USGS scientists provide scientific information to the public as well as to policymakers so they can make informed decisions about how to conserve America's natural heritage and plan more livable, safer communities. We live our motto each day in fulfilling our mission to provide reliable, impartial information to the citizens of this country and to the global community.
USGS science makes a difference in the management, conservation and use of our natural resources.
Hydrologists with the USGS have helped to protect the purity and drinkability of America's waters by making resource managers and policymakers aware of contaminants such as MTBE in the nation's water supplies. Besides helping to understand America's lands and waters, the USGS also works to understand the earth's wildlife and vegetation populations. For example, over the past 10 years, the USGS has successfully established a new nesting site at Padre Island National Seashore for the world's most endangered sea turtle. By providing food and recreational opportunities to people and by indicating the health of aquatic environments, America's fish populations are of crucial importance to our future. The lake trout, restored in Lake Superior through the efforts of USGS scientists working with natural resource management agencies, is highly prized by recreational anglers and by professional chefs.