Vital Climate Info WIPED — Local Leaders Scramble

Trump administration’s removal of climate assessment websites reveals a strategic shift in federal priorities, leaving local officials without access to critical planning tools they had previously relied upon.

Key Takeaways

• The Trump administration has dismissed approximately 400 scientists and experts working on the National Climate Assessment, significantly impacting local governments’ access to climate planning resources.
• Websites hosting U.S. national climate assessments have been taken down, with the White House stating the information will be housed within NASA, though searches on NASA websites yield no results.
• Funding for the U.S. Global Change Research Program, which oversees the National Climate Assessment, has been eliminated as part of broader federal budget adjustments.
• The administration has redirected NOAA’s main climate website and cut social media and blogs about climate impacts, marking a clear shift in federal climate communication priorities.

Federal Climate Resources Undergo Strategic Realignment

The Trump administration has initiated a significant restructuring of federal climate resources, including the removal of websites hosting the National Climate Assessment (NCA). This restructuring includes the dismissal of approximately 400 scientists and experts who were previously working on climate assessments. These assessments have historically provided region-specific projections that local governments used for infrastructure planning, budgeting, and emergency preparedness initiatives. The websites that hosted this information have now been taken offline, with the White House indicating that the information will eventually be housed within NASA, though specific details on when or how this transition will occur have not been provided.

The sixth version of the National Climate Assessment, which was expected to be released in late 2027 or early 2028, is now under reevaluation by the administration. This report is mandated by the 1990 Global Change Research Act, which requires a national climate assessment every four years. The administration has ended the contract with the firm that was coordinating the website and report, and volunteer authors have been informed that their services are no longer needed. This change represents a significant shift in how federal climate information is managed and distributed to state and local decision-makers.

Impact on Local Government Planning Capabilities

The removal of these resources has created challenges for local governments that previously relied on this data for planning and decision-making. The National Climate Assessment has been particularly valuable for midsized and smaller cities that lack the resources to conduct their own comprehensive climate analyses. Without access to these federal resources, local officials may find it more difficult to develop effective strategies for addressing potential climate-related challenges in their communities. The National Climate Assessment had provided detailed, localized information that was more useful for U.S. decision-makers than international climate reports.

“This is the most-vetted, most-looked-over document that is presented specifically for people living in cities and leaders in cities who are making plans for how climate change will impact them,” said Brenda Ekwurzel, Union of Concerned Scientists.

The 2023 report included an interactive atlas showing climate impacts at the county level, which highlighted specific regional concerns. Past reports are still available in NOAA’s library, but NASA’s data repository contains dead links to the assessment site. “The sudden removal of these resources means that governments and citizens seeking to access this information must now navigate a more complex landscape to find reliable climate data relevant to their specific regions and planning needs,” according to NOAA.

Broader Policy Implications

The changes to federal climate resources reflect the administration’s broader approach to environmental policy and information management. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which led the 14-agency collaboration that produced the National Climate Assessment, has faced budget and staffing adjustments under the Trump administration. Additionally, funding for the U.S. Global Change Research Program, which oversees the National Climate Assessment, has been eliminated. These changes are consistent with the administration’s commitment to fiscal responsibility and reevaluation of federal priorities.

“The loss of the NCA will mean elimination of critical guidance for industries, communities and organizations throughout the country” said Rick Spinrad, former NOAA undersecretary

The administration’s approach to climate information represents a significant departure from previous federal practices. The redirection of NOAA’s main climate website and the reduction in climate-related social media content and blogs indicate a shift in how the federal government communicates about climate issues. This realignment of federal resources reflects the administration’s focus on economic growth and regulatory efficiency, prioritizing immediate economic concerns over long-term climate projections that have often been used to justify increased regulation and government spending.