Story perspectives

NOAA Ends Arctic Report Card Coordination After Trump Move

8/12/2026

Summary

Trump Ends Arctic Support

President Donald Trump’s administration ended federal support for the Arctic Report Card, the NOAA-backed annual Arctic assessment.
NOAA director of communications Kim Doster said the agency will still collect and publish the data but will not coordinate the 2026 report.
Lead editor Rick Thoman reported NOAA told scientists on Monday that support ended immediately with no rationale, prompting editors to seek new homes for the report.

Summary

Arctic Report Highlights

The 2025 Arctic Report Card shows October 2024–September 2025 surface air temperatures were the warmest on record since 1900.
Thawing permafrost has released iron and other elements into more than 200 Alaskan watersheds, turning rivers orange and raising acidity and toxic-metal levels that degrade drinking water and subsistence fishing.
Agency officials said the remaining data will stay public because it supports national security, weather forecasting and coastal economies.

History

Historical Context

NOAA’s Arctic Report Card, launched with federal backing, builds on satellite sea-ice observations that began in 1979 and on contributions from 72 authors in 11 countries. The annual synthesis of vital signs and frostbites informs policymakers; ending Trump-era support now jeopardizes that coordinated data flow and long-term global climate accountability.

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Trump Ends Arctic Support

President Donald Trump’s administration ended federal support for the Arctic Report Card, the NOAA-backed annual Arctic assessment.
NOAA director of communications Kim Doster said the agency will still collect and publish the data but will not coordinate the 2026 report.
Lead editor Rick Thoman reported NOAA told scientists on Monday that support ended immediately with no rationale, prompting editors to seek new homes for the report.

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