Once every five years the National Academy of Sciences shall review and report on the resource research activities of the Survey.

Beginning in fiscal year 1998 and once every five years thereafter, the National Academy of Sciences shall review and report on the biological research activity of the Survey.

The Secretary of the Interior may authorize one of the geologists to act as Director of the United States Geological Survey in the absence of that officer.

The scientific employees of the United States Geological Survey shall be selected by the Director, subject to the approval of the Secretary of the Interior exclusively for their qualifications as professional experts.

The purchase of professional and scientific books and periodicals needed for statistical purposes by the scientific divisions of the United States Geological Survey is authorized to be made and paid for out of appropriations made for the said Survey.

The Director of the United States Geological Survey, under the general supervision of the Secretary of the Interior, is authorized to acquire for the United States, by gift or devise, scientific or technical books, manuscripts, maps, and related materials, and to deposit the same in the library of the United States Geological Survey for reference and use as authorized by law.

The Secretary of the Interior may, on behalf of the United States and for use by the United States Geological Survey in gaging streams and underground water resources, acquire lands by donation or when funds have been appropriated by Congress by purchase or condemnation, but not in excess of ten acres for any one stream gaging station or observation well site. For the same purpose the Secretary of the Interior may obtain easements, licenses, rights-of-way, and leases limited to run for such a period of time or term of years as may be required for the effective performance of the function of gaging streams and underground water resources: Provided, That nothing in this section shall be construed as affecting or intended to affect or in any way to interfere with the laws of any State or Territory relating to the control, appropriation, use, or distribution of water used in irrigation, or any vested right acquired thereunder, and the Secretary of the Interior, in carrying out the provisions of this section, shall proceed in conformity with such laws, and nothing in this section shall in any way affect any right of any State or of the Federal Government or of any landowner, appropriator, or user of water, in, to, or from any interstate stream or the waters thereof.

In fiscal year 1987 and thereafter the United States Geological Survey is authorized to accept lands, buildings, equipment, and other contributions from public and private sources and to prosecute projects in cooperation with other agencies, Federal, State, or private.

Notwithstanding the provisions of the Federal Grant and Cooperative Agreement Act of 1977 (31 U.S.C. 6301–6308), the United States Geological Survey is authorized to continue existing, and on and after November 10, 2003, to enter into new cooperative agreements directed towards a particular cooperator, in support of joint research and data collection activities with Federal, State, and academic partners funded by appropriations herein, including those that provide for space in cooperator facilities.

In making topographic surveys west of the ninety-fifth meridian elevations above a base level located in each area under survey shall be determined and marked on the ground by iron or stone posts or permanent bench marks, at least two such posts or bench marks to be established in each township, or equivalent area, except in the forest-clad and mountain areas, where at least one shall be established, and these shall be placed, whenever practicable, near the township corners of the public-land surveys; and in the areas east of the ninety-fifth meridian at least one such post or bench mark shall be similarly established in each area equivalent to the area of a township of the public land surveys.

Except as otherwise provided in section 1318 of title 44, the publications of the United States Geological Survey shall consist of geological and economic maps, illustrating the resources and classification of the lands, and reports upon general and economic geology and paleontology. All special memoirs and reports of said survey shall be issued in uniform quarto series if deemed necessary by the director, but otherwise in ordinary octavos. Three thousand copies of each shall be published for scientific exchanges and for sale at the price of publication, and all literary and cartographic materials received in exchange shall be the property of the United States and form a part of the library of the organization; and the money resulting from the sale of such publications shall be covered into the Treasury of the United States, under the direction of the Secretary of the Interior.

The Director of the United States Geological Survey is authorized and directed, on the approval of the Secretary of the Interior, to dispose of the topographic and geologic maps and atlases of the United States, made and published by the United States Geological Survey, at such prices and under such regulations as may from time to time be fixed by him and approved by the Secretary of the Interior; and a number of copies of each map or atlas, not exceeding five hundred, shall be distributed gratuitously among foreign governments and departments of our own Government to literary and scientific associations, and to such educational institutions or libraries as may be designated by the Director of the Survey and approved by the Secretary of the Interior. On and after June 7, 1924, the distribution of geological publications to libraries designated as special depositaries of such publications shall be discontinued.

In fiscal year 1984 and thereafter, all receipts from the sale of maps sold or stored by the United States Geological Survey shall be available for map printing and distribution to supplement funds otherwise available, to remain available until expended.

One copy of each map and atlas shall be sent to each Senator and each Representative and Delegate in Congress, if published within his term; and a second copy shall be placed at the disposal of each such Senator, Representative and Delegate

The Director of the United States Geological Survey shall, if the regular map work of the Survey is in no wise interfered with thereby, furnish to any person, concern, institution, State or foreign government, that shall pay in advance the whole cost thereof with 10 per centum added, transfers or copies of any cartographic or other engraved or lithographic data in the division of engraving and printing of the Survey, and the moneys received by the Director for such transfers or copies shall be deposited in the Treasury.

