Trump’s NOAA budget proposes eliminating funding for six Colorado climate and science labs

A Trump administration budget proposal for one of the nation s preeminent science agencies would slash funding for environment and earth sciences including shuttering four Colorado-based labs and ending federal funding for two other research institutes The proposed budget for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration would eliminate the agency s research arm the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research according to a document made citizens on Monday In Colorado that would shutter four NOAA labs at Boulder s Earth System Research Laboratories the Chemical Sciences Laboratory the Global Monitoring Laboratory the Physical Sciences Laboratory and the Global Systems Laboratory Established in the labs areas of focus include improving weather and wildfire forecasting studying air quality conducting long-term monitoring of greenhouse gases and ozone as well as improving knowledge about water availability The budget still must gain congressional approval If approved the cuts would go into effect when the fiscal year begins on Oct The FY budget request refocuses the NOAA budget on core events including collecting essential scientific observations like ocean and weather records to endorsement navigation and forecasting the budget document states A leaner NOAA that focuses on core operational requirements eliminates unnecessary layers of bureaucracy terminates nonessential grant programs and ends exercises that do not warrant a federal role will provide better value to the American residents while maintaining programs that are essential to protecting lives and property Related Articles Trainwreck of NOAA funding cuts could derail Colorado research on wildfires earthquakes and storms Republican budget bill would strike blow to clean capacity efforts in Colorado With environmental justice at peril will Colorado persist despite budget cuts Trump s weakened EPA The proposal also would eliminate federal funding for cooperative institutes including the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences known as CIRES at the University of Colorado Boulder and the Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere or CIRA at Colorado State University The institutes are collaborations between their host universities and NOAA which provides the majority of funding for both organizations The institutes areas of evaluation are wide-ranging mapping the ocean floor studying the Marshall fire in Boulder to improve wildfire forecasting studying how tornados form and researching how to best leverage satellites for real-time weather information Leaders from both cooperative institutes explained The Denver Post this spring that loss of federal funding would require them to lay off scientists and workers The organizations could continue to operate without the federal dollars but would be severely diminished they explained This is a advancing story that will be updated Stay up-to-date with Colorado Politics by signing up for our weekly newsletter The Spot