distilled from press releases and news articles . . .
Secretary Bruce Babbitt announced the creation of the National Biological
Survey on April 26th. It is an independent bureau within the Department of
the Interior that will coordinate long-term analyses and inventories of
the nation's biological resources. The bureau will start operating on
October 1, 1993, with about $180 million in funding and a staff of 1,600
scientists and support personnel. The staff and funding will come from the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service and Bureau of Land
Management, as well as 5 other smaller bureaus. The new bureau will be
modeled on the U.S. Geological Survey, and its mission will be to provide
basic scientific research on natural resources, while policy and
regulatory decisions will still be made by other bureaus.
President Clinton was quoted, saying the biological survey would "help us
protect endangered species, and just as importantly . . . help the
agricultural and biotechnical industries of our country identify new
sources of food, fiber and medication."
Some projects it will tackle include:
o Expanded research on Everglades National Park to provide an ecosystem
perspective on the region's severe ecological problems.
o Collaborative effort to restore and preserve sensitive habitat within
southern forested wetlands.
o Examining causes and developing recommendations to reverse the decline
of salmon stocks in the Pacific Northwest.
. . .So if you see a reference to the National Biological Survey, it is
not a paper survey, it is a Federal agency. And, remember, reorganization
is not unique to USDA.
Cynthia Garman-Squier
ES-USDA Water Quality Team 202-720-5245
Room 3344 South FAX: 202-720-4730
Washington, D.C. 20250-0900 e-mail: cgsquier@esusda.gov