(a) Establishment of office; appointment and duties; examination of geological structure, mineral resources, and products of national domain; prohibitions in respect to lands and surveysThe 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.
(b) Examination of geological structure, mineral resources, and products outside national domainThe 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.)
Editorial Notes
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.
Amendments1995—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.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
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.”
Continental Scientific Drilling and ExplorationPub. L. 100–441, Sept. 22, 1988, 102 Stat. 1760, provided:
[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 community in developing this important scientific and technical activity.”
Executive Documents
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.