U.S. Geological Survey: Background, Appropriations, and Issues for Congress

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) aims to provide unbiased scientific information to describe and understand the geological processes of the Earth; minimize loss of life and property from natural disasters; manage water, biological, energy, and mineral resources; and enhance and protect the nation's quality of life. The USGS is a scientific agency that is housed within the Department of the Interior. Its primary mission is conducting science; it has no regulatory authority, nor does it manage any significant federal lands. The USGS also collects and stores scientific information that is compiled into long-term continuous data sets. These data sets range from satellite imagery of land and ecosystem features to streamflow data on major rivers and streams. The USGS conducts scientific activities under seven interdisciplinary mission areas: (1) water resources; (2) climate and land use change; (3) energy and minerals; (4) natural hazards; (5) core science systems; (6) ecosystems; and (7) environmental health. The agency is funded through Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies appropriations laws. The FY2015 budget request for the USGS was $1.07 billion, which is $41.3 million more than the FY2014 enacted level of $1.03 billion. Congressional interest in the USGS is high because many USGS activities have nationwide and regional policy implications. USGS partners with several stakeholders in its monitoring and scientific endeavors and contributes scientific knowledge to seminal policy decisions such as the listing of species under the Endangered Species Act, the management of water supplies, and the placement of emergency response resources following major storm events or hurricanes. Some potential congressional concerns about the USGS involve the scope of its mission. For example, some in Congress contend that the mission of the USGS has expanded beyond the scope of its Organic Act, to the detriment of its work on geological issues. In contrast, some others note that the USGS has expanded its scope in response to congressional authorizations and that its mission has changed over time to reflect the needs of the country. Some specific USGS programs-for example, the agency's role in assessing the nation's mineral, oil, and natural gas resources-have also been of interest to Congress. Often, the results of these studies and assessments have led to congressional decision-making regarding resource development and federal land use. Other USGS activities that have generated congressional interest and debate include the National Streamflow Information Program, which deploys streamgages across the country to measure water flows and quality; the Landsat Program, which collects remotely sensed data from satellites and distributes it to stakeholders; and the Natural Hazards Program, which is involved in evaluating, observing, studying, and contributing to the mitigation of natural hazards such as earthquakes, volcanoes, landslides, and coastal storms, among others.

Author: Congressional Research Service

Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform

Publication Date: Nov 05, 2014

Number of Pages: 38 pages

Binding: Paperback or Softback

ISBN-10: 1503177092

ISBN-13: 9781503177093