The Office of Minerals Evaluation (OME) was formed in August of 2006 to conduct mineral assessments and market analyses on Indian allotments specific to the title transfer and heirship issues related to the Indian Land Consolidation Act and the American Indian Probate Reform Act.

In the case of land that is underlain with marketable minerals, the existence of these minerals is a factor of value that must be considered in determining the overall fair market value of the property. Accurate minerals information used in combination with the appropriate level of analysis, allows the Office of Minerals Evaluation to make impartial estimates of the fair market value of the mineral contribution to the value of lands. This ensures fair and just compensations for all land transactions.

The various Bureaus within the Department of the Interior, State agencies, and Tribes have conducted numerous geology and mineral potential studies on, or near, Indian reservations/lands, and much institutional knowledge exists. This institutional knowledge, the Indian mineral studies conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey and the former U.S. Bureau of Mines, the BLM, BIA, and other DOI Bureaus, and the information developed by the States and Tribes, etc. will be utilized to the maximum extent possible in the mineral assessment and market analysis efforts conducted by the OME. The use of this existing data avoids costly reinventing data, and wasting time and dollars dedicated to DOI trust responsibilities.

The work of this newly formed office and the essential role of USGS minerals data in this work will be discussed.