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#           Mineral resources of the Sagebrush Focal Areas of Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Wyoming      

      August 19, 2016    

Scientific Investigations Report 2016–5089 and accompanying data releases are the products of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Sagebrush Mineral-Resource Assessment (SaMiRA). The assessment was done at the request of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to evaluate the mineral-resource potential of some 10 million acres of Federal and adjacent lands in Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Wyoming. The need for this assessment arose from the decision by the Secretary of the Interior to pursue the protection of large tracts of contiguous habitat for the greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) in the Western United States. One component of the Department of the Interior plan to protect the habitat areas includes withdrawing selected lands from future exploration and development of mineral and energy resources, including copper, gold, silver, rare earth elements, and other commodities used in the U.S. economy. The assessment evaluates the potential for locatable minerals such as gold, copper, and lithium and describes the nature and occurrence of leaseable and salable minerals for seven Sagebrush Focal Areas and additional lands in Nevada (“Nevada additions”) delineated by BLM. Supporting data are available in a series of USGS data releases describing mineral occurrences (the USGS Mineral Deposit Database or “USMIN”), oil and gas production and well status, previous mineral-resource assessments that covered parts of the areas studied, and a compilation of mineral-use cases based on data provided by BLM, as well as results of the locatable mineral-resource assessment in a geographic information system. The present assessment of mineral-resource potential will contribute to a better understanding of the economic and environmental trade-offs that would result from closing approximately 10 million acres of Federal lands to mineral entry.

## Citation Information

## Related Content

                  -              Data           
                  -              Connect           

August 2, 2019

####                 Bureau of Land Management's Land and Mineral Legacy Rehost System (LR2000) Mineral Use Cases for the Sagebrush Mineral Resource Assessment, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Wyoming              

Land Management Research Program, Mineral Resources Program, Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center, Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center

August 16, 2016

####                 USMIN Mineral Resource Data for the U.S. Geological Survey Sagebrush Mineral-Resource Assessment Project              

Mineral Resources Program, Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center

August 3, 2016

####                 Prospect- and Mine-Related Features from U.S. Geological Survey 7.5- and 15-Minute Topographic Quadrangle Maps for the Western United States              

Mineral Resources Program, Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center

July 22, 2016

####                 Previous mineral resource assessment data compilation for the U.S. Geological Survey Sagebrush Mineral Resource Assessment Project              

Mineral Resources Program, Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center

July 8, 2016

####                 Locatable Mineral Assessment Tracts for the U.S. Geological Survey Sagebrush Mineral Resource Assessment Project              

Mineral Resources Program, Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center

April 19, 2016

####                 Cumulative Production Per Township - SaMiRa              

Central Energy Resources Science Center

April 19, 2016

####                 Exploration and Well Status, Quarter Miles Cells - SaMiRa              

Central Energy Resources Science Center

#### Warren C Day, Ph.D.

##### Scientist Emeritus 

Mineral Resources Program

wday@usgs.gov

303-384-2682

#### Thomas  P. Frost, Ph.D.

##### Scientist Emeritus

Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center

tfrost@usgs.gov

509-368-3103

#### Jane M. Hammarstrom

##### Geologist

Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center

jhammars@usgs.gov

703-648-6165

#### Michael L. Zientek, Ph.D

##### Research Geologist

Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center

mzientek@usgs.gov

509-368-3105

## Related Content

August 2, 2019

####                 Bureau of Land Management's Land and Mineral Legacy Rehost System (LR2000) Mineral Use Cases for the Sagebrush Mineral Resource Assessment, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Wyoming              

Land Management Research Program, Mineral Resources Program, Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center, Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center

August 16, 2016

####                 USMIN Mineral Resource Data for the U.S. Geological Survey Sagebrush Mineral-Resource Assessment Project              

Mineral Resources Program, Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center

August 3, 2016

####                 Prospect- and Mine-Related Features from U.S. Geological Survey 7.5- and 15-Minute Topographic Quadrangle Maps for the Western United States              

Mineral Resources Program, Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center

July 22, 2016

####                 Previous mineral resource assessment data compilation for the U.S. Geological Survey Sagebrush Mineral Resource Assessment Project              

Mineral Resources Program, Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center

July 8, 2016

####                 Locatable Mineral Assessment Tracts for the U.S. Geological Survey Sagebrush Mineral Resource Assessment Project              

Mineral Resources Program, Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center

April 19, 2016

####                 Cumulative Production Per Township - SaMiRa              

Central Energy Resources Science Center

April 19, 2016

####                 Exploration and Well Status, Quarter Miles Cells - SaMiRa              

Central Energy Resources Science Center

#### Warren C Day, Ph.D.

##### Scientist Emeritus 

Mineral Resources Program

wday@usgs.gov

303-384-2682

#### Thomas  P. Frost, Ph.D.

##### Scientist Emeritus

Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center

tfrost@usgs.gov

509-368-3103

#### Jane M. Hammarstrom

##### Geologist

Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center

jhammars@usgs.gov

703-648-6165

#### Michael L. Zientek, Ph.D

##### Research Geologist

Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center

mzientek@usgs.gov

509-368-3105

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####               Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center          

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