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Congressional Research Seric
~Inforrning the legislative debate since 1914
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March 24, 2023
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS): Background and FY2024
Appropriations
Background
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in the Department of
the Interior (DOI), provides scientific information about
geologic processes to mitigate risks from natural hazards
and to support the management of water, energy, mineral,
ecosystem, and land resources. The USGS also collects
long-term Earth observations to understand geologic and
ecosystem processes, using satellite imagery, mapping, and
ground-based instruments to measure changes. In contrast
to some other DOI bureaus, the USGS has no regulatory
authority and does not manage lands.
Congress created the USGS in 1879 in 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 water resources,
ecosystems, and natural hazards. The USGS conducts
scientific activities under interdisciplinary mission areas,
and each mission area has its own budget line (Table 1).
The USGS also has budget lines for Science Support
(administrative activities and information) and Facilities.
Congress typically appropriates funds for the agency
through annual Interior, Environment, and Related
Agencies appropriations acts.
FY2024 Budget Request
The President's budget request for USGS appropriations in
FY2024 is $1.786 billion, $288.3 million more than
FY2023 annual appropriations of $1.497 billion provided
by Division of G of P.L. 117-328 (a 19% increase; Figure
1). For FY2023, the President requested a 23% increase
over FY2022 annual appropriations of $1.394 billion. The
FY2023 annual appropriation provided a 7% increase over
FY2022 annual appropriations.
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA; P.L. 117-
58) provided the USGS with $510.7 million in
supplemental appropriations, $69.0 million of which are
first made available in FY2024. This total includes $64.0
million for the Earth Mapping Resources Initiative and $5.0
million for the National Geological and Geophysical Data
Preservation Program. The USGS has provided information
(including at the end of its FY2024 Budget Justification) on
how the agency plans to spend its IIJA funding. The
funding is to support science to address critical mineral
information and to preserve geological data.
Figure 1. USGS Annual Appropriations, FY2019 to
FY2023, and FY2024 Budget Request
(nominal $, in millions)
i 1 1
-Y219 Y02 FY12F203F2
Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS), based on enacted
appropriations laws and the President's FY2024 request.
Note: FY2019-FY2022 amounts are adjusted for inflation to FY2022
dollars, using FY2024 Budget of the United States Government,
Historical Tables, Table 10.1.
Table I. USGS Funding: FY2022 and FY2023 Annual
Appropriations and FY2024 Budget Request
(nominal $, in millions)
Mission Area or FY2022 FY2023 FY2024
Budget Line Enacted Enacted Requested
Ecosystems 277.9 307.2 395.0
Energy and 95.2 104.2 150.8
Mineral Resources
Natural Hazards 186.0 200.3 226.2
Water Resources 285.9 304.4 31 3.4
Core Science 263.8 284.6 368.6
Systems
Science Support 99.7 106.3 1 34.2
Facilities 184.8 188.T 10.97.5
Total i,394.4 1,497.2 1,785.5
Sources: FY2024 U.S. Geological Survey Budget justification and
explanatory statements accompanying P.L. 1 17-103 and P.L. 1 17-328.
Note: Table figures may not add to totals shown due to rounding
and C ssion ally Directed Spending items in FY2022 and FY2023.](ViewImageLocal?handle=hein.crs/govelaf0001&div=1&collection=&method=preview&ext=.png&size=3)