The Brief
• The U.S. Geological Survey’s 2026 budget eliminates all funding for the Ecosystems Mission Area, which includes the Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center in La Crosse, Wisconsin
• The center, which employs 86 people and conducts research on fish, wildlife, and aquatic ecosystems, will be decommissioned along with other environmental research facilities nationwide
• Federal officials say the elimination will save taxpayer money and allow the agency to focus on energy and mineral development priorities
LA CROSSE (WKBT) — A federal environmental research center that employs 86 people in La Crosse will close under the Trump administration’s 2026 budget proposal.
The Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, located at 2630 Fanta Reed Road, is one of 18 biological research centers nationwide that that stands to lose funding. The USGS 2026 budget requests zero dollars for the entire Ecosystems Mission Area, down from $292.9 million in 2025.
“The elimination saves U.S. taxpayer money and allows the bureau to focus on higher priority activities, including achieving energy and minerals dominance,” according to the budget document.
The center conducts research on aquatic ecosystem health, river ecology, wildlife conservation, and studies native freshwater mussels and white-nose syndrome in bats. The closure would end decades of scientific work on Great Lakes region and Upper Mississippi River system environmental challenges.
The elimination affects all ecosystem research activities, with one exception: invasive carp research will continue under the Water Resources Mission Area to support efforts protecting the Great Lakes.
Federal officials plan to decommission 1.1 million square feet of USGS facilities, allocating $46.2 million for closure efforts. The budget document does not specify what will happen to the 86 workers at the La Crosse facility.
The budget proposal requires Congressional approval to take effect.
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