Arizona earthquake funding denied

The USGS turned down our funding request to characterize the most active fault in Arizona to better understand earthquake hazards.   Ironically, the letter informing us that the proposal was denied, arrived just hours after a series of earthquake shook most of the population of the state.

AZGS proposed doing detailed work on the Lake Mary fault in northern Arizona under the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program.  The letter from the USGS program manager stated:

Your proposal ... has been recommended for funding by the peer panel that reviewed the proposed research. Unfortunately, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Earthquake Hazards Program does not have sufficient resources available to fund your proposal in fY 2016.

Of the 211 proposals reviewed under this Announcement, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) will support 39 proposals; will place 39 proposals on hold pending a funding decision in January 2016; will decline to fund 52 proposals due to a lack of sufficient funds; and will decline to fund $1 proposals that were not recommended for funding by the peer panels.

 Arizona suffers from a widespread perception that we don't have earthquakes and thus are low on the priority list for resources to address this hazard and risk to the population.