Baldwin Raises Concerns About How NOAA Firings Will Impact Great Lakes

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and a group of her colleagues are pressing the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for more information about the termination of staff and the potential impact these firings will have on the health and commerce on the Great Lakes, including the countless Wisconsin communities who rely on Lake Michigan and Superior for fresh drinking water and to support their local economies.

“We write to express our deep concern over the firing of probationary staff at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the potential impact these firings will have on the Great Lakes,” wrote the Senators in a letter to NOAA’s Vice Admiral Nancy Hann.

“The Great Lakes are among the United States’ greatest natural treasures, strengthening our economy and attracting millions of visitors each year. The Lakes provide drinking water to over 30 million people, generate clean hydropower, and generate $3.1 trillion in gross domestic product,” the Senators continued. “National and regional NOAA programs help protect these lakes and support our constituents who call the Great Lakes home.

The Senators pressed Admiral Hann to detail (1) the number of people fired at NOAA during her tenure as Acting Administrator, (2) the number of people fired at each NOAA program serving the Great Lakes, (3) the services that will be terminated as a result, and (4) her plan to preserve these services.

In addition to Senator Baldwin, the letter was led by Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and co-signed by Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Tina Smith (D-MN), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), and Gary Peters (D-MI).

A full version of this letter is available here and below.

Dear Vice Admiral Nancy Hann:

We write to express our deep concern over the firing of probationary staff at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the potential impact these firings will have on the Great Lakes. We request information on these firings—including at the Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory (GLERL) and any other NOAA installations and programs that serve the Great Lakes area—as well as a concrete plan for re-establishing terminated public services.

The Great Lakes are among the United States’ greatest natural treasures, strengthening our economy and attracting millions of visitors each year. The Lakes provide drinking water to over 30 million people, generate clean hydropower, and generate $3.1 trillion in gross domestic product.

National and regional NOAA programs help protect these lakes and support our constituents who call the Great Lakes home. The National Weather Service provides our weather and climate forecasts and warnings. The National Sea Grant Program helps conserve our aquatic resources. The Marine Debris Program prevents microplastics and litter from entering the Great Lakes, protecting our wildlife, natural resources, fishing and boating economy, and nearby residents’ health. The Cooperative Institute for Great Lakes Research invests in our clean drinking water. And the Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory (GLERL) provides critical information for resource use and management decisions, including information on algal blooms and hypoxia, invasive species, ice cover and shipping navigability, and storm surges and coastal flooding.

We are deeply concerned that the layoffs at NOAA will harm these critical initiatives. The staffing reductions have already required the GLERL, for example, to take an “indefinite hiatus” from its public communications, depriving the public of critical information such as what to do during a flood warning and how to stay safe in the extreme cold. When these communications go dark, the public suffers.

Therefore, we request the following information by March 28, 2025:

• The number of people fired at NOAA during your tenure as Acting Administrator.
• The number of people fired at each NOAA program that serves the Great Lakes:
• National Weather Service
• National Estuarine Research Reserve System
• NOAA National Marine Sanctuaries
• National Sea Grant Program
• NOAA Marine Debris Program
• Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS)
• Great Lakes Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET)
• Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory
• Great Lakes Information Network (GLIN)
• Cooperative Institute for Great Lakes Research (CIGLR)
• Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies (CIMSS)
• Midwestern Regional Climate Center (MRCC)
• The services that will be terminated as a result of the firings at each of the above programs.
• Your plan to maintain or restore these services.

Thank you for your attention to this important matter.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.