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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2001. Future Roles and Opportunities for the U.S. Geological Survey. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10069.
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FUTURE ROLES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

Committee on Future Roles, Challenges, and Opportunities for the U.S. Geological Survey

Commission on Geosciences, Environment, and Resources

National Research Council

NATIONAL ACADEMY PRESS
Washington, D.C.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2001. Future Roles and Opportunities for the U.S. Geological Survey. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10069.
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NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. The members of the committee responsible for the report were chosen for their special competences and with regard for appropriate balance.

This study was supported by the U.S. Geological Survey, Department of the Interior, under assistance award No. 1434-HQ-97-AG-01819. The views and conclusions contained in this document are those of the authors and should not be interpreted as necessarily representing the official policies, either expressed or implied, of the U.S. government.

International Standard Book Number 0-309-07264-6

Additional copies of this report are available from:

National Academy Press
2101 Constitution Avenue, N.W. Box285 Washington, DC 20055800-624-6242202-334-3313(in the Washington Metropolitan Area) http://www.nap.edu

Cover: Illustrations courtesy of the U.S. Geological Survey published in the National Atlas of the United States of America™, 1970.

Copyright 2001 by the National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.

Printed in the United States of America

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2001. Future Roles and Opportunities for the U.S. Geological Survey. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10069.
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THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES

National Academy of Sciences

National Academy of Engineering

Institute of Medicine

National Research Council

The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self-perpetuating society of distinguished scholars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furtherance of science and technology and to their use for the general welfare. Upon the authority of the charter granted to it by the Congress in 1863, the Academy has a mandate that requires it to advise the federal government on scientific and technical matters. Dr. Bruce M. Alberts is president of the National Academy of Sciences.

The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964, under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences, as a parallel organization of outstanding engineers. It is autonomous in its administration and in the selection of its members, sharing with the National Academy of Sciences the responsibility for advising the federal government. The National Academy of Engineering also sponsors engineering programs aimed at meeting national needs, encourages education and research, and recognizes the superior achievements of engineers. Dr. William A. Wulf is president of the National Academy of Engineering.

The Institute of Medicine was established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences to secure the services of eminent members of appropriate professions in the examination of policy matters pertaining to the health of the public. The Institute acts under the responsibility given to the National Academy of Sciences by its congressional charter to be an adviser to the federal government and, upon its own initiative, to identify issues of medical care, research, and education. Dr. Kenneth I. Shine is president of the Institute of Medicine.

The National Research Council was organized by the National Academy of Sciences in 1916 to associate the broad community of science and technology with the Academy's purposes of furthering knowledge and advising the federal government. Functioning in accordance with general policies determined by the Academy, the Council has become the principal operating agency of both the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering in providing services to the government, the public, and the scientific and engineering communities. The Council is administered jointly by both Academies and the Institute of Medicine. Dr. Bruce M. Alberts and Dr. William A. Wulf are chairman and vice chairman, respectively, of the National Research Council.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2001. Future Roles and Opportunities for the U.S. Geological Survey. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10069.
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COMMITTEE ON FUTURE ROLES, CHALLENGES, AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

DONALD DEPAOLO, Chair,

University of California, Berkeley

HUGO F. THOMAS, Vice Chair,

University of Connecticut, Storrs

JOHN C. ANTENUCCI,

PlanGraphics, Inc., Frankfort, Kentucky

ODIN D. CHRISTENSEN,

Newmont Mining Corporation, Englewood, Colorado

MICHAEL T. CLEGG,

University of California, Riverside

THOMAS DUNNE,

University of California, Santa Barbara

WILLIAM FISHER,

The University of Texas at Austin

LAWRENCE W. FRITZ,

Lockheed Martin Corporation, Rockville, Maryland

GRANT H. HEIKEN,

Los Alamos National Laboratory, New Mexico

JAMES A. MACMAHON,

Utah State University, Logan

DIANNE R. NIELSON,

State of Utah, Salt Lake City

JOANNE M. NIGG,

University of Delaware, Newark

JEROME O. NRIAGU,

University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

RAYMOND A. PRICE,

Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada

DANIEL R. SAREWITZ,

Columbia University, Washington, D.C.

