Assistant Director position open in Oregon

The Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries (DOGAMI) is seeking motivated and qualified candidates to fill the position of Principal Executive/Manager E, Assistant Director Program One – Geologic Survey and Services Program. The position is located in Portland and serves as part of the agency’s management team and answers directly to the agency Director.

The mission of the Department of Geology & Mineral Industries is to provide earth science information and regulation to make Oregon safe and prosperous. The Department has two programs: Geologic Survey & Services and Mined Land Regulation & Reclamation, each managed by an Assistant Director.

This position resides as the lead of the Geologic Survey & Services (GS&S) Program whose strategic goals are to acquire and organize geologic information and data to inform the people of Oregon, to reduce risk, damage and loss from natural hazards throughout the state of Oregon, to produce earth science and natural hazard information and make it available for policy decisions at an individual, local, regional and statewide level. The program consists of 17 technical services and public education staff, 6 business office staff, and 14 earth science and engineering expert staff and varying number of temporary technical staff. Current areas of policy concern include geologic mapping for groundwater management, climate change adaptation, renewable energy development, statewide lidar data acquisition and development and geohazards mitigation including earthquakes and tsunamis, landslides, flooding and coastal hazards. This program conducts complex, long-term geoscientific investigations, supporting the primary Department mission and the 2009 – 2015 Strategic Plan.

  

PEM E (Assistant Director, Geologic Survey & Service Program)

Utah Geological Survey discovers 3 new raptor dino's

The Utah Geological Survey reports that their paleontologists have discovered what appear to be three new raptor species of dinosaurs based on fossils recovered near Arches National Park.

A team led by the Utah Geological Survey published a paper describing one of these early Cretaceous fossils, which are between 120 and 130 millions years old, on Tuesday in the online journal PLos One, or the Public Library of Science.  [Right,artist's depiction of Yurgovuchia doellingi, named in honor of long-time UGS geologist Helmut Doelling, Courtesy Brad Wolverton, Utah Geological Survey]

National search for Ohio State Geologist

Larry Wickstrom, State Geologist and Director of the Ohio Geological Survey, is stepping down to return to the classified ranks in anticipation of retirement.  The Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources announced a national search for his replacement. Meanwhile, Mac Swinford will serve as Interim Director.

20th anniversary of National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Act

Congress passed the National Cooperative Geological Mapping Act twenty years ago, on May 4, 1992.

The National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program (NCGMP) is the primary source of funds for the production of geologic maps in the United States and provides accurate geologic maps and three-dimensional framework models that help to sustain and improve the quality of life and economic vitality of the Nation and to mitigate natural hazards.

The NCGMP represents 2 decades of successful cooperation among Federal (FEDMAP), State (STATEMAP), and university (EDMAP) partners to deliver digital geologic maps to customers. Each of these three components has a unique role, yet all work cooperatively to select and map high-priority areas for new geologic maps.

Geologic mapping data from all of North America are presented via the National Geologic Map Database, and a common set of geologic map standards is being developed by the NCGMP in cooperation with the North American Geologic Map Data Model Steering Committee.
The USGS National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program is congressionally mandated by the National Geologic Mapping Act of 1992.

[Much of this post is taken from the program page on the USGS website]