Employees at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) have been instructed to delete web pages discussing climate change and to document all related content for further review, according to an internal email obtained by POLITICO. The directive, issued by the USDA’s office of communications, has raised concerns about the potential removal of critical information on climate-smart agriculture, wildfire management, and other climate-related initiatives.

The email, authenticated by three sources, calls on website managers to “identify and archive or unpublish any landing pages focused on climate change” and to compile a detailed spreadsheet of all climate-related content for review. The directive set a tight deadline, requiring submissions by Friday, including titles, links, and recommendations on how the content should be handled.

This move echoes actions taken during the early days of the Trump administration, when references to climate change were systematically removed from federal websites. It also comes amid uncertainty over funding for clean energy and agriculture programs, as the Office of Management and Budget conducts a sweeping review of federal spending. The Trump administration has sought to halt or reverse allocations from key legislation, including the Inflation Reduction Act and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which provided billions for wildfire management, clean energy projects, and carbon storage initiatives benefiting rural communities.

A USDA spokesperson did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

During the first Trump administration, USDA officials suppressed government-funded research highlighting the impacts of climate change on American farmers, such as extreme weather volatility and rising carbon dioxide levels. In 2019, the agency also declined to release a multiagency plan designed to help farmers adapt to a changing climate.

As of Friday, some climate-related pages, such as those for USDA Climate Hubs—a collaborative effort to address climate adaptation—remained accessible. However, other pages, including one detailing the Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities, appeared to have been taken down.

The removal of climate change information comes at a time when extreme weather events are increasingly affecting U.S. agriculture. In recent years, Georgia’s peach crop has been devastated by erratic weather, North Carolina farms have faced severe flooding, and Florida’s citrus industry has suffered sharp declines due to citrus greening, a disease exacerbated by climate change. Wildfire smoke has damaged grape fields in the West, while prolonged droughts have forced ranchers to reduce their cattle herds.

The USDA’s directive also follows catastrophic wildfires in California, which scientists say were intensified by climate change. These fires could rank among the costliest natural disasters in U.S. history. The U.S. Forest Service, a key agency under USDA, plays a central role in wildfire preparedness and mitigation.

Under former Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack during the Biden administration, the USDA invested $3.1 billion in the Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities program. This initiative collaborated with private companies, nonprofits, and universities to research ways for farmers to reduce their carbon footprint, develop resilient crops, and restore degraded land. However, a recent executive order by President Trump targeting climate-related spending has temporarily paused funding for such programs.

The Inflation Reduction Act had allocated billions to support farmers in adopting conservation practices, including those addressing climate change. But Trump’s executive order, aimed at halting payments for major climate, energy, and infrastructure projects, threatens to disrupt these efforts as farmers prepare for the upcoming planting season.

The USDA’s latest actions have sparked criticism from environmental advocates and scientists, who argue that removing climate change information undermines efforts to address one of the most pressing challenges facing agriculture and rural communities. As extreme weather events become more frequent and severe, access to accurate and actionable climate data is increasingly critical for farmers, ranchers, and policymakers alike. 

(Image credit: One Tree Planted)