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Congressional Reseah Service
~ lnformring the legisIltive debate since 1914
Updated January 4, 2021
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS): FY2021 Appropriations
Process and Background
Background
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; and support the
management of water, biological, energy, and mineral
resources. The USGS is a scientific agency housed within
the Department of the Interior (DOI). In contrast to other
DOI bureaus, it has no regulatory authority and does not
manage any major federal lands. The USGS also collects
scientific information for long-term data sets. These data
sets range from satellite imagery of land and ecosystem
features to streamflow and groundwater data.
Congress created the USGS in 1879 in a portion of a law
known as the USGS Organic Act (43 U.S.C. §31). The
USGS Organic Act defined the initial scope of the USGS:
[The Director of the USGS] shall have the direction
of the United States Geological Survey, and the
classification of the public lands and examination of
the geological structure, mineral resources, and
products of the national domain.
Since 1879, Congress has expanded the USGS's statutory
authorities to include activities related to ecosystems and
natural hazards. The USGS conducts scientific activities
under interdisciplinary mission areas, and each mission area
has its own budget line. The USGS also has budget lines for
Science Support (administrative activities and information)
and Facilities. Congress appropriates funds for the agency
through the annual Interior, Environment, and Related
Agencies appropriations acts.
Appropriations
Through P.L. 116-260, Congress appropriated $1.316
billion to the USGS for FY2021 under Division G, the
Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related
Agencies Appropriations Act, 2021. FY2021 appropriations
were $344 million above the FY2021 President's budget
request of $971.2 million and $45 million above the
FY2020 enacted level of $1.271 billion (a 3.5% increase;
see Figure 1). The FY2021 President's budget request
proposed restructuring mission areas (see Table 1) and
reorganizing programs under mission areas. In the FY2021
appropriations act, Congress reduced USGS mission areas
from six to five by eliminating the Land Resources mission
area and transferring its programs and funding to other
mission areas. Congress also created new programs in
Ecosystems and retained the organization of some of the
mission areas (e.g., Water Resources). Compared with
FY2020 funding, the act increased funding for all mission
areas except Energy and Mineral Resources. (The act
funded the Environmental Health Program under
Ecosystems instead of under Energy and Mineral
Resources, as in previous acts.) The act decreased funding
for Science Support and Facilities compared with FY2020
levels.
Figure 1. USGS Annual Appropriations
(FY20 I 6-FY2021; nominal $, in millions)
1, 400 61
$1,300 1 316
10$,149 $1,161
$1,062 $1.085
$1,000
$900
$70
$600
50 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Fiscal Year
Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS) with public law data.
Table 1. USGS Funding: FY2020
Request, and FY2021 Enacted
Enacted, FY2021
(nominal $, in millions)
Mission Area or FY2020 FY2021 FY2021
Budget Line Enacted Request Enacted
Ecosystems 170.5 127.3 259.1
Land Resources 166.3 0.0 0.0
Energy and Mineral 113.5 91.2 90.0
Resources
Natural Hazards 170.9 138.0 175.5
Water Resources 234.1 180.8 263.1
Core Science Systems 137.9 212.0 252.7
Science Support 96.8 94.2 95.7
Facilities 180.9 127.6 179.4
Total 1,271.0 971.2 1,315.5
Sources: FY2021 U.S. Geological Survey Budget Justification; P.L.
116-94; and P.L. 116-260.
Note: P.L. 116-260 eliminated Land Resources and transferred
funding for those activities to Core Science Systems and Ecosystems.
Table figures may not add to totals shown due to rounding.
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