Established in 1919, the Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology (MBMG) continues to fulfill its mandate to
collect and publish information on Montana's geology to promote orderly and responsible development of the energy,
groundwater, and mineral resources of the State. A non-regulatory state agency, the MBMG provides extensive advisory,
technical, and informational services on the State's geologic, mineral, energy, and water resources. The MBMG is increasingly
involved in studies of the environmental impacts to land and water caused either by past practices in hard-rock mining or by
current activities in agriculture and industry. The Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology is the principal source of earth science
information for the citizens of Montana.
The MBMG's basic support comes from a biennial legislative appropriation. Additionally, the MBMG seeks funding for extensive
research from outside sources. Many of our projects are conducted jointly with various State and Federal agencies, county
governments, municipalities, and other local groups. Operating out of two offices in Montana, in Butte and Billings (located
on the Montana Tech campus and downtown Billings, respectively), we employ 59 full-time staff, including 31 research professionals
and 24 in technical/clerical positions. Products of the MBMG's research are published by our Information Services Division or
through the scientific literature.
