• Farmers and environmental groups have sued the USDA, alleging it removed climate change-related content from its website. The lawsuit claims the agency ordered the deletions on Jan. 30, affecting data, tools and funding information.
• The suit also alleges that USDA froze funding for conservation and climate programs and removed related public records, limiting farmers’ ability to access important resources.
• Plaintiffs, including the Natural Resources Defense Council and Earthjustice attorneys, argue the removals violated federal laws and are seeking a court order to restore the purged content, as well as prevent further deletions.

Full Story

Farmers and environmental organizations have filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) over removing climate change-related content from the agency’s website. The lawsuit was filed on Monday, Feb. 24, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. It alleges that USDA Director of Digital Communications Peter Rhee ordered staff on Jan. 30 to take down web pages containing data, interactive tools and funding information used by farmers and researchers.

Why is the USDA being sued?

According to the suit, the affected websites provided farmers with critical information on climate-related risks such as extreme weather, droughts and wildfires. The suit also claims they gave farmers strategies for adapting to and preparing for climate change.

The plaintiffs claim that the removals occurred within hours of the directive. They also claimed that the USDA froze funding previously promised to businesses and nonprofits through conservation and climate programs.

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The lawsuit further alleges that USDA officials deleted information about these programs from public records. They said this restricted farmers’ ability to get resources they needed to access funds they are owed.

“Farmers are on the frontlines of climate impacts. We have been reacting to extreme weather and making choices to protect our businesses and our food system for years,” Wes Gillingham, board president of the Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York, said. “Taking climate change information off websites, freezing funds, and laying off USDA workers that are helping to protect communities is ludicrous.”

Who is involved in this litigation?

The organizations that brought this case forward include the Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York, the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Environmental Working Group. Attorneys from Earthjustice and the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University are leading this legal action.

“USDA’s irrational climate change purge doesn’t just hurt farmers, researchers, and advocates. It also violates federal law several times over,” Jeffrey Stein, Earthjustice associate attorney, said. “USDA should be working to protect our food system from droughts, wildfires, and extreme weather, not denying the public access to critical resources.”

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What happens next?

The plaintiffs argue that the decision to take down these web pages violated three federal laws. They are seeking a court order to restore the deleted materials and prevent further removals.