This report provides the first economic analysis of geological mapping conducted for the entire United States. Globally, this is the largest and most comprehensive jurisdictional economic assessment for geological mapping ever conducted. It is timely given substantial investment by the federal government in geological mapping since the early 1990s, with significantly enhanced funding since 2019. An important question is the degree to which this public investment has yielded tangible results. Four different approaches were employed to analyze the costs, benefits, and economic impacts of geological mapping, and all consistently demonstrated large returns on investment and significant societal benefits.
