H.R. 5345 would authorize the appropriation of $5 million annually over the 2022-2027 period for the United States Geological Survey (USGS) to establish and implement a plan to assess, monitor, and conserve saline lake ecosystems and wildlife in the Great Basin. Those funds would be available for federal planning, research, and conservation activities as well as grants to and cooperative agreements with state, local, and tribal governments, and certain private entities.
Using historical spending patterns for similar USGS programs and assuming appropriation of the authorized amounts, CBO estimates that implementing the bill would cost $23 million over the 2022-2026 period and $7 million after 2026.
The costs of the legislation, detailed in Table 1, fall within budget function 300 (natural resources and environment).
