Dear President Bush:

During your recent election campaign, you talked about the importance of basing environmental decisions on sound science. I as a [environmental scientist, governmental official etc], and a supporter of the National Council for Science and the Environment agree with you in this regard.

I am writing to ask you to back your campaign language with a commitment to make investment in science for environmental decisionmaking a priority in your administration. In particular we are asking you to provide significantly increased funding for scientific programs to:

• Assess what is known about the environment
• Better understand the environment
• Provide scientific information about the environment
• Support science-based education about the environment.

These programs include:

• National Science Foundation’s biocomplexity in the environment initiative and portfolio of environmental science, engineering and education programs
• U.S. Geological Survey’s biological, geological, hydrological, and mapping divisions
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Research and Development, especially the Science To Achieve Results (STAR) research and fellowship programs
• National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration
• US Department of Agriculture’s environmental research programs through CSREES and the Agricultural Research Service, particularly the Natural Resource Initiative
• US Forest Service forestry research
• Department of Energy’s environmental science programs
• National Aeronautics and Space Administration earth exploration programs.
• National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences

We hope that you will view science as an investment that will lead to a stronger economy, healthy people, and a healthy environment.

Sincerely,