The Director of the United States Geological Survey on and after March 4, 1909 may produce and sell on a reimbursable basis to interested persons, concerns, and institutions, copies of aerial or other photographs and mosaics that have been obtained in connection with the authorized work of the United States Geological Survey and photographic or photostatic reproductions of records in the official custody of the Director at such prices (not less than the estimated cost of furnishing such copies or reproductions) as the Director, with the approval of the Secretary of the Interior, may determine, the money received from such sales to be deposited in the Treasury to the credit of the appropriation then current and chargeable for the cost of furnishing copies or reproductions as herein authorized.

The provisions of law authorizing the making of topographic and geological surveys and conducting investigations relating to mineral and water resources by the United States Geological Survey in various portions of the United States be, and the same are, extended to authorize such surveys and investigations in Puerto Rico.

The share of the United States Geological Survey in any topographic mapping or water resources data collection and investigations carried on in cooperation with any State or municipality shall not exceed 50 per centum of the cost thereof.

Beginning October 1, 1990, and thereafter, funds received from any State, territory, possession, country, international organization, or political subdivision thereof, for topographic, geologic, or water resources mapping or investigations involving cooperation with such an entity shall be considered as intragovernmental funds as defined in the publication titled “A Glossary of Terms Used in the Federal Budget Process”.

There is hereby established in the Treasury of the United States a working capital fund to assist in the management of certain support activities of the United States Geological Survey (hereafter referred to as the “Survey”), Department of the Interior. The fund shall be available on and after November 5, 1990, without fiscal year limitation for expenses necessary for furnishing materials, supplies, equipment, work, facilities, and services in support of Survey programs, and, as authorized by law, to agencies of the Federal Government and others. Such expenses may include laboratory modernization and equipment replacement, computer operations, maintenance, and telecommunications services; requirements definition, systems analysis, and design services; acquisition or development of software; systems support services such as implementation assistance, training, and maintenance; acquisition and replacement of computer, publications, scientific instrumentation, telecommunications, and related automatic data processing equipment; and, such other activities as may be approved by the Secretary of the Interior.

There are authorized to be transferred to the fund, at fair and reasonable values at the time of transfer, inventories, equipment, receivables, and other assets, less liabilities, related to the functions to be financed by the fund as determined by the Secretary of the Interior: Provided, That the fund shall be credited with appropriations and other funds of the Survey, and other agencies of the Department of the Interior, other Federal agencies, and other sources, for providing materials, supplies, equipment, work, and services as authorized by law and such payments may be made in advance or upon performance: Provided further, That charges to users will be at rates approximately equal to the costs of furnishing the materials, supplies, equipment, facilities, and services, including such items as depreciation of equipment and facilities, and accrued annual leave: Provided further, That all existing balances as of November 5, 1990, from amortization fees resulting from the Survey providing telecommunications services and deposited in a special fund established on the books of the Treasury and available for payment of replacement or expansion of telecommunications services as authorized by Public Law 99–190, are hereby transferred to and merged with the working capital fund, to be used for the same purposes as originally authorized: Provided further, That funds that are not necessary to carry out the activities to be financed by the fund, as determined by the Secretary, shall be covered into miscellaneous receipts of the Treasury.

Before, on, and after October 18, 1986, in carrying out work involving cooperation with any State, Territory, possession, or political subdivision thereof, the United States Geological Survey may, notwithstanding any other provision of law, record obligations against accounts receivable from any such entities and shall credit amounts received from such entities to this appropriation.

Appropriations herein and on and after December 22, 1987, made shall be available for paying costs incidental to the utilization of services contributed by individuals who serve without compensation as volunteers in aid of work of the United States Geological Survey, and that within appropriations herein and on and after December 22, 1987, provided, United States Geological Survey officials may authorize either direct procurement of or reimbursement for expenses incidental to the effective use of volunteers such as, but not limited to, training, transportation, lodging, subsistence, equipment, and supplies: Provided further, That provision for such expenses or services is in accord with volunteer or cooperative agreements made with such individuals, private organizations, educational institutions, or State or local government.

The United States Geological Survey may on and after November 29, 1999, contract directly with individuals or indirectly with institutions or nonprofit organizations, without regard to section 6101 of title 41, for the temporary or intermittent services of students or recent graduates, who shall be considered employees for the purposes of chapters 57 and 81 of title 5, relating to compensation for travel and work injuries, and chapter 171 of title 28, relating to tort claims, but shall not be considered to be Federal employees for any other purposes.