Re: USGS Cuts (from W. Elder)

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From: welder@GCCMAIL.CR.USGS.GOV
Date: Thu, 10 Aug 95 15:42:25 MST
To: paleonet-owner@nhm.ac.uk
Subject: Re: USGS Cuts
Status: O


     Several things are going on at the USGS currently.  There is both a
     reorganization and reduction-in-force in progress.

     First, as part of the reorganization, the Branch of Paleontology and
     Stratigraphy has been eliminated and the scientists remaining after
     the cutbacks are being parceled out to the various Programs that were
     their primary funding source before the reorganization.  The largest
     group of scientists were funded by the National Geologic Mapping
     Program and are being doled out to the three geologic mapping groups;
     Eastern Regional, Central Regional, and Western Regional (9 research
     paleontologists).  The Global Change Program absorbed the next largest
     group of paleontologists (7), and a few were parceled out to the
     Energy Resources Program.

     Amongst the paleontology positions lost throughout the USGS were 1
     nannofossil worker, 1 palynologist, 3 molluscan workers (1 Paleozoic,
     1 Mesozoic, 1 Cenozoic who bailed out in May), 1 brachiopod worker, 1
     trilobite worker, 1 mammal worker, 1 foram worker.  The winners were
     the workers on foraminifera (7 retained), pollen (6 retained),
     conodonts (3 retained), and radiolaria (2 retained).  Also, there are
     single workers on several other groups retained.

     Paleontologic support for the National Geologic Mapping group was
     impacted quite sharply, with loses particularly high in the Central
     and Western Regions.  The Eastern Region was spared to some degree by
     its currently running Florida Bay Ecosystems project and, presumably,
     by the fact that the group is at Reston, where the decisions are being
     made.  The losses were almost entirely confined to megafossil workers,
     with the reduction from six megafossil researchers(or eight or more,
     if you count those that took the option of retirement with a bonus
     because they saw the writing on the wall) to one research position
     funded by the Florida Bay Project.  As a result there will be no
     Paleozoic or Mesozoic megafossil workers left at the USGS.  This is
     ironic because many of the early Directors of the Survey were
     megafossil workers.  As a consequence, extensive megafossil
     collections made during the mapping of the country over the last 125
     years are now orphaned with no one to look after them.  The
     collections are officially the property of the U. S. National Museum,
     but there is apparently inadequate space at the museum to house all of
     them presently and funding will be needed to ship them to the
     Smithsonian from Denver and Menlo Park.  It is unknown how long the
     USGS will be willing to pay for their storage at these Regional
     Centers.

     As for the future, the Global Change Program, which staffs seven of
     the remaining paleontologists, is apparently winding down.  Many of
     these paleontologists will have to find alternative programmatic
     funding in the not too distant future or face extinction.  The USGS
     may also be on the verge of taking a funding hit in the Earthquake
     Hazards Program, as recent publicity is critical of the lack of
     results in earthquake prediction studies.  On top of it all, emphasis
     in the organization is heading away from basic research, which is what
     I think most paleontologists employed at the USGS hold dear to their
     hearts.


     Will Elder
     Molluscan Paleontologist (near to extinction)
     USGS
     Menlo Park
     e-mail welder@usgs.gov