Biden-Harris Administration Proposes 2025 Budget of $1.6 Billion for USGS
The funding aims to bolster USGS’s mission of addressing climate and hazard challenges.
- By Robert Yaniz Jr.
- Mar 14, 2024
To address climate change and natural-hazard resiliency, the Biden-Harris administration has proposed a $1.6 billion budget for the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) for fiscal year 2025 to support its mission of providing data and science for the stewardship of natural resources.
According to a release dated March 11, the budget request includes a notable $12 million increase for the Landsat Next Satellite Mission, a joint USGS-NASA initiative. This project aims to extend the world's longest-running space-based Earth observation program, providing critical data for managing environmental challenges such as wildfires, droughts and floods.
“The President’s FY 2025 budget request emphasizes the value that USGS science brings to strengthening our nation’s economic growth and security,” USGS Director David Applegate said in a statement.
The proposal seeks to enhance drought response capabilities with targeted investments in science and monitoring, including expanding the Federal Priority Streamgage Network and advancing integrated water availability assessments to support agriculture, ecosystem management and water protection. The budget also aims to strengthen USGS laboratories with a $1.7 million investment.
In addition, the budget proposes increased funding for the Energy and Minerals Resources and Ecosystems mission areas. This includes expanding critical mineral supply chain forecasting and enhancing wildlife migration corridor understanding. The proposal also leverages previous investments from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act, further supporting the USGS's role in addressing the nation's environmental and economic challenges.
More on the proposed USGS budget is available on the U.S. Department of the Interior website.
About the Author
Robert Yaniz Jr. is the Content Editor for Environmental Protection.