USDA Reverses Course, Commits to Restore Purged Climate Webpages in Response to Farmers’ Lawsuit

Washington, DC —

Late last night, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reversed course and committed to restore climate-focused webpages purged from its websites after Earthjustice and the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University filed a lawsuit on behalf of the Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York (NOFA-NY), NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council), and the Environmental Working Group (EWG).

Resources purged from USDA websites include information on climate-smart farming, accessing federal loans, forest conservation, and rural clean energy projects. USDA erased entire climate sections from the U.S. Forest Service and Natural Resources Conservation Service sites, including information helping farmers access billions of dollars for critical conservation practices. It also disabled interactive tools, such as the U.S. Forest Service’s “Climate Risk Viewer,” a “one-stop shop for climate-related geospatial data” with over 140 data layers.

This purge hurt communities across the country by depriving farmers, researchers, and advocates of the resources they need to make time-sensitive farming decisions and participate in highly consequential debates about USDA funding and policies related to climate change.

Shortly after filing the lawsuit, the plaintiffs moved the court for a preliminary injunction, which sought a court order requiring USDA to restore the removed webpages and preventing USDA from taking down additional climate-related information.

Days before that motion was set to be heard in federal court, USDA reversed course. In a letter filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, USDA now says that it “will restore the climate-change-related web content that was removed post-inauguration” and that it “commits to complying with” federal laws governing its future “posting decisions.” USDA also says that it has begun restoring climate-related webpages and expects to substantially complete the restoration process in approximately two weeks.

“We’re glad that USDA recognized that its blatantly unlawful purge of climate-change-related information is harming farmers and communities across the country,” said Jeffrey Stein, Earthjustice associate attorney. “Farmers depend on USDA’s websites to protect their farms from droughts, wildfires, and extreme weather. We stand ready to ensure that USDA follows through on its promise to restore these crucial resources.”

“This is a major victory and an important first step. Members of the public, including our clients, rely on information from USDA to understand how climate change is affecting our nation’s forests, food supply, and energy systems,” said Stephanie Krent, Knight First Amendment Institute staff attorney. “USDA was wrong to remove these webpages in the first place, and it must comply with federal law going forward.”

“Restoring these resources is a major victory for farmers, scientists, and communities who depend on climate information to make critical decisions,” said Rebecca Riley, managing director, Food & Agriculture at NRDC. “Farmers need access to science-based tools to make the best decisions in an era of increasing extreme and more unpredictable weather.”

“NOFA-NY commends the USDA’s decision to restore climate-focused web resources for farmers,” said Marcie Craig, executive director of the Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York. “Access to timely, accurate, science-based climate information is essential for organic, regenerative agriculture communities facing increasingly unpredictable weather patterns. These tools will help organic producers make more informed decisions, protect their livelihoods, and contribute to a more resilient food system.”

“The restoration of these webpages and tools marks a significant victory for the climate, the environment and farmers,” said Anne Schechinger, Midwest director for the Environmental Working Group. “The Trump administration’s reversal in response to this legal challenge highlights the critical importance of public interest advocates standing up in the name of transparency and government accountability.”