USDA is continuing its reorganization by announcing new plans to restructure its Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), along with its Research, Education and Economics (REE) mission area.
On April 23, USDA announced it would be reorganizing FSIS to “modernize operations, streamline support functions and better align the agency with the nation’s agricultural landscape.”
As part of this plan, USDA will establish a National Food Safety Center in Urbandale, IA, to serve as the main hub for FSIS administrative, technical and support operations. The hub will have about 200 employees. The agency will also establish a Science Center in Athens, GA, to expand work in microbiology, chemistry and epidemiology. FSIS will also establish an office in Fort Collins, CO, for staff supporting international work.
FSIS will relocate about two-thirds of its employees from the National Capital Region, with 100 employees remaining to support congressional engagement, policy development and interagency coordination, the agency said.
The reorganization will not affect FSIS frontline inspection workers, the agency said. All food safety inspection activities will continue without interruption and without reductions.
“This reorganization advances USDA’s broader effort to align its workforce with available resources, eliminate unnecessary management layers and bring services closer to stakeholders,” USDA said.
USDA also plans to reorganize its REE mission area to “better align its work with USDA priorities, improve operational efficiency, and deliver results more effectively for American farmers, ranchers, and producers.”
REE agencies will relocate certain positions based in the National Capital Region to locations around the country. This includes Economic Research Service and National Institute of Food and Agriculture employees, some of which will relocate to Kansas City, MO.
The National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will relocate some positions from the National Capital Region to St. Louis, MO, or other offices. NASS will also keep a field presence to continue to collect information and report statistics, USDA said.
The Agricultural Research Service (ARS) will begin decommissioning the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center in Beltsville, MD, and relocate research programs to facilities across the country.
“Together, these actions strengthen USDA’s ability to deliver practical, science-based solutions directly to producers by reducing administrative burden, improving coordination, and ensuring resources are aligned with the needs of American agriculture,” the department said.
Previous restructuring plans
Last July, USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins announced more than 2,500 employees would be relocated from USDA’s Washington, D.C. office to five regional offices in Raleigh, NC; Kansas City, MO; Indianapolis, IN; Fort Collins, CO; and Salt Lake City, UT. USDA will vacate the South Building in Washington, D.C. by the end of 2026.
Following a public comment period, a USDA summary and analysis of feedback reported more than 80% of public comments were negative about the reorganization proposal. However, USDA Deputy Secretary Stephen Vaden said during a January National Agricultural Law Center webinar that the department had “no choice” but to carry out the plan, citing shrinking budgets and increased costs of living.
In late March, USDA also announced the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) would move its headquarters from Washington, D.C. to Salt Lake City, UT. The agency also plans to restructure its leadership structure and close its regional offices to establish state offices in their place.
“Establishing a western headquarters in Salt Lake City and streamlining how the Forest Service is organized will position the chief and operation leaders closer to the landscapes we manage and the people who depend on them,” Rollins said.
As part of the restructuring, USFS will transition to a state-based organizational model with 15 state directors stationed throughout the country. The agency will also shift many functions from regional offices to a network of operational service centers in Albuquerque, NM; Athens, GA; Fort Collins, CO; Madison, WI; Missoula, MT; and Placerville, CA.
In addition, USFS will consolidate its research stations under a single research organization in Fort Collins, CO.
The agency said these moves are intended to “unify research priorities, accelerate the application of science to management decisions, and reduce administrative duplication.”
An April 14 Congressional Research Service report found that since the restructuring plans were announced last summer, USDA’s workforce has decreased from about 91,000 employees to around 71,000 employees as of February. — Anna Miller Fortozo, WLJ managing editor
