Concerns grow as US government is set to shut down crucial service: 'We're not willing to just drop everything and walk away'

Centers that perform a range of critical work nationwide to support people, wildlife, and land against looming threats face an uncertain future due to funding uncertainty.

What's happening?

The Washington Post reported that the U.S. Geological Survey's Climate Adaptation Science Centers are facing closure amid a lack of funds. The Northeast, South Central, and Pacific Island centers provide a range of essential services that impact approximately a third of the country. The funding uncertainty is not related to the government shutdown but is part of a broader move by the current administration to curtail the center's activities.

The climate adaptation centers' main goals are to provide the science and data that enable officials to make informed decisions and effectively manage the impact of a warming planet. Interior Department officials are not releasing the funds needed to keep the centers open and operating at full capacity. 

Bethany Bradley, the co-director of the Northeast Climate Adaptation Science Center, said, "We're not willing to just drop everything and walk away … But the reality is we can't do this for free and pay our [research] students nothing." 

Why is a funding freeze for science centers concerning?

Despite the current administration's anti-science rhetoric and actions, the USGS's centers have broad bipartisan support for the work they do in local areas. For example, Republicans in York County, Pennsylvania, praised the work of the USGS in providing accurate data about water pollutants in the region. 

Meade Krosby, the director of the Northwest CASC, told NRDC, "It's recognized on both sides of the aisle, the value that we bring to supporting their constituencies in preparing for climate change." 

If the centers are shut down, it will make forming effective local policies for fisheries, water, wildlife, and other natural resources much more difficult, and a vast amount of institutional knowledge will be lost. 

What's being done to protect research?

While obviously deeply concerning, the situation is not yet lost. It's worth noting that there's nothing inherently partisan about wanting to protect the environment. A bill to sell off millions of acres of public lands was quashed amid strong bipartisan opposition.

With strong local action, productive conversations to reach common ground, and informed decisions at the ballot, federal overreach can be defeated.

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