Survey Manual

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Survey Manual (SM) Directives are signed?written communications that state the policies and initiatives which?govern the actions, conduct, and?procedures of the Bureau:

SM?Chapters establish long-standing policies, standards, instructions, and general procedures with Bureau-wide applicability.

SM Handbooks establish detailed procedures that supplement policy in SM Chapters.

Instructional Memoranda are temporary policies and general procedures that will be?incorporated into an SM?Chapter in the future.