Three nonprofit organizations filed a lawsuit in the federal district court for the Southern District of New York alleging that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) had unlawfully directed the “purge” of climate change-focused webpages. The complaint alleged that the USDA Director of Digital Communications sent an email on January 30, 2025 ordering USDA staff to “identify and archive or unpublish any landing pages focused on climate change” by close of business on the following day and to identify and sort other webpages related to climate change. The complaint alleged that “scores of webpages” were removed without public notice or explanation, including webpages with “resources on which farmers relied to access financial and technical assistance for implementing conservation practices”; webpages that published or linked to “datasets and interactive tools on which farmers, landowners, researchers, and other members of the public relied to understand and combat climate-change-related risks and vulnerabilities, to search for federal funding opportunities, and to assess the efficacy of USDA programs”; landing pages that served as repositories of links to more specific pages about USDA climate-focused programs; and webpages with policies and interpretations for discharging USDA responsibilities. The plaintiffs alleged that USDA failed to comply with its obligations under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA); took action that was arbitrary, capricious, an abuse of discretion, or not in accordance with law in contravention of the Administrative Procedure Act; violated affirmative obligations under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) to make certain materials available; and violated the FOIA mandate to “index” all records that must be affirmatively disclosed in an electronic format. The plaintiffs asked the court to order USDA to restore the unlawfully removed webpages, to enjoin USDA from further implementing the directive to archive or unpublish climate change-focused webpages, and to order USDA to comply with PRA duties to provide adequate notice before removing or substantially modifying other climate change-focused webpages and to ensure public access to USDA’s public information.

Lawsuit challenging the Trump administration U.S. Department of Agriculture's allegedly unlawful "purge" of climate change-focused webpages.

Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York v. U.S. Department of Agriculture

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Plaintiffs Challenged Department of Agriculture “Purge” of Climate Change-Related Websites

Filed

United States of America

New York

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An aim to achieve a quantifiable outcome within a given time-frame, set by an institution such as a national government.

Policy instruments are techniques or tools used by governing authorities to promote certain policies in order to achieve predetermined goals. Put simply, instruments are how a government tries to achieve its goals, with this taxonomy being focused on national policy instruments.

Risk is the potential for adverse consequences resulting from the dynamic interplay between (climate-related) hazards, exposure, and vulnerability of affected human or ecological systems.

Groups  of people who are adversely affected by climate change or the response to it

A set of principles, processes, and practices that build economic and political power to shift from an extractive economy to a regenerative economy.

Justice is the ethical and political framework that addresses fairness, including issues of responsibility, rights, and structural inequity.

Renewable energy means all forms of energy produced from renewable sources in a sustainable manner.

Fossil fuel is a generic term for non-renewable energy sources such as coal, fossil gas, and oil (including crude oil, and petroleum products), that can be used for electricity and heat generation. Fossil fuels are hydrocarbons formed from pressurised and heated organic material buried over millions of years.

Molecules in the atmosphere that play a key role in the greenhouse effect by trapping heat radiating from Earth’s surface.

Area of the economy in which actors engage in identical or related activities.

In human systems, the process of adjustment to actual or expected climate change and its effects, in order to moderate harm, increase resilience or exploit beneficial opportunities. In natural systems, the process of adjustment to actual climate change and its effects; human intervention may facilitate adjustment to expected climate change and its effects.

The management and allocation of funds, assets and investments to meet various objectives

People who are less able to respond to the effects of climate change due to having limited financial or physical assets

A loan is a policy instrument where funds are provided to a borrower with the expectation of repaying the principal plus interest.

A target to reduce the prevalence of a greenhouse gas over a specific time frame

Either money or something of monetary value is transferred between two or more organisations, people or countries.

Conditions that enhance the feasibility of adaptation options. Enabling conditions include finance, technological innovation, strengthening policy instruments, institutional capacity, multi-level governance and changes in human behaviour and lifestyles.

Actions or measures to adapt terrestrial systems to climate change.

The release of heat-trapping gases, primarily from human activities such as burning fossil fuels, agriculture and industry.

Actions to reduce emissions in energy generation and supply.

Extreme weather refers to events where a weather variable exceeds (or falls below) a threshold. Meaning it is significantly different from the average or usual weather pattern.

Terrestrial means "of the earth" and relates to the risks to ecological system that includes all living organisms and their interactions within land-based environments, such as forests, grasslands, and deserts.

Social protection systems consist of policies that help people manage social risks in order to prevent poverty and maintain decent incomes and living standards

People whose health, both mental and physical, makes them more vulnerable to the effects of climate change

The activities of industries involved in the production, distribution, and sale of energy, including electricity, gas, and renewables.

This sector creates and distributes information and entertainment through television, radio, print, and digital platforms.

This sector provides communication services, software development, and IT solutions.

This sector involves activities that impart knowledge and skills to individuals, including formal schooling, vocational training and educational support.

Activities of government agencies and institutions that provide public services, enforce laws and manage public resources.

This sector includes firms and individuals offering specialised expertise in fields such as law, accounting, consulting, science and engineering.

Activities of businesses and institutions that provide financial services and products to individuals and organisations.

Activities that involve the cultivation of crops and raising of livestock for food, fibre, and other products essential for human life and industry.

Plaintiffs Challenged Department of Agriculture “Purge” of Climate Change-Related Websites

Target

Policy instrument

Risk

Impacted group

Just transition

Renewable energy

Greenhouse gas

Economic sector

Adaptation/resilience

Finance