USD968.5 Million Budget U.S. Geological Survey 2009

The President of the USA has proposed a budget of USD968.5 million for the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in fiscal year 2009, a decrease of USD38.0 million from the 2008 enacted level.

The FY 2009 budget focuses on the highest priorities for research while ensuring that the USGS builds the expertise it needs to continue answering the complex scientific questions that may arise. The budget includes USD34.9 million in program increases and USD15.0 million in fixed costs, offset by USD87.8 million in reductions for lower priority efforts and unrequested increases.

"The USGS is committed to providing timely, objective scientific information in support of key Departmental and Presidential priorities, including Water for America, Birds Forever, Healthy Lands, and Ocean and Coastal Frontiers," said USGS Director Mark Myers. "The proposed budget will also strengthen our efforts in climate change studies, priority ecosystems research and the development of a National Land Imaging Program."

The 2009 budget includes a net increase of USD8.2 million to support the water census component of the USD21.3 million Water for America Initiative with the Bureau of Reclamation. To support the water census, the National Streamflow Information Program is funded at USD23.8 million, including an increase of USD3.7 million to upgrade 350 streamgages with real-time telemetry and to reinstate 50 discontinued streamgages in 2009. Increases of USD3.0 million for the Ground-Water Resources Program and USD1.5 million for Cooperative Geologic Mapping will provide additional support for the water census by increasing knowledge related to groundwater resources.

The Birds Forever Initiative is a joint effort between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the USGS. A proposed USD1.0 million increase to support this initiative will fund USGS efforts to better understand large-scale drivers of migratory bird population and habitat change such as global warming, deforestation and urban development. This initiative supports monitoring efforts, including the Breeding Bird Survey and other migratory bird monitoring activities.

The budget also proposes a USD3.5 million increase to expand activities in support of the Healthy Lands Initiative, and the USGS is a significant partner in this multi-bureau initiative. Continuing work in southwest Wyoming, the USGS will conduct an ecological assessment in Healthy Lands Initiative areas to develop a baseline of scientific information related to wildlife habitat and development activities occurring or planned. Tools, models, and protocols developed will be transferred and applied to other areas.

In addition, the proposed budget includes an increase of USD7.0 million for oceans science in support of the Department's Ocean and Coastal Frontiers Initiative and completing the work started in 2008 on the U.S. Ocean Action Plan. Coastal and Marine Geology is funded at USD47.4 million. An increase of USD4.0 million will be used to collect data for the extended Continental Shelf of the Arctic Ocean, working with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, to support the Nation's claim to its mineral and energy rights in the extended Continental Shelf. An additional USD2.0 million will be used to conduct merit-based ocean research projects, and USD1.0 million will complete funding for efforts in seafloor mapping, models to forecast response to extreme weather events, and developing a water quality monitoring network.

The 2009 budget reflects a restructuring to create a global change activity and sustains USD5.0 million of the USD7.4 million increase in 2008 for climate change science. The 2009 request of USD26.6 million includes USD21.6 million in base funds to continue current global change research, USD4.0 million to establish a pilot program in Alaska for a national climate change network, and USD1.0 million for climate change adaptation studies. These components will provide critical monitoring information needed for predictive modelling related to our changing climate and its effects on the landscape and the Nation's resources.

The 2009 budget consolidates funding for a new Global Change Activity totalling USD26.6 million that is supported by an additional USD4.8 million in Climate Change Science, bringing total climate change funding to USD31.4 million.

Priority ecosystems studies have a proposed budget of USD10.4 million. The USGS will continue funding for work in the Greater Everglades, Chesapeake Bay, San Francisco Bay, the Mojave Desert, the Platte River, and Yellowstone.

Land Remote Sensing is funded at USD62.6 million, including a programmatic increase of USD2.0 million to develop a National Land Imaging Program. This program will assess the future need for civil, operational land imaging data and develop a blueprint to determine future needs for acquisition of satellite data to supplement Landsat 7 imagery.

In order to focus programs on activities that are inherently governmental and to concentrate on highest priority research, the President's 2009 budget reduces funding to the Mineral Resources and the National Water Quality Assessment (NAWQA) programs. A USD24.6 million net reduction to Mineral Resource Assessments is proposed, which will result in a 2009 program of USD26.3 million. A USD10.9 million net reduction to NAWQA is proposed for a total 2009 program of USD54.1 million. The President's 2009 budget also reduces the Earthquake Hazards Program by USD5.0 million, retaining USD49.1 million for the highest priority earthquake research projects.

For more information on the President's proposed USGS FY 2009 budget, visit: http://www.usgs.gov/budget/2009/2009index.asp.