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Show develop and participate in cooperative programs with Federal and non- Federal governmental agencies, the land- grant colleges, and other educational and research institutions, in order to provide most economically and effectively for an expansion of soil mapping from the present level of activities, within a period of not more than five years, to a level of activities sufficient in size and scope to complete the soil mapping of the United States within a period of thirty years and to meet the needs for the effective development of resources and orderly settlement of Alaska and other Territories and possessions. SEC. 6. The Bureau ef- Land Management Secretary oj the Interior is authorized to provide for an orderly expansion of cadastral surveying from the present authorized level of activities, within a period of two years, to an accelerated program sufficient in size and scope to provide adequate surveys and markers on the public domain aed other Federal public laads within the United States, making resurveys wherever necessary, and to establish suitable markers and subdivisions to meet special needs in mineralized areas, within a period of ten years, and provide such accelerated programs in Alaska and other Territories and possessions as may be required for orderly settlement and effective development of resources. SEC. 7. The Gcologica- l Survey, the Coast aed Gcodctio Survey, 1 the Bureau ef- Plant Industry, Soils, a « d Agricul • tural Engineering, aed the Bureau el Land Management Secretaries oj Interior, Commerce, and Agriculture shall develop and support effective procedures of collaboration and cooperation with each other and with other agencies concerned, both Federal and non- Federal, to the end that the accelerated programs established by this Act shall be carried out as effectively and economically as possible and without duplication of activities. SEC. 8. The Geological Survey, the Coast a « d Gcodctio Engineering, aed the Bureau ef- Land Management, each Secretaries oj Interior, Commerce, and Agriculture, each shall prepare yearly reports to the Congress, setting forth the progress made in accomplishing the objectives of this Act. SEC. 9. Nothing in this Act shall be construed as curtailing the existing surveying and mapping authority oj any department or agency oj the Government. SEC. 10. The Secretaries oj Interior, Commerce, and Agriculture are authorized to contract with private individuals or other private or public agencies jor personnel and jacilities jor purposes oj carrying out the provisions oj this Act. SEC. 11. In the event the program hereunder is delayed by reason oj a national emergency, then in such event the President is authorized to extend the period hereunder jor the carrying out oj the purposes oj this Act, and the Congress may also extend such period. SEC. $ 12. There are hereby authorized to be appropriated out of any moneys in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, such sums as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act. EXPLANATION OF A BILL TO PROVIDE AN ACCELERATED PROGRAM FOR SURVEYING AND MAPPING OF THE UNITED STATES, ITS TERRITORIES AND POSSESSIONS, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES The objective of the bill as set forth in section 2 is- to establish accelerated programs of topographic, geologic, geodetic, soil and hydrographic surveying and mapping of the United States, its Territories and possessions and offshore areas, and the cadastral surveying of the public domain and other Federal public lands in order that suitable surveys and maps will be available- for the numerous uses for which these surveys and maps are needed- within the shortest period of time consistent with the orderly recruiting of personnel and the effective scheduling of such programs. All of the various types of surveying and mapping programs provided for in the bill are already being carried on by various Federal agencies under programs long provided for by the Congress. The bill makes no fundamental change in the allocation of responsibility for these activities among the various Federal agencies. The chief purpose of the bill is to provide an accelerated program of surveying and mapping to meet the needs of the country without altering the distribution of activities among the agencies now responsible for these programs. The need for acceleration arises from the slow rate at which these surveying and mapping programs are now being carried on and the rapidly growing needs of the country for surveys and maps to establish sound foundations for the current intensive development of our natural resources and for many other important purposes for which they are essential. Under prevailing schedules it will require from 60 to 100 years to complete these programs. The justification for the accelerated program comes primarily from the extensive needs for these surveys and maps for a multitude of current and continuous uses by the Federal Government, the State and local governments and a wide variety of industries, corporations, and individuals. Under existing circumstances, many Government and private agencies find it necessary to improvise maps and surveys for their special needs, often at great cost and generally of limited usefulness to others. The ready availability of suitable surveys and maps would fill most of the needs of all agencies and would provide a sound foundation for many programs involving the use of the earth's surface and its many resources. The surveying and mapping of the country will eventually be completed, even under present programs. From a long- run point of view, the accelerated programs do not call for an increase in expenditures but rather for a concentration of effort and expenditures over the next 20 to 30 years and a reduction beyond that time. Experience, however, has demonstrated that the availability of the surveys and maps will reduce expenditures in so many other directions that the cost to the Federal Government, even in the shorter period, probably will be offset many times over by savings in other directions. 20 |
