On October 1, 2019 The Hill reported that the Trump administration was discontinuing the Marine Protected Areas Federal Advisory Committee run by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), an agency of the Department of Commerce. The committee had been in operation for more than a decade.
Scientists on the Marine Protected Areas Federal Advisory Committee were informed via email on Monday, September 30 that the committee was being disbanded but were offered no explanation. September 30th was the deadline for compliance with President Trump’s June 14, 2019 executive order calling for agencies to cut at least one-third of their advisory committees. The panel advised NOAA on ways to strengthen the country’s marine protected areas and identify challenges facing them.
Update: On October 9, 2019, The Hill reported that the Trump administration had eliminated the Smart Grid Advisory Committee that operated under the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) which also falls under the Department of Commerce. The Committee was established almost a decade ago and its main focus was to provide input on gaps in electric system growth and smart technology implementation (smart grids are electrical grids that incorporate digital components such as real-time energy meters and smart appliances.) Panel members were made aware of the likelihood that the panel might get the ax during their June meeting, which ended up being their last.