The President has proposed a budget of $806.9 million for the Interior Department's U.S.Geological Survey (USGS) in Fiscal Year 1999. The proposed budget reflects a net increase of $47.7 million over the FY 1998 enacted level for the USGS's unique interdisciplinary natural science capabilities. The USGS provides crucial scientific information for natural resource and disaster management decisionmakers at all levels of government and the private sector.

Increases include $16.5 million in support of the Administration's Clean Water and Watershed Restoration Initiative for a wide range of water-quality monitoring and watershed assessment activities; $15 million for a multi-agency natural disaster information network hosted by the USGS; and $11 million for species and habitat conservation studies in support of the nation's natural resource managers.

"Impartial scientific information is the foundation for effective policymaking," said Dr. Thomas Casadevall, acting USGS director. "As the Nation's primary natural science agency, the USGS is committed to responding to America's critical scientific, health, and economic concerns, such as the quality of the nation's water, increased understanding of species and habitats, and the safety of life and property in earthquakes, floods and other natural disasters."

"USGS is focusing on science that is relevant to the nation's needs and concerns," added Casadevall. "That is why USGS scientists are at work every day on issues of concern to every citizen across our country, using their expertise to establish solid baseline information that will benefit generations of Americans. From identifying water quality threats associated with abandoned mine lands to determining the cause of bird die-offs in the Salton Sea, from understanding major ecosystems such as the Everglades, San Francisco Bay, and Chesapeake Bay to responding when natural disasters occur, every day the USGS is providing science for our changing world.
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Contact: Trudy Harlow
tharlow@usgs.gov
703-648-4483
United States Geological Survey
2-Feb-1998