USGS Director Marcia McNutt is scheduled to start rolling out an internal realignment today at their Reston headquarters, then travel across the country over the next few days to describe the changes to staff in other centers.
The four USGS branches - Geology, Geography, Water, and Biology, are being replaced by a set of cross disciplinary science themes.
In general these are based on the themes described in the 2007 USGS Circular 1309
- Understanding Ecosystems and Predicting Ecosystem Change: Ensuring the Nation’s Economic and Environmental Future
- Climate Variability and Change: Clarifying the Record and Assessing Consequences
- Energy and Minerals for America’s Future: Providing a Scientific Foundation for Resource Security, Environmental Health, Economic Vitality, and Land Management
- A National Hazards, Risk, and Resilience Assessment Program: Ensuring the Long-Term Health and Wealth of the Nation
- The Role of Environment and Wildlife in Human Health: A System that Identifies Environmental Risk to Public Health in America
- A Water Census of the United States: Quantifying, Forecasting, and Securing Freshwater for America’s Future
It vaguely disturbs me when the term "Geology" disappears from these disciplinary lists. Pray they don't change the name of the survey.
ReplyDeleteRon, I was with some senior USGS managers last week who said everyone had been adamant that the agency name not change.
ReplyDeleteBut you are correct - there will no longer be a Geology discipline program. That's disconcerting to a lot of folks in the USGS who are waiting to see where they end up in this new structure.
I hope geologic mapping falls in there somewhere!
ReplyDeleteThis will be an interesting discussion to have. It's worth reading the Conclusions of the document. An important consideration is what role the USGS should play in the future of the nation. It is, after all, an American taxpayer-funded entity and should inform policy that benefits the country. What are the big challenges ahead of us? While the history and traditions of the Survey are important, I hope that doesn't hold it back from adapting. Onward!
ReplyDeleteThis will be an interesting discussion to have. It's worth reading the Conclusions of the document. An important consideration is what role the USGS should play in the future of the nation. It is, after all, an American taxpayer-funded entity and should inform policy that benefits the country. What are the big challenges ahead of us? While the history and traditions of the Survey are important, I hope that doesn't hold it back from adapting. Onward!
ReplyDeleteYou can read more about the USGS realignment in the document on their publications website here: http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2010/3066/
ReplyDelete