USGS proposed budget focuses on core science and efficiency

May 25, 2017 - By Tracy Cozzens

President Donald Trump has proposed a $922.2 million Fiscal Year 2018 (FY18) budget for the U.S. Geological Survey. The proposed FY18 request reflects a savings of $137.8 million in appropriated funds from the FY 2017 CR baseline and a continued commitment to the bureau’s core mission.

The USGS proposed budget provides science support for disaster alerts and rapid response, producing high-resolution geospatial data, addressing new and emerging invasive species and disease, tackling water challenges and supporting development for the Landsat 9 satellite ground system.

According to a USGS press release, the request ensures that the USGS will continue to focus on conducting leading-edge research and providing impartial scientific data to key stakeholders and decision-makers to help promote stewardship of public lands and waters and protect the health, safety and prosperity of the nation.

The USGS will also conduct work on environmental impacts of resource extraction and understanding how mineral resources interact with the environment to affect human and ecosystem health.

The agency will also continue to develop and apply new methods to forecast, detect and understand health implications of toxins produced by harmful algal blooms. Additionally, the USGS will continue research to understand contaminants and pathogens related to drinking waters.

The USGS budget also places strong emphasis on assessing the occurrence, quality, supply and use of energy and critical mineral resources. The FY18 budget request for the USGS Energy and Minerals Resources Mission Area is $74.4 million.

The agency will continue to assess energy resources and provide publicly available scientific data and tools to inform energy policy discussions as well as to support science-based decisions that facilitate responsible resource management, including oil, gas, coal, geothermal, uranium and gas hydrate energy resource activities. This request will also allow the USGS to focus on understanding the genesis and distribution of the nation’s critical mineral resources, particularly in Alaska, mid-continent and southeast regions of the United States.

The USGS FY 2018 Budget Justification is available here, and additional details on the President’s FY 2018 Budget are available on the department’s website.