State geological surveys use federal funds to map where mineral deposits and energy sources are located. These maps are used by mining companies, fossil fuel producers, geothermal developers, and even homebuilders.
Simon Jowitt, Nevada’s state geologist, said the federal government’s proposed budget would shrink their survey staff from 30 to 20, eliminate up to 10 graduate student positions, and cut their total budget in half.
“Essentially, there would be very limited to zero geological mapping by the bureau and the state,” said Jowitt, who’s also the director of the Nevada bureau of mines and geology at the University of Nevada, Reno. “We would lose the ability to further our understanding of mineral deposits and actually how to identify new areas for exploration.”
The cuts to the USGS could also limit state surveys in other Mountain West states rich in minerals and fossil fuels, like Colorado, Idaho, Wyoming, New Mexico, Utah and Montana.
Jowitt said this funding uncertainty comes at a time when state geological surveys should be ramping up their mapping to support the minerals industry, supply chains, and national security.
For now, Nevada’s survey office is still mapping using money from previous funding rounds, said Jowitt, before adding, “But, this (money) obviously will run out at some point.”
This story was produced by the Mountain West News Bureau, a collaboration between Wyoming Public Media, Nevada Public Radio, Boise State Public Radio in Idaho, KUNR in Nevada, KUNC in Colorado and KANW in New Mexico, with support from affiliate stations across the region. Funding for the Mountain West News Bureau is provided in part by CPB.
