On April 30, 2025, The Electrochemical Society (ECS) joined other scientific organizations in signing a letter to US Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum urging funding in the FY26 federal budget of the USGS Ecosystems Mission Area (EMA) at the same level as in the FY25 budget, to ensure that its important work continues. ECS recognizes the vital role the EMA plays in providing essential scientific research, data, and tools that are crucial for the health of the environment, the well-being of the public, and the sustainable management of natural resources.
The EMA is considered the biological research arm of the U.S. Department of Interior and provides science to help the US achieve sustainable management and conservation of biological resources. The letter expressed EMA’s importance and support for its critical work, including:
- Importance for stakeholders managing commercially and recreationally significant fish, wildlife, and land.
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Contribution to risk mitigation by helping partners assess and mitigate risks related to invasive species, wildlife diseases, contaminants, and ecosystem change.
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Safeguarding communities and resources by informing decisions in the face of disturbances, extreme events, and long-term land use impacts; and assisting in balancing energy production with environmental protection.
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Essential for interdisciplinary science and crucial to the USGS’s ability to deploy interdisciplinary teams to address complex modern problems, benefitting areas including ecosystem management, water quality, hazard risk reduction, resource assessment, and emergency response.