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FY 2015 Budget Request: U.S. Geological Survey

MAR 07, 2014

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has requested $1,073.3 million for FY 2015. Under this request, total funding would increase $41.3 million or 4.0 percent from its current budget of $1,032.0 million. USGS is within the Department of the Interior for which the Obama Administration has requested a total increase of 2.4 percent. The Department of Interior’s Budget in Brief explains that for its programs funded through its annual appropriations act the requested increase is 1 percent.

The document contains a seven-page section on USGS with fairly extensive request numbers for the below programs. This section notes:

“The budget prioritizes programs unique to USGS which have national impacts, and provide monitoring, research, and tools to make science immediately usable, particularly in support of Interior’s resource and land management missions and trust responsibilities. To optimize investments in these priorities, some targeted reductions were made. Highlights of the budget include increases for priorities in ecosystem restoration, water resources management, sustainable energy development, climate resilience, and earth observation systems, including streamgages and Lidar elevation data, which provide critical data to the Nation. Continuation of a hydraulic fracturing research and development effort with the Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency will support research to better understand and minimize potential environmental, health, and safety impacts of energy development through hydraulic fracturing.”

Total USGS:
The FY 2014 appropriation was $1,032.0 million
The FY 2015 request is $1,073.3 million, an increase of $41.3 million or 4.0 percent

Within this budget are the following programs:

Ecosystems:
The FY 2014 appropriation was $152.8 million
The FY 2015 request is $162.0 million, an increase of $9.2 million or 6.0 percent

Climate and Land Use Change:
The FY 2014 appropriation was $132.0 million
The FY 2015 request is $149.1 million, an increase of $17.1 million or 13.0 percent

Energy, Minerals, and Environmental Health:
The FY 2014 appropriation was $91.5 million
The FY 2015 request is $99.1 million, an increase of $7.6 million or 8.3 percent

Natural Hazards:
The FY 2014 appropriation was $128.5 million
The FY 2015 request is $128.4 million, a decrease of $0.1 million or 0.1 percent

Water Resources:
The FY 2014 appropriation was $207.3 million
The FY 2015 request is $210.4 million, an increase of $3.1 million or 1.5 percent

Core Science Systems:
The FY 2014 appropriation was $108.8 million
The FY 2015 request is $109.4 million, an increase of $0.6 million or 0.6 percent

Science Support (new name):
The FY 2014 appropriation was $110.7 million
The FY 2015 request is $108.3 million, a decrease of $2.4 million or 2.2 percent

Facilities:
The FY 2014 appropriation was $100.4 million
The FY 2015 request is $106.7 million, an increase of $6.3 million or 6.3 percent

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