Authorizations

Authorizations

43 U.S.C. 31 et seq. The Organic Act of March 3, 1879, as
amended, established the United States Geological Survey. This
section provides, among other matters, that the USGS is directed
to classify the public lands and examine the geological structure,
mineral resources, and products within and outside the national
domain. This section also establishes the Office of the Director of
the Geological Survey, under the Department of the Interior. The
Director is appointed by the President by and with the advice and
consent of the Senate. P.L. 102-285, Sec. 10(a) establishes
United States Geological Survey as its official name.

2U.S.C. 681-688 Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 et seq. This section discusses the general Federal budget process, including rescissions, reservations, and deferrals of budget authority.

5U.S.C. 305 Title 5 deals with Government Organization and Employees. It includes personnel matters (classification, pay rates, benefits, etc.), the Freedom of Information Act, the Privacy Act, the Computer Matching and Privacy Act, and other issues related to general Federal functions and employment. The Appendices to Title 5 include the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) of 1972, Inspector General mandates, and other matters that include Federal entities such as the USGS.

7U.S.C. 136 Federal Environmental Pesticide Control Act of 1972 (P. L. 92-516), amended the 1947 Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Control Act (P.L. 80-102) program for controlling the sale and distribution of "economic poisons". The law requires registration of pesticides to avoid unreasonable adverse affects to humans or the environment.

7 U.S.C. 2201 Rural Development and Policy Act of 1980. Requires the Secretary of Agriculture to obtain the advice of the Secretary of the Interior as to whether certain lands that are being patented, disposed of, or exchanged are mineral in character.

7 U.S. C. 2204 Authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to enter cooperative agreements with other Federal agencies and other organizations concerning water management for rural areas.

15 U.S.C. 631, 631a Small Business Acts. Fosters the economic interests of small businesses and sets forth procedures. Federal agencies are encourages to use small businesses for services and other contracted activities.

15 U.S.C. 2901, 2908 The National Climate Program Act of 1978 established a national climate program to assist the Nation and the world in understanding and responding to natural and human-induced climate processes and their known and potential effects. The Department of the Interior has a mandated role in this Program.

15 U.S.C. 2921-2953 The Global Change Research Act of 1990 (P.L. 101-606) established the United States Global Change Research Program aimed at understanding and responding to global change, including the cumulative effects of human activities and natural processes on

Authorizations

the environment, to promote discussions toward international protocols in global change research, and for other purposes.

15 U.S.C. 5631-5658 The Land Remote Sensing Policy Act of 1992 enables the United States to maintain its leadership in land remote sensing by providing data continuity for the Landsat program. The Act assigns responsibility for the "National Satellite Land Remote Sensing Data Archive" to the Department of the Interior. The Act also authorizes and encourages the Department of the Interior and other Federal agencies to carry out research and development programs in applications of these data and makes Landsat data available to the public.

16 U.S.C. 17 et seq. Parts of Title 16, Conservation, such as National Park Service Organic Act, as amended and supplemented, apply to the USGS. Notably, the Outdoor Recreation Act of June 23, 1936 authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to sponsor, engage in, and assist in research relating to outdoor recreation, directly or by contract or cooperative agreements, and make payments for such purposes; undertake studies and assemble information concerning outdoor recreation; and cooperate with educational institutions and others in order to assist in establishing education programs and activities and to encourage public use and benefits from outdoor recreation.

16 U.S.C. 350 et seq. Coastal Barrier Resources Act of 1992. Designates various underdeveloped coastal barrier islands depicted by specific maps for inclusions in the Coastal Barrier Resource System.

16 U.S.C. 661 et seq. Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act of March 10, 1934 (P. L. 79-732) authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to prepare plans to protect wildlife resources, to conduct surveys on public lands, and to accept funds or lands for related purposes; authorizes the investigation and reporting of proposed Federal actions that affect the development, protection, rearing, and stocking of all species of wildlife and their habitat in controlling losses, minimizing damages, and providing recommendations to minimize impacts on fish and wildlife resources.

16 U.S.C. 703-711 Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918, as amended, Implements four international treaties that individually affect migratory birds common to the United States, Canada, Mexico, Japan, and the former Soviet Union. This Act establishes Federal responsibility for protection and management of migratory and nongame birds, including the establishment of season length based on scientific information relative to zones of temperature, distribution, abundance, breeding habits and times and lines of migratory flight of migratory birds. It also establishes the Secretary of the Interior's responsibility for bag limits, and other hunting regulations, and issuance of permits to band, possess, or otherwise make use of migratory birds.

16 U.S.C. 715 Migratory Bird Conservation Act. Establishes the Migratory Bird Conservation Commission; authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to conduct investigations and publish documents related to North American birds.

16 U.S.C. 742 et seq. Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956 authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to conduct investigations, prepare and disseminate information, and make periodic reports to the public regarding the availability and abundance and the biological requirements of fish and wildlife resources; provides a comprehensive national fish and wildlife policy and authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to take steps required for the development, management,

Authorizations

advancement, conservation, and protection of fisheries and wildlife resources through research, acquisition of refuge lands, development of existing facilities, and other means.

16 U.S.C. 753a The Fish and Wildlife Improvement Act of 1978 as amended by P.L. 95-616, authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to enter into cooperative agreements with colleges and universities, State fish and game agencies, and nonprofit organizations for the purpose of developing adequate, coordinated, cooperative research and training programs for fish and wildlife resources.

16 U.S.C. 931-939 Great Lakes Fishery Act of 1956 implements the Convention on Great Lakes Fisheries between the United States and Canada; authorizes construction, operation and maintenance of sea lamprey control works; and established the Great Lakes Fisheries Commission.

16 U.S.C. 1131 The Wilderness Act of 1964 and numerous subsequent related Acts requires the USGS to assess the mineral resources of each area proposed as wilderness or established as wilderness. The studies are to be on a planned and recurring basis. The original series of studies have been completed and no recurring studies have been requested or funded.

16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq. Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, as amended, establishes a responsibility to conserve marine mammals with management authority vested in the Department of the Interior for the sea otter, walrus, polar bear, dugong, and manatee.

16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq. Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended, provides for the conservation of threatened and endangered species of fish, wildlife, and plants; and authorizes establishment of cooperative agreements and grants-in-aid to States that establish and maintain active and adequate programs for endangered and threatened wildlife and plants.

16 U.S.C. 1600 et seq. Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974, as amended by the National Forest Management Act of 1976. The USGS is a party in an interagency agreement with the Forest Service to assess the mineral resources of National Forests.

16 U.S.C. 2801 et seq. National Aquaculture Act of 1980 directs the Secretary of the Interior to participate in the development of a National Aquaculture Development Plan and authorizes research, development, and other activities to encourage the development of aquaculture in the United States.

16 U.S.C. 3141 et seq. The Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act of 1980. Section 1008 of the Act authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to conduct studies, or collect and analyze information obtained by permittees, of the oil and gas potential of non- North Slope Federal lands. Section 1010 of the Act requires that the Secretary of the Interior assess the oil, gas, and other mineral potential, and expand the minerals data base, for all public lands in Alaska. Section 1011 of the Act requires an annual minerals report be presented to Congress. These responsibilities have been delegated to the USGS. The Geological Survey has made and may be called upon to make water studies pertinent to implementation of the Act.