The University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR), which manages the largest federal climate research center in the U.S., has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration’s attempts to dismantle the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR).

View the lawsuit. This legal action disputes the administration’s decision to dismantle NCAR, alleging a “systematic campaign of punishment and coercion” against Colorado amidst ongoing tensions between President Donald Trump and Governor Jared Polis.

The report submitted by UCAR, a leading non-profit organization in climate science and weather modeling based in Boulder, Colorado, follows the Trump administration’s announcement in December about plans to dismantle the research center.

The lawsuit claims that “UCAR and NCAR are collateral damage” in this broader conflict.

The disagreement between Trump and Polis arises from concerns regarding mail-in voting in Colorado and the prosecution of a county clerk convicted of tampering with election equipment during the 2020 presidential election. According to the complaint, Trump pressured Polis to release the clerk while banning mail-in voting.

Filed in U.S. District Court in Colorado, the lawsuit details a purported “retaliatory campaign” targeting NCAR by multiple federal agencies, including the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

So far, three named federal agencies have not provided comments regarding the lawsuit, except for the NSF, which stated it does not comment on ongoing litigation.

Additionally, Colorado is pursuing legal actions related to the alleged campaign of retribution against the state.

The lawsuit contends that the Trump administration’s decision to relocate the U.S. Space Command, cut $109 million in transportation funding, and impose new requirements on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is part of a punitive strategy against Colorado.

District judges have only ruled on one matter in this case concerning SNAP. The administration argued that there was sufficient fraud in Colorado to necessitate a pilot program; however, a district judge ruled in favor of the state by issuing a preliminary injunction, which outlined the reasons in a court order.

UCAR’s complaint shares similar allegations against the federal government, claiming that a “gag order” was issued to silence NCAR employees regarding the reorganization. It also points to the termination of a multimillion-dollar climate adaptation research contract and new unlawful reporting requirements imposed on NCAR and UCAR. Furthermore, the complaint details attempts to remove the center’s supercomputing facility from UCAR’s administration.

The complaint states, “The agency’s ultimate goal is the complete destruction of NCAR,” referencing a January NSF announcement about restructuring the agency while seeking public proposals for new uses for NCAR’s Boulder campus, including various public or private uses.

The allegations within the complaint argue that recent federal actions contravene the Administrative Procedure Act and request the court to halt specific lawsuits, such as the relocation of NCAR’s supercomputing facility and cancellation of NOAA grants.

UCAR and NCAR collectively employ around 1,400 scientists, engineers, and support personnel focusing on key areas like hurricane forecasting, wildfire monitoring, weather predictions, and space weather research. NCAR hosts advanced supercomputers essential for complex climate modeling tasks.

In a statement on their website, UCAR emphasized that the actions taken by the federal agencies pose significant threats to national security, public safety, and economic stability and jeopardize the U.S.’s leadership role in climate and weather forecasting.

UCAR has stated that it will refrain from further comments until the lawsuit is resolved.