Mineral Resources and Society: A Review of the U.S. Geological Survey's Mineral Resource Surveys Program Plan (1996)

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FRAMEWORK FOR THE STUDY 9 This report addresses the objectives and questions in the following manner. Chapter 2 evaluates the MRSP Plan and makes recommendations for the four subprograms. Chapter 3 provides General Recommendations for the entire MRSP. The specific questions presented above are addressed throughout the report, and Appendix C is a guide to sections in the report where responses to specific questions can be found. DESCRIPTION OF THE MRSP PLAN The MRSP Plan contains a set of activities designed “to describe the occurrence, quality, and quantity of mineral-resources, to understand the fundamental processes that create and modify them, and to develop predictive models that provide understanding of the nation's mineral-resource endowment and the potential environmental consequences of its development” (MRSP Plan, p. 1). The Plan does not address oil, gas, coal, or nuclear fuels as these energy resources are covered by other USGS and Department of the Interior programs. Implementation of the Plan is resulting in major changes in the direction of USGS mineral resource activities. The Plan highlights the greater emphasis to be placed on: • Mineral-environmental assessments that provide predictions of the environmental consequences of mineral development as one consideration for land-use planning. • Research supporting mitigation of environmental impacts related to extraction and use of resources. • Assessments of aggregate, sand and gravel resources needed for urban development and renewal of the nation's infrastructure. • Timely, useful, and efficient transfer of minerals information to diverse users. Research and information activities in the Plan are proposed to be conducted under four complementary, interrelated subprograms: (1) Assessments, (2) Mitigation Studies, (3) Resource Investigations, and (4) Information and Technology Transfer. The executive summary of the Plan (Appendix A) provides a brief explanation of the four subprograms, and