BRUCE A. STEIN,

The Nature Conservancy, Arlington, Virginia

NRC Staff

ANTHONY R. DE SOUZA, Director,

Board on Earth Sciences and Resources

TAMARA L. DICKINSON, Study Director

REBECCA E. SHAPACK, Research Assistant

JUDITH L. ESTEP, Administrative Assistant (through January 2000)

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2001. Future Roles and Opportunities for the U.S. Geological Survey. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10069.
×

COMMISSION ON GEOSCIENCES, ENVIRONMENT, AND RESOURCES

GEORGE M. HORNBERGER, Chair,

University of Virginia, Charlottesville

RICHARD A. CONWAY,

Union Carbide Corporation (retired), South Charleston, West Virginia

LYNN GOLDMAN,

Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland

THOMAS E. GRAEDEL,

Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut

THOMAS J. GRAFF,

Environmental Defense Fund, Oakland, California

EUGENIA KALNAY,

University of Maryland, College Park

DEBRA KNOPMAN,

Progressive Policy Institute, Washington, D.C.

JOHN B. MOONEY, JR.,

J. Brad Mooney Associates, Ltd., Arlington, Virginia

HUGH C. MORRIS,

El Dorado Gold Corporation, Vancouver, British Columbia

H. RONALD PULLIAM,

University of Georgia, Athens

MILTON RUSSELL,

University of Tennessee (retired), Knoxville

ROBERT J. SERAFIN,

National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, Colorado

ANDREW R. SOLOW,

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Massachusetts

E-AN ZEN,

University of Maryland, College Park

NRC Staff

ROBERT M. HAMILTON, Executive Director

GREGORY H. SYMMES, Associate Executive Director

JEANETTE SPOON, Administrativeand Financial Officer

CHRISTINE HENDERSON, Scientific Reports Officer

SANDI FITZPATRICK, Administrative Associate

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2001. Future Roles and Opportunities for the U.S. Geological Survey. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10069.
×

This report has been reviewed by individuals chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise in accordance with procedures approved by the National Research Council (NRC's) Report Review Committee. The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the institution in making its published report as sound as possible and to ensure that the report meets institutional standards for objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the study charge. The review comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity of the deliberative process. We wish to thank the following individuals for their review of this report:

Robert R. Beebe

Consultant

Tucson, Arizona

Kenneth R. Bradbury

University of Wisconsin, Extension

Madison

James M. Coleman

Michigan State University

East Lansing

William R. Dickinson

University of Arizona

Tucson

Warren B. Hamilton

Colorado School of Mines

Golden

Kathleen A. Miller

National Center for Atmospheric Research

Boulder, Colorado

Judy M. Olson

Michigan State University

East Lansing

Dallas L. Peck

U.S. Geological Survey, emeritus

Reston, Virginia

Peter H. Raven

Missouri Botanical Garden

St. Louis

Nancy Tosta

Ross and Associates Environmental Consulting, Ltd.

Seattle, Washington

M. Gordon Wolman

Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, Maryland

Although the reviewers listed above have provided many constructive comments and suggestions, they were not asked to endorse the conclusions or recommendations nor did they see the final draft of the report before its release. The review of this report was overseen by George Hornberger, University of Virginia, appointed by the Commission on Geosciences, Environment, and Resources, and Alexander Flax, Consultant, appointed by the NRC's Report Review Committee, who were responsible for making certain that an independent examination of this report was carried out in accordance with institutional procedures and that all review comments were carefully considered. Responsibility for the final content of this report rests entirely with the authoring committee and the institution.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2001. Future Roles and Opportunities for the U.S. Geological Survey. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10069.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2001. Future Roles and Opportunities for the U.S. Geological Survey. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10069.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2001. Future Roles and Opportunities for the U.S. Geological Survey. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10069.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2001. Future Roles and Opportunities for the U.S. Geological Survey. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10069.
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The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has adapted to the changing political, economic, and technical state of the nation and the world since it was established in the late nineteenth century. Over a period of more than 120 years, the USGS has evolved from a small group of scientists who collected data and provided guidance on how to parcel, manage, and use the public lands of the West to an agency comprised of thousands of scientists who conduct research and assessment activities on complex scientific issues at scales ranging from the local to the global. The USGS will no doubt continue to evolve and adapt to meet changing national needs. In fact, the recent integration of the National Biological Service and parts of the U.S. Bureau of Mines into the USGS presents an ideal opportunity to examine the agency's vision, mission, role, and scientific opportunities as the organization begins the early years of the twenty-first century. The USGS recognized the need to adapt to changing demands when it asked the National Research Council (NRC) to undertake this study. The NRC formed a multidisciplinary committee of 16 experts to address issues related to the future roles, challenges, and opportunities of the agency.

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