Implementing Gold Standard Science at the U.S. Department of the Interior

On May 23, 2025, President Trump issued Executive Order 14303, Restoring Gold Standard Science, directing all federal agencies to implement policies and practices that uphold the highest standards of scientific integrity, transparency, reproducibility, and public trust. On June 23, 2025, the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) issued guidance, Implementing Gold Standard Science in the Conduct & Management of Scientific Activities. 

Report to the Office of Science and Technology Policy

This additional guidance outlined the Department's immediate actions and deliverables, including public implementation plans, internal compliance metrics, and scientific integrity standards, including defining nine core tenets of Gold Standard Science. 

USGS Science Data Catalog 

Comprehensive metadata catalog of published USGS data and metadata. Associated USGS Public Access Plan (2023).

USGS ScienceBase Repository 

Platform for managing and sharing scientific data with standardized metadata, discovery tools, community access controls, and application programming interfaces (APIs) that enable software to programmatically search, retrieve, upload, and integrate data. 

USGS Coastal & Marine Geoscience Data System 

Information about scientific data collected through cruises and other activities carried out by the USGS Coastal/Marine Hazards and Resources program. 

USGS Earth Explorer 

USGS repository and web application for searching, browsing, and ordering satellite, aerial, and other remote sensing data with interactive map/text queries, metadata export, bulk downloads, and account-based access controls. 

USGS National Geologic Map Database 

Geologic maps and spatial geoscience information documenting Earth’s physical features. 

USGS Water Data for the Nation 

Real‑time and historical measurements of groundwater levels, streamflow, water quality, and water use collected from monitoring networks. 

USGS The National Map: Staged Products Directory (S3 bucket) 

Raw data consists of staged elevation, imagery, and other geospatial datasets from The National Map, a USGS program that provides foundational national‑scale mapping data. 

USGS The National Map Download (v2.0): Topographic Maps 

Downloadable topographic maps and other foundational geospatial datasets from The National Map, a USGS program that supplies nationwide mapping data such as elevation, imagery, boundaries, transportation, and hydrography. 

USGS The National Map Services 

Access to web services that deliver elevation, imagery, hydrography, boundaries, transportation, and other foundational geospatial datasets from The National Map. 

USGS Model Catalog 

Metadata and access information for scientific models and model outputs developed or used by USGS. 

USGS Publications Warehouse 

Access to USGS publications, including reports, maps, and scientific papers documenting research findings and data interpretations. 

FWS ServCat: The Fish & Wildlife Service Catalog 

Access to FWS documents, datasets, and metadata used to support wildlife and habitat management decisions. 

FWS ECOS: Environmental Conservation Online System 

Provides species profiles, critical habitat data, and conservation information supported by underlying geospatial and tabular datasets. 

FWS The National Wildlife Refuge System 

Provides GIS datasets, mapping tools, and spatial information for National Wildlife Refuge System lands managed by FWS. 

FWS Open Data Hub 

Provides open GIS datasets and geospatial layers from FWS through an ArcGIS Open Data portal. 

FWS CITES Trade Database 

The CITES Trade Database is the most comprehensive and authoritative database on international trade in wildlife. Dating back to 1975, it reflects the official trade records as reported by Parties in their annual reports to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). 

BSEE Research Records 

Access to research summaries, reports, and documentation related to studies funded or overseen by BSEE. 

BSEE Peer Review 

Provides peer‑review agendas, reports, and documentation supporting BSEE’s scientific review processes for environmental and safety research. 

BSEE Oil Spill Response Research 

Provides program overviews, research summaries, and links to formal reports and technology plans related to BSEE’s oil spill response research activities. 

BSEE NEPA Compliance 

Provides explanations, policy information, and documentation describing BSEE’s environmental review responsibilities and NEPA compliance processes. 

BSEE Atlas of Gulf of America Gas and Oil Sands Data 

Access to geological and geophysical data submitted to BSEE, including well logs, seismic data, and related subsurface information. 

BSEE Data Center 

Access to BSEE’s offshore energy data portal, offering downloadable datasets such as leasing, permitting, production, and geological information. 

NPS DataStore 

Access to NPS datasets, documents, and geospatial resources stored in the NPS Data Store for natural and cultural resource management. 

NPS National Invasive Species Information 

Provides an NPS system for collecting, reporting, and managing invasive species occurrence and treatment data. 

NPS Wildlife Mortality & Morbidity Observations 

Provides an NPS system for reporting, managing, and tracking wildlife health incidents and mortality observations across parks. 

NPS Enjoy the View: Visual Resource Inventory Database 

Provides an NPS database for collecting, storing, and managing scenic quality and view‑importance inventory data used in visual resource assessments. 

NPS Visitor Use Statistics 

Access to NPS visitor use statistics, offering downloadable data and tools for exploring visitation trends across park units. 

NPS Aquarius Web Data Portal 

Access to NPS air quality data, including visibility, ozone, deposition, and related monitoring datasets used for natural resource assessments. 

NPS Visitor Use Reporting 

Provides an NPS system for collecting and managing visitor use reporting data across park units. 

BOR Reclamation Information Sharing Environment (RISE) 

Access to BOR datasets, interactive data tools, and geospatial services covering water operations, hydrology, infrastructure, and environmental resources. 

BLM AFMSS II (Automated Fluid Minerals Support System) 

Access to BLM's AFMSS operational oil and gas data, including permit information, well records, ownership details, and compliance filings. 

BLM AIM (Assessment Inventory & Monitoring) 

Offers BLM's AIM strategy, protocols, and tools for collecting and accessing ecological monitoring datasets from public lands. 

BLM GBP (Geospatial Business Platform) 

This site is the BLM's Geospatial Business Platform ArcGIS Hub, providing searchable, downloadable GIS datasets, APIs, and web services across categories like boundaries, hydrology, wildlife, recreation, and more. 

BLM National Data Viewer 

This site provides an interactive map viewer for accessing and exploring BLM National Data layers, including administrative boundaries, conservation areas, and other corporate geospatial datasets. 

OSMRE Mine Drainage Technology Initiative 

This page describes the Mine Drainage Technology Initiative (MDTI), a collaborative forum led by OSMRE to share best science and innovative practices for predicting, monitoring, and remediating acidic and toxic mine drainage. 

OSMRE Applied Science 

This page details funded, applied science projects and provides final reports, fact sheets, and supporting publications on environmental and reclamation research. 

OSMRE NEPA (EAs, EIS, MPDD) 

Website to final NEPA documents. 

OSMRE Mine Permit Boundaries All Surface Coal Mining Operations 

A live ArcGIS MapServer service providing standardized geospatial feature classes depicting surface and underground coal mining operation boundaries across the U.S.