MINERAL LAND CLASSIFICATION IN THE CALIFORNIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY'S MINERAL RESOURCES PROGRAM

California’s mineral resources have played an important part in the history and growth of the state, and the collection and dissemination of mineral resource information has been an important role of the California Geological Survey (CGS) since its inception in 1860. Since the late 1970s the CGS Mineral Resources Program has identified mineral resources through the process of Mineral Land Classification.

In the 1960s and 1970s, as the State’s population expanded and society’s priorities shifted, land use decision makers in California were faced with the increasingly difficult task of balancing competing land uses while planning for future growth, the protection of the environment, and the conservation and wise use of natural resources. The Surface Mining and Reclamation Act of 1975 (SMARA) was passed by the California State Legislature in response to the loss of significant mineral resources due to urban expansion, the need for current information concerning the location and quantity of essential mineral deposits, and to ensure adequate mined-land reclamation. To address mineral resource conservation, SMARA mandated a two-phase process called classification-designation.

SMARA directs the State Geologist to classify (identify and map) the non-fuel mineral resources of the State to show where economically significant mineral deposits occur, and where they are likely to occur, based upon the best available scientific data. Designation as a mineral resource of regional or statewide significance is a further step taken by the State Mining and Geology Board to emphasize resource importance. Mineral Land Classification provides unbiased, scientific information about mineral resource occurrences in California to Federal, State and local government agencies, industry, and the public. This information enables them to make informed land-use and long term planning decisions that will impact the economic and environmental future of their communities, regions, and the State.