NEHRP Clearinghouse
- Title
- Facing Tomorrow's Challenges: U.S. Geological Survey Science in the Decade 2007-2017.
- File
- PB2008106955.pdf
- Source
- January 2007, 81 p.
- Identifying Number(s)
- CIRC-1309
- Abstract
- In order for the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to respond to evolving national and global priorities, it must periodically reflect on, and optimize, its strategic directions. This report is the first comprehensive science strategy since the early 1990s to examine critically major USGS science goals and priorities. The development of this science strategy comes at a time of global trends and rapidly evolving societal needs that pose important natural-science challenges. The emergence of a global economy affects the demand for all resources. The last decade has witnessed the emergence of a new model for managing Federal lands--ecosystem-based management. The U.S. Climate Change Science Program predicts that the next few decades will see rapid changes in the Nation's and the Earth's environment. Finally, the natural environment continues to pose risks to society in the form of volcanoes, earthquakes, wildland fires, floods, droughts, invasive species, variable and changing climate, and natural and anthropogenic toxins, as well as animal-borne diseases that affect humans. The use of, and competition for, natural resources on the global scale, and natural threats to those resources, has the potential to impact the Nation's ability to sustain its economy, national security, quality of life, and natural environment.
- Keywords
- U.S. Geological Survey (USGS); Geologic surveys; Natural resources; Global aspects; Floods; Trends; Science; Ecosystems; Research management; Strategic planning; Volcanoes; Wildland fires; Threats; USGS (U.S. Geological Survey); Environmental impacts; Natural disasters; Land use; Risk; Climates; Droughts; Earthquakes