decision support tools for land
and resource management; and
(10) a comprehensive nationwide program of
geologic mapping of surficial and bedrock deposits is required in order to systematically
build the Nation’s geologic-map data base at a
pace that responds to increasing demand.

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(b) Purpose
The purpose of sections 31a to 31h of this title
is to expedite the production of a geologic-map
data base for the Nation, to be located within
the United States Geological Survey, which can
be applied to land-use management, assessment,
and utilization, conservation of natural resources, groundwater management, and environmental protection and management.
(Pub. L. 102–285, § 2, May 18, 1992, 106 Stat. 166;
Pub. L. 106–148, § 2, Dec. 9, 1999, 113 Stat. 1719;
Pub. L. 111–11, title XI, § 11001(a), (b), Mar. 30,
2009, 123 Stat. 1414.)
REFERENCES IN TEXT
Sections 31a to 31h of this title, referred to in subsec.
(b), was in the original ‘‘this Act’’, meaning Pub. L.
102–285, known as the National Geologic Mapping Act of
1992, which is classified principally to sections 31a to
31h of this title. For complete classification of this Act
to the Code, see Short Title note below and Tables.
AMENDMENTS
2009—Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 111–11, § 11001(a)(1), added
par. (1) and struck out former par. (1) which read as follows: ‘‘during the past 2 decades, the production of geologic maps has been drastically curtailed;’’.
Subsec. (a)(2)(C). Pub. L. 111–11, § 11001(a)(2)(A), inserted ‘‘homeland and’’ after ‘‘planning for’’.
Subsec. (a)(2)(E). Pub. L. 111–11, § 11001(a)(2)(B), substituted ‘‘identifying’’ for ‘‘predicting’’.
Subsec.
(a)(2)(J),
(K).
Pub.
L.
111–11,
§ 11001(a)(2)(C)–(E), added subpar. (J) and redesignated
former subpar. (J) as (K).
Subsec. (a)(9). Pub. L. 111–11, § 11001(a)(3), substituted
‘‘available’’ for ‘‘important’’.
Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 111–11, § 11001(b), inserted ‘‘and
management’’ before period at end.
1999—Subsec. (a)(8) to (10). Pub. L. 106–148 added pars.
(8) and (9) and redesignated former par. (8) as (10) and
inserted ‘‘of surficial and bedrock deposits’’ after ‘‘geologic mapping’’.
SHORT TITLE OF 1999 AMENDMENT
Pub. L. 106–148, § 1, Dec. 9, 1999, 113 Stat. 1719, provided
that: ‘‘This Act [enacting sections 31e, 31g and 31h of
this title, amending sections 31a to 31d and 31f of this
title, and repealing former sections 31e, 31g, and 31h of
this title] may be cited as the ‘National Geologic Mapping Reauthorization Act of 1999’.’’
SHORT TITLE OF 1997 AMENDMENT
Pub. L. 105–36, § 1, Aug. 5, 1997, 111 Stat. 1107, provided
that: ‘‘This Act [amending sections 31b to 31h of this
title and enacting provisions set out as a note under
this section] may be cited as the ‘National Geologic
Mapping Reauthorization Act of 1997’.’’
SHORT TITLE
Pub. L. 102–285, § 1, May 18, 1992, 106 Stat. 166, provided
that: ‘‘This Act [enacting this section and sections 31b
to 31h of this title, amending sections 1457, 1457a, and
1782 of this title, sections 450ii–3, 665, 1133, and 3151 of
Title 16, Conservation, section 262k of Title 22, Foreign
Relations and Intercourse, section 1677 of Title 25, Indians, sections 1, 1a, 2, 3, 4, 4c, 4d, 5, 6, 7, 8, 411, 412, 804,
812, 871, 878, 1224, 1229, 1232, 1311, 1315, and 1604 of Title
30, Mineral Lands and Mining, and sections 5814 and
6505 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare, enacting provisions set out as notes under section 31 of this
title and section 1 of Title 30, and amending provisions
set out as a note under section 1231 of Title 30] may be
cited as the ‘National Geologic Mapping Act of 1992’.’’
FINDINGS
Pub. L. 105–36, § 2, Aug. 5, 1997, 111 Stat. 1107, provided
that: ‘‘Congress finds that—