Geophysical Surveying and Mapping Services NAICS 541360

Jun 23, 2025 - Cuts Threaten Mapping Work

• Trump administration cuts to federal spending threaten to slow or stop geological mapping work by the US Geological Survey (USGS) in nearly two dozen states, The New York Times reported in June. Geologists told NYT that no states have received their 2025 mapping money. Moreover, Trump’s proposed budget would cut funding to the USGS by nearly 40%, crippling its ability to produce geological maps for years to come, according to NYT. Mineral-rich states, including Colorado, Idaho, and Montana – where Trump wants to increase mining and oil and gas activity – all face cuts to local survey offices. Critics say the cuts are counterproductive and that geologic mapping is fundamental to US infrastructure and well worth federal investment. A recent report found that about $2 billion in investments in geological mapping from 1994 to 2009 yielded tens of billions of dollars in value to industries that use them.
• The Trump administration has moved to open 23 million acres of Alaskan Wilderness to drilling by repealing protections imposed by the Biden administration, The New York Times reports. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said the previous administration exceeded its authority when it banned oil and gas drilling in the area known as the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska. The petroleum reserve, established over a century ago as an energy warehouse for the US Navy, is estimated to contain more than 8 billion barrels of recoverable oil. The Bureau of Land Management has released a draft environmental assessment to propose reopening up to 82% of the reserve to oil and gas leasing and exploration and development. The proposal comes partly in response to Trump’s January executive order, “Unleashing Alaska’s Extraordinary Resource Potential," the Interior statement said. The area is home to ConocoPhillips’ Willow oil field, approved under Biden.

• In April, the Trump administration issued an executive order to accelerate deep-sea mining in international waters. The EO affirms the US’s right to extract critical minerals from the ocean floor, enabling companies to bypass the International Seabed Authority and seek permits directly from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The order expedites the process for reviewing and issuing seabed mineral exploration licenses and commercial recovery permits in areas beyond national jurisdiction under the Deep Seabed Hard Mineral Resources Act. It marks Trump’s latest attempt to capture international deposits of nickel, copper, and other critical minerals following recent efforts to tap resources in Greenland and Ukraine. Remotely-controlled giant robots could be used to extract polymetallic nodules from the seafloor.
• Employment by architectural and engineering services firms grew 3.3% in April compared to a year ago, while average industry wages rose by 5.6% over the same period to a new high of $35.08 per hour, according to the latest US Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Producer prices, up 2% year over year in May and 16.3% over the past five years, have helped to offset rising industry payrolls, according to BLS data. However, a slowdown in US oil production due to tariff-induced economic uncertainty and falling oil prices may slow demand from energy producers for geophysical surveying and mapping services. In May, the price for one barrel of West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil averaged $62.17, down from April and the lowest level in the past 24-month period amid anticipated weak demand.