The agency’s Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research would be “eliminated as a line office,” according to a memo from the Office of Management and Budget.
The Trump administration is proposing a major overhaul of NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), aiming to drastically reduce its climate research and shift the agency’s focus to support fossil fuel development, according to a memo from the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB).
Key points:
- Budget Cuts: NOAA’s budget would drop from $6.1 billion to $4.5 billion, including a 38% cut to operations, research, and facilities.
- Elimination of Climate Office: The Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research, central to NOAA’s climate and weather science, would be abolished.
- Climate Programs Slashed: The memo ends NOAA’s climate portfolio, shuts down education and coastal programs like Sea Grant, and cuts university-based research funding.
- Mission Shift: NOAA would no longer engage in climate change work, focusing instead on weather services and aiding U.S. energy production.
- Agency Reorganization: Responsibilities like enforcement of marine species protections would shift to the Fish and Wildlife Service, weakening NOAA’s regulatory role.
- Satellite Program Cutbacks: GeoXO, a critical Earth-observing satellite program, would be scaled back with a narrower focus and reduced costs.
- Support for Fossil Fuels: NOAA Fisheries would be directed to prioritize energy-related permitting and consultations.
- Criticism: Former NOAA officials call the proposal devastating, warning it would cripple climate science, harm marine conservation, and damage NOAA’s core mission.
The memo is aligned with conservative policy goals from Project 2025, advocating a breakup of NOAA to dismantle what it calls “climate alarmism.” While labeled “pre-decisional,” such memos often result in enacted changes unless Congress intervenes.