California launches environmental youth council after EPA program lapses under Trump
The Trump administration has quietly let lapse a program for young leaders at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, The Times has learned. In its place, California will launch its own council for young people looking to get involved with environmental issues at the state level.
The California EPA’s Environmental Youth Advisory Council is doing a callout for people ages 14 to 20 years old who want to build leadership skills, learn from environmental decision-makers and make recommendations on state environmental policy, officials said.
The move comes after a similar group within the federal EPA, the Biden-era National Environmental Youth Advisory Council, appears to have expired under the Trump administration.
Launched in 2023, the federal program hosted 16 members ages 16 to 29, appointed to two-year terms. While the Trump administration has not officially announced the program’s termination, no new cohort was appointed at the end of the term last year, and its website has been taken down.
When asked whether the program has been terminated, EPA officials said simply that the committee’s charter expired on June 5, 2025. Under the Federal Advisory Committee Act, such groups automatically end after two years unless explicitly renewed.
California’s program hopes to fill the gap by “giving young people a seat at the table,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement.
“By establishing the CalEPA Youth Council, we are ensuring that young people can engage directly in climate action, serve California’s communities, and have a say in the future of our environment,” Newsom said.
The program comes as young people in the state face worsening hazards fueled by climate change including extreme heat, wildfires and dangerous air pollution. People under the age of 20 make up about a quarter of the state’s population, or about 9.75 million residents, according to demographic data from the California Department of Finance.
Not only will young people experience more climate extremes and damage, but children are also disproportionately affected as “developing bodies make it harder for them to cope with the physical and psychological stresses,” according to UNICEF’s 2026 Children’s Climate Risk report.
At the same time, Trump’s EPA has moved to roll back bedrock environmental protections in the state and across the U.S., including California’s clean car standards and the federal government’s longstanding scientific conclusion that planet-heating pollution seriously threatens Americans, known as the endangerment finding. The administration has said the rollbacks will reduce regulatory costs and lower prices for taxpayers.
“Young people everywhere will inherit the environmental legacy we build today,” said Yana Garcia, California secretary for environmental protection. “That’s why, at CalEPA, we believe young people should get a say in the decisions we make, and that their diverse perspectives should be heard and honored.”
In April, Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.) introduced legislation that would cement the status of youth groups within the EPA as well as the U.S. departments of the Interior, Energy, Agriculture and Commerce — with Markey noting at the time that “young people have the most to lose from climate change.”
However, neither bill has advanced beyond committee referral, meaning they are unlikely to pass under the current Congress.
CalEPA officials did not provide a precise dollar amount for the new program but said it will make use of existing funds for travel and in-person training, and that the inaugural class will help the agency determine future budget needs. There is no cost to applicants.
The program is open to applicants from small towns and cities, tribal communities and underrepresented groups. No previous advocacy or leadership experience is required.
The inaugural cohort will include 10 appointees and run for a one-year pilot term before expanding to 20 appointees and a full two-year term, according to CalEPA. The application period runs through Sept. 21.