The Trump administration’s plans to slash staffing at U.S. Geological Survey science centers could hit federal efforts to combat invasive species, manage waterfowl habitat and aid permitting for energy development, among other research priorities.
While important details and specific impacts remain unclear, the Interior Department’s reduction-in-force plan presented to a federal court in San Francisco on Monday reveals that more than 330 USGS jobs would be eliminated. The plan also itemizes the cuts planned for certain centers.
“This plan would eviscerate the core science that every American depends on. USGS research underpins everything from American energy to insurance to transportation,” Jennifer Rokala, the executive director of the Center for Western Priorities, said in a statement, adding the envisioned cuts would “devastate scientific research across the Rocky Mountains, Great Plains, and Great Lakes.”
In some cases, the staff reductions would be particularly stark.
