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Climate Adaptation Centers Struggle to Stay Open Amid Funding Crisis
16 Oct
Summary
- Climate adaptation centers provide essential data and science for managing climate change impacts
- Funding uncertainty threatens to shut down centers covering a third of the U.S.
- Bipartisan support for centers' work, but current administration seeks to curtail their activities
As of October 16th, 2025, a concerning situation is unfolding for the U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS) Climate Adaptation Science Centers. These centers, which provide essential data and scientific support for managing the impacts of climate change, are facing an uncertain future due to funding uncertainty.
The Washington Post reported that the Northeast, South Central, and Pacific Island centers, which collectively cover approximately a third of the country, are at risk of closure. This funding crisis is not related to the government shutdown, but rather part of a broader move by the current administration to curtail the centers' activities.
Despite the clear value of the centers' work, Interior Department officials have not released the necessary funds to keep them operating at full capacity. Bethany Bradley, the co-director of the Northeast Climate Adaptation Science Center, expressed concern, stating, "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."
Interestingly, the centers' work has enjoyed broad bipartisan support. Republicans in York County, Pennsylvania, have praised the USGS for providing accurate data on water pollutants in the region. Meade Krosby, the director of the Northwest CASC, noted that the value of the centers is recognized on both sides of the aisle, as they support local constituencies in preparing for climate change.
If the centers are forced to shut down, it will make it much more difficult to form effective local policies for fisheries, water, wildlife, and other natural resources. Additionally, a vast amount of institutional knowledge will be lost, further hampering efforts to address the challenges posed by a warming planet.
