NOAA terminates space, climate and marine life advisory committees

The Trump administration is disbanding expert advisory committees focused on space, climate, coastal area management and marine fisheries after the agency they were designed to assist said they are no longer necessary. 

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is ending the committees because they “have served their purpose and should be terminated,” Nancy Hann, the agency’s deputy undersecretary for operations, said in a memorandum obtained by Government Executive.  The terminations follow an executive order from President Trump requiring agencies to do away with any federal advisory committees not required by law. 

The impacted committees are the: 

• Advisory Committee on Excellence in Space
• Climate Services Advisory Committee
• Marine and Coastal Area-based Management Advisory Committee
• Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee

The Commerce Department’s Office of Privacy and Open Government, which manages all of the federal advisory committees within Commerce, will work with the committees to ensure “an orderly termination,” Hann added. 

The space committee, established in 2002, assisted NOAA in assessing the capacity and actions of the commercial sector in space and advises it on avoiding negative impacts on space debris. The climate committee, stood up just before President Biden left office, was established to provide NOAA with advice on making its data and tools better available for those managing droughts, floods, wildfires, heatwaves and other impacts of climate change.  

The coastal management committee, also created under Biden, provided expertise on conservation and restoration in coastal and marine areas, including the Great Lakes. The fisheries committee was established in 1971 to provide advice on policies related to living marine resources, including fish, marine mammals, sea turtles, and seabirds and other waterfowl. 

Ahead of the terminations, employees involved with the committees were instructed by the Commerce Department to pause any meetings until further notice. A NOAA spokesperson said the termination decisions were made by Commerce and any questions must be directed to the department. Commerce did not respond to a request for comment. 

Such councils exist throughout and are governed by the 1972 Federal Advisory Committee Act. They are set up across agencies to gather advice and information from non-federal experts, including those in academia and the private sector. The General Services Administration provides oversight of the groups to ensure they remain objective and accessible to the public. There are at least 1,000 federal advisory committees throughout government, according to GSA. 

Committees not mandated by Congress go through an administrative review of their activities and responsibilities every two years. 

Jules Barbati Dajches, an analyst with the Union of Concerned Scientists, said last month that FACs help ensure that "decisions that necessitate the use of science are free from political interference, corruption, and unintentional errors.”

“Consisting of experts in their respective fields from academia, local governments, non-profits, and industry, they provide guidance to policymakers on a range of high-stake issues that impact people every day–including their access to clean air and water,” Barbati Dajches said. “Advisory committees, groups, and boards bring the public into the work of the government to provide advice in a deeply engaged way.” 

Barbati Dajches added the committees help agencies identify and utilize the best available science and “provide a reality check to create effective policies.” 

The Environmental Protection Agency previously fired members of its two science advisory committees and Trump has also signed an order requiring at least one-third of FACs to be dissolved.