FY 2014 USGS Budget Request

The President’s FY 2014 budget request for the United States Geological Survey (USGS) is $1.17 billion, an increase of $98.8 million or 9.2 percent above the FY 2012 enacted level of $1.07 billion.

The proposal priorities include: “studying energy resources and environmental issues; advancing water monitoring and availability research; supporting the nationwide streamgage network; improving the capacity to quickly and effectively respond to natural hazards; providing information needed to protect priority ecosystems; and enhancing climate change research that is user-focused to address specific needs of natural resource managers across the landscape,” according to a USGS press statement.

Some highlights from the USGS FY 2014 budget request include:

New Energy Frontier: The proposal includes funding increases of $4.0 million to support the exploration of geothermal resources on federal lands as well as research “to support the mitigation of the impacts of wind energy on wildlife.” The proposal also includes $18.6 million, an increase of $13.0 million, to support collaborative efforts between the USGS, Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Agency “to understand and minimize potential adverse environmental, health, and safety impacts of shale gas development through hydraulic fracturing.”

Water: The FY 2014 proposal includes funding for more than 400 streamgages “that would enhance the ability to monitor high priority sites sensitive to drought, flooding, and potential climate change effects.” The proposal also includes $22.5 million for WaterSMART, an initiative “focused on sustainable water strategy.”

Natural Disasters: The FY 2014 proposal includes $2.5 million for rapid disaster response improvements focused on minimizing hazard risks to populations and infrastructure.

Ecosystem Priorities: The FY 2014 budget proposal includes $16.6 million for priority ecosystem science, which includes research on controlling and managing invasive species.

Climate Change Science: The FY 2014 budget request includes a total of $67.8 million for the Science for Adapting to a Changing Climate initiative. The proposal also includes funding increases for the USGS National Climate Change and Wildlife Science Center.

Critical Minerals and Rare Earth Elements: The FY 2014 request includes an increase of $1.0 million for USGS research on rare earth elements. Also included in the FY 2014 request is $1.1 million for expanding research on other high priority minerals used in manufacturing.

Reductions in the USGS budget proposal include Water Resource Research Institutes, the National Civil Application Program, North American Data Buy, and mineral resources research.

The USGS budget request is divided into eight accounts:

Ecosystems
The FY 2014 request was $180.8 million which is $22.5 million or 14.2 percent above the FY 2012 enacted level of $158.3 million.

Climate and Land Use Change
The FY 2014 request was $156.0 million which is $14.6 million or 10.3 percent above the FY 2012 enacted level of $141.4 million.

Energy, Minerals, and Environmental Health
The FY 2014 request was $107.4 million which is $11.4 million or 11.8 percent above the FY 2012 enacted level of $96.1 million.

Natural Hazards
The FY 2014 request was $142.6 million which is $11.4 million or 8.7 percent above the FY 2012 enacted level of $131.1 million.

Water Resources
The FY 2014 request was $222.9 million which is $13.3 million or 6.3 percent above the FY 2012 enacted level of $209.6 million.

Core Science Systems
The FY 2014 request was $137.2 million which is $22.9 million or 20.0 percent above the FY 2012 enacted level of $114.3 million.

Administration and Enterprise Information
The FY 2014 request was $115.6 million which is $1.3 million or 1.1 percent below the FY 2012 enacted level of $116.8 million.

Facilities
The FY 2014 request was $104.5 million which is $4.1 million or 4.0 percent above the FY 2012 enacted level of $100.4 million.