Over the next two weeks, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will be restoring multiple pages to its website on topics related to climate change. The pages were taken down by the department on January 30, 10 days after President Donald Trump’s inauguration, in an effort to remove information that did not align with the new administration’s policies, according to Reuters.
The decision to restore the pages comes after a lawsuit was filed against the USDA by the Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York (NOFA-NY), Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and the Environmental Working Group (EWG), represented by attorneys from Earthjustice and the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University.
“Farmers depend on USDA’s websites to protect their farms from droughts, wildfires and extreme weather,” said Jeffrey Stein, associate attorney, Earthjustice, in a statement. “We stand ready to ensure that USDA follows through on its promise to restore these crucial resources.”
What was removed
According to NOFA-NY, the USDA removed information on:
- Climate-smart farming,
- Federal loans,
- Conservation programs and funding,
- Climate and extreme weather adaptation strategies,
- Climate information from the U.S. Forest Service and Natural Resources Conservation Service sites,
- The U.S. Forest Service’s “Climate Risk Viewer,” and
- Reducing emissions.
The lawsuit alleges that the information’s removal violates the Freedom of Information Act, the Paperwork Reduction Act and the Administrative Procedure Act – which requires the government give notice of proposed and final rulemaking.
“Climate change is not a hoax. Farmers, fisherman, and foresters know from experience, that we need every piece of science and intergenerational knowledge to adjust to this new reality,” said Wes Gillingham, NOFA-NY board president. “Taking climate change information off websites, freezing funds, and laying off USDA workers that are helping to protect communities is ludicrous. The removal of vital information for family farms is the real hoax being played on America.”
