Farmers are set to regain access to important climate data that was removed during the Trump administration after a successful lawsuit.
Farmers Win Battle to Restore Crucial Climate Data Following Lawsuit
Farmers Win Battle to Restore Crucial Climate Data Following Lawsuit
The Agriculture Department agrees to reinstate deleted climate information vital for farmers' decision-making.
The Agriculture Department has committed to restoring vital climate information previously deleted from its website, a move applauded by farmers and environmental groups. This decision follows a lawsuit initiated by organizations including the Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York, which argued that the absence of this data complicated farmers' ability to navigate climate-related risks.
The deleted information encompassed a range of resources, including federal funding opportunities, forest conservation strategies, and rural clean energy project details. Crucially, it also removed key tools such as the U.S. Forest Service’s “Climate Risk Viewer,” which provided critical maps and insights regarding how climate change could impact national forests and grasslands.
The lawsuit, filed in February, asserted that the removal of this data hindered farmers' capacity to make informed, time-sensitive decisions amidst rising threats from climate variability, such as prolonged heat events, droughts, flooding, and increased wildfire risk. Following legal pressure, the Agriculture Department responded, with U.S. attorney Jay Clayton informing the court that restoration efforts were already underway, with expectations to complete the process within two weeks.
Clayton also requested a postponement of a scheduled court hearing on May 21, proposing a report on the department's restoration progress instead. Jeffrey Stein, an associate attorney at Earthjustice—representing the plaintiffs—expressed satisfaction with the government's acknowledgment of the harmful effects caused by the removal of climate data, emphasizing its importance for the agricultural sector across the nation.
Karen Zraick reports on the intertwining legal battles around climate and environmental policy as they unfold in U.S. courts.
The deleted information encompassed a range of resources, including federal funding opportunities, forest conservation strategies, and rural clean energy project details. Crucially, it also removed key tools such as the U.S. Forest Service’s “Climate Risk Viewer,” which provided critical maps and insights regarding how climate change could impact national forests and grasslands.
The lawsuit, filed in February, asserted that the removal of this data hindered farmers' capacity to make informed, time-sensitive decisions amidst rising threats from climate variability, such as prolonged heat events, droughts, flooding, and increased wildfire risk. Following legal pressure, the Agriculture Department responded, with U.S. attorney Jay Clayton informing the court that restoration efforts were already underway, with expectations to complete the process within two weeks.
Clayton also requested a postponement of a scheduled court hearing on May 21, proposing a report on the department's restoration progress instead. Jeffrey Stein, an associate attorney at Earthjustice—representing the plaintiffs—expressed satisfaction with the government's acknowledgment of the harmful effects caused by the removal of climate data, emphasizing its importance for the agricultural sector across the nation.
Karen Zraick reports on the intertwining legal battles around climate and environmental policy as they unfold in U.S. courts.
