FY 2013 House Appropriations Committee’s Recommendations for USGS

“No less than 51 agencies and/or programs under the jurisdiction of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Subcommittee remain unauthorized or have an expired Congressional authorization of appropriations . . . . Together these unauthorized agencies and programs comprise nearly $6 billion of this fiscal year 2013 appropriation bill.

“Given the number of unauthorized programs, the Committee reserves the option to limit future funding for unauthorized programs or discontinue funding all together. In the fiscal year 2013 appropriations bill, the Committee has exercised that option by decreasing or terminating funding for fish and wildlife conservation; funding for USGS science programs; EPA’s U.S.-Mexico border grant program; EPA’s environmental education program; and others.

“The Committee urges the appropriate authorizing committees to expeditiously reauthorize these and other unauthorized agencies and/or programs in a timely fashion and encourages all entities with an interest in these laws to work with those authorizing committees to do so.”

“Bill Language. -- The bill provides two-year funding authority except for satellite operations and deferred maintenance and capital improvement projects, which are no-year authority. Provisos include a funding limitation on surveys on private property and a cost-share requirement on topographic mapping and water resources activities carried on in cooperation with States and municipalities.”

“Within Ecosystems, the bill includes the following program increases, as requested: $1,000,000 for white nose syndrome in bats; $2,000,000 for Great Lakes Asian carp control; and $1,000,000 for Upper Mississippi Asian carp control.”

“Within Climate and Land Use Change, the bill includes the following program changes, as requested: an increase of $500,000 for climate science support on tribal lands; a decrease of $1,750,000 from Land Remote Sensing; and an increase of $750,000 for disaster response.”

“Within Energy, Minerals, and Environmental Health, the bill includes the following program changes, as requested: an increase of $1,000,000 for rare earth elements research; and a decrease of $250,000 from the minerals external research program. The Committee does not accept the proposed reductions of $500,000 from Contaminant Biology and $2,000,000 from Toxic Substances Hydrology. The Committee supports continuing efforts by the Survey to conduct an in-depth analysis of the extent and sources of endocrine-disrupting chemicals impacting fish and wildlife in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.”

“Within Natural Hazards, the bill includes the following program decreases, as requested: $300,000 from volcano observatory assessments; and $700,000 from the National Volcano Early Warning System.

“The Committee recognizes that earthquakes are a destructive and costly natural hazard threat to the United States. Given that many regions remain vulnerable to earthquake hazards, the Committee encourages the Survey to continue its efforts with partner stakeholders in research, development, and outreach to increase preparedness across the country. Furthermore, the Committee recognizes the importance of a robust earthquake monitoring network to the safety and vitality of our Nation and encourages the Survey, in conjunction with stakeholders, to continue efforts to maintain and develop the Advanced National Seismic System in order to enable early earthquake warnings.”

“Within Water Resources, the bill includes the following program changes: an increase of $2,500,000 for a groundwater network, as requested; a decrease of $459,000 from National Water Quality Assessment instead of the requested $6,049,000 decrease; and an increase of $3,112,000 for disaster response within the National Streamflow Information Program instead of the requested $5,500,000 increase.”

“Within Core Science Systems, the bill includes the following program decreases, as requested: $700,000 from data management; and $446,000 from data preservation.”

“Within Administration and Enterprise Information, the bill includes a combined decrease of $3,691,000 from Administrative Services, as requested.”

“Within Facilities, the bill includes a program decrease of $4,390,000 due to operations and maintenance efficiencies, as requested.”