[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 56 (Thursday, April 22, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E757-E758]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           INTRODUCTION OF THE NATIONAL GEOLOGIC MAPPING ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. BARBARA CUBIN

                               of wyoming

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 22, 1999

  Mrs. CUBIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today, on Earth Day, to introduce a 
bill to reauthorize the National Geologic Mapping Act, a cooperative 
program between the states and the federal government to prioritize 
efforts to delineate the bedrock and surficial geology of the country 
on a broad scale, sufficient for land-use planning, natural hazards 
abatement and mitigation, and mineral resource endowment estimates. 
This bill's antecedents are the National Geologic Mapping Act of 1992, 
and its reauthorization and amendment in 1997.
  Mr. Speaker, my home state of Wyoming is rich in geologic wonders, 
thus I am well aware of the importance of having accurate geologic 
information in order to manage and appreciate the land around us. 
Geologic information in the form of maps, both as traditional hard 
copies as well as digital data for manipulation by computer, aid 
society in prudent land-use planning, waste disposal, mitigation of 
geologic hazards, and management of natural resources. Funding for the 
program is incorporated in the budget of the U.S. Geological Survey as 
a subset of its annual appropriation.
  The main components of this bill remain the same as its precursors--
with a State geologic mapping component, whose objectives are to 
determine 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 will be determined by 
multi-representational State panels, and shall be integrated with 
national priorities. Federal funding for the State components shall be 
matched on a one-to-one basis with non-Federal funds.
  An educational component of the act is designed to train the next 
generation of geologic mappers--by providing for broad education in 
geologic mapping and field analysis through support of field studies; 
and to develop the academic programs that teach earth-science students 
the fundamental principles of geologic mapping and field analysis, and 
knowledge of the solid earth. These mapping investigations will be 
integrated into the other State geologic mapping components of the 
program. The reauthorization of the National Geologic Mapping Act 
shines as a sterling example of a cooperative partnership between the 
Federal government and the individual states for the benefit of 
society.
  Mr. Speaker, geologists like to say that for them ``every day is 
Earth Day.'' What better

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day than today to introduce the bill to keep the benefits of this 
important cooperative program flowing?

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