The Trump administration’s 2026 budget proposal would eliminate the U.S. Geological Survey’s (USGS) biological research arm, prompting scientists to mount an urgent campaign to preserve its wide-ranging conservation work.
Michael Doyle reports for E&E News.
In short:
- Trump’s budget would zero out the USGS Ecosystem Mission Area, a $293 million program that supports wildlife research, invasive species control, and forest management across 16 centers.
- Scientists and advocates have mobilized with letters, social media, and Capitol Hill visits, warning of severe consequences for public health and natural resources.
- The administration says the cut would reduce duplication and redirect focus to energy and minerals, aligning with conservative goals in the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025.
Key quote:
“It seems largely political. And from a scientific point of view, it’s really going to cost the country billions of dollars if we eliminate these programs which keep watch on things like avian influenza, water quality and forest fires.”
— Shahid Naeem, professor of ecology, Columbia University
Why this matters:
The USGS Ecosystem Mission Area has been the backbone of federal ecological science for more than 30 years, linking government, universities, and local communities to study and protect the natural world. Its work helps detect disease outbreaks like avian flu, track pollution in major watersheds, and manage wildlife populations under stress from development and climate shifts. Dismantling this network could leave communities without important scientific insights into clean water, healthy forests, and biodiversity. It also cuts off data used to shape fire response and land use decisions, particularly in rural areas. These losses come as ecosystems and the people who rely on them face mounting pressures from climate change and pollution.
Related: USDA cuts climate links as deadly livestock parasite spreads north
