National Geologic Mapping Act Reauthorization Act

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4033) to reauthorize the National Geologic Mapping Act of 1992.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous materials on the bill under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to sponsor H.R. 4033, the National Geologic Mapping Act Reauthorization Act. This commonsense measure will continue funding for advanced digital geologic maps in three-dimensional models by reauthorizing funding for the program through 2023. An identical companion bill, S. 1787, was introduced in the Senate by Senator Murkowski and has been favorably reported out of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.

Geologic maps provide valuable information needed for identifying energy, mineral, and water resources, geologic and environmental hazards, unstable grounds subject to landslides, swelling soils, floodplains, and abandoned mine lands.

With this knowledge, communities and citizens are able to plan for septic systems in rural areas, water treatment facilities, road construction and maintenance, home construction, and other infrastructure.

The Geologic Mapping Act of 1992 established the National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program, or NCGMP. This program allows for coordination between the United States Geological Survey and the various state geological surveys, allowing for geologic maps to be produced efficiently and cost-effectively.

The original authorizing act also created the National Geologic Database, which catalogs data on most geologic maps ever produced in the U.S., which to date has resulted in more than 100,000 products.

Each State and Puerto Rico has an advisory committee and a review panel to analyze the effectiveness of these projects. More than 8,500 new geologic maps have been produced through the NCGMP, with an average of 350 new maps and reports created each year. That is about one a day. About 53 percent of the United States now has been mapped as a result.

The benefits from this program have been felt by end users across the country. Geologic maps in Kentucky, for example, have assisted city planners, water systems developers, and producers of coal and other mineral resources. In Ohio, developers and engineers who used geologic maps were estimated to save an average of $50,000 on each project. In my home State of Colorado, this program resulted in the production of an advanced geologic map and companion report that showcased recreational and historical mining, leading to efficiency opportunities from Leadville to Salida.

Reauthorizing the National Geologic Mapping Act through H.R. 4033 will continue to provide the economic and developmental benefits of geologic mapping, with effects enjoyed across the Nation.

Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of the measure and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague and friend across the aisle, Mr. Brown, for his work on this bill. It was a good collaboration. I appreciate his remarks tonight, and I appreciate what he did. I look forward to working with him in the future.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague, the gentlewoman from Hawaii (Ms. Hanabusa).

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4033, the National Geologic Mapping Act Reauthorization Act, a bipartisan, practical piece of legislation.

I am proud to have cosponsored this bill with my friend from Colorado and colleague on the Natural Resources Committee, Congressman Lamborn.

Our bill would reauthorize the National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program for an additional 5 years, which is the primary source of funds to produce geologic maps in the United States.

Even though most people are not familiar with geologic maps, it is hard to overstate their importance.

Geologic maps are essential in supporting a variety of industries, services, and activities that hold immense societal and economic value.

Geologic maps are used to locate groundwater resources and evaluate groundwater quality leading to better land and habitat management decisions.

Geologic maps help city planners, emergency responders, and landowners assess how vulnerable an area is to sinkholes, landslides, earthquakes, floods, and other deadly and destructive natural hazards.

Geologic maps enable the government and industry to locate and develop mineral resources used for a variety of scientific applications and in military technology and in consumer products.

Further, geologic maps provide valuable information that engineers and developers use when designing and constructing highways, bridges, tunnels, and other transportation assets.

In my home State of Maryland, the value and importance of geologic maps are evident. Even though Maryland is a compact State, it has an incredible variety of landscapes and geology stretching from the beaches on the Atlantic Coast to the Appalachian Mountains.

This type of diversity in our geology demands a robust understanding of the science and an extensive mapping of underground formations.

On top of this, Maryland is home to several institutions that rely on the secondary and tertiary benefits of the USGS geologic mapping program. The NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Prince George's County, the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, and our military cyber operations in Fort Meade all reap the rewards of a Nation that has broadened its knowledge and capabilities by investing in geological mapping.

There is no doubt the U.S. mapping program is vital to our Nation's safety and prosperity, and I urge a vote in favor.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4033, and I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Brown) to give his remarks.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

This bill would extend the tenure of a very successful bedrock science program for an additional 5 years, as well as make some technical changes to the law.

Since 1992, the National Geologic Mapping Act has supported geologic mapping in the United States through the establishment of the National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program, or NCGMP. The NCGMP is responsible for supporting geologic mapping within the United States and has done so successfully for over 25 years by supporting efforts at the Federal, State, and university levels.

Geologic maps are used in several important ways: mineral, energy, and water resource exploration; geoscience research; toxic and nuclear waste disposal; environmental land use planning; decreasing the impact of natural hazards; constructing and maintaining infrastructure; and much more.

Reliable and accurate geologic mapping is underappreciated by, and in most cases invisible to, the public, but it underpins huge sectors of our economy and is essential for improving the health and safety of every American.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Representatives Lamborn and Brown for their work on this bill and am happy to voice my support of it.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.