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Introduction
Pages 11-18

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From page 11...
... The specific activities carried out by the USGS within the broad domain of"natural science" depend on the agency's mission, which in turn, is shaped by the missions and responsibilities of other federal and state agencies and a variety of societal and political forces. Examples of natural science disciplines currently within the purview of the USGS include geology, hydrology, geography, biology, and geospatial information sciences.
From page 12...
... The context for federal science and technology policy is changing in the post-Cold War years (HCS, 1998~. Federal investments in science and technology are being linked closely to broader national goals as the world becomes more crowded, the physical and biological environment more threatened, natural resources more depleted, the global economy more competitive, and world events more interconnected.
From page 13...
... As a more inclusive science agency, it has the capacity to take a national leadership role in conducting studies to develop information and knowledge on the web of relationships that constitute the air-waterhuman-land system (Bohlen et al., 1998~. To respond effectively to the emerging challenges of the twenty-first century, the nation needs access to objective, dependable information about the many science issues that affect human welfare.
From page 14...
... 2 The vision and mission language changed slightly between the published 1997 and 1999 strategic plans. However, one conspicuous change involved the way the agency described itself.
From page 15...
... The USGS addresses its science mission by arraying its programs under four major themes—environment, resources, hazards, and integrated data and information management and by concentrating on two goals: 1. Hazards mission goal: Provide science for a changing world in response to present and anticipated needs, focusing efforts to predict and monitor hazardous events in near-real and real time and to conduct risk assessments to mitigate loss (USGS, 1 999a)
From page 16...
... : The Strategic Change Team envisions a flexible and responsive USGS that is a recognized leader in providing natural sciences information, knowledge, and tools. Customers, partners, and USGS employees and managers will form an interactive community with a common passion to create, share, and use knowledge of the natural sciences to solve society's complex problems.
From page 17...
... These meetings included presentations from the staff of the USGS, briefings from representatives of state and federal agencies, and discussions with leaders in the private sector. The committee also received input from professional organizations and many individuals (Appendix B)


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