A further stage of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's reorganization will be disclosed by the end of this week, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins told a Senate Appropriations subcommittee on Wednesday, and that next phase will involve the relocation of researchers.
The agency has previously outlined a plan to transfer the majority of its Washington-area employees - roughly 2,600 positions - out of the capital and into five regional hubs. The stated objective of that earlier move is to position the workforce closer to the farmers and communities the department serves. USDA has noted that most of its employees already live outside the Washington area.
Rollins told the agriculture subcommittee that the upcoming reorganization step will specifically place researchers nearer to land-grant institutions. She said that the plan was being finalized on Wednesday as the department prepared to make the announcement by week's end.
The announcement comes after a large number of departures from the agency last year. More than 15,000 USDA employees accepted financial incentives to leave the department as part of the administration's broader effort to reorganize and reduce the size of the federal government.
As part of its reorganization, USDA intends to sell one of its two headquarters buildings in Washington. The department has also indicated other relocations within its structure: it recently said that the Forest Service headquarters will move from Washington to Salt Lake City, Utah.
The forthcoming phase that Rollins described focuses on researcher relocation and was being finalized on the day she reported the update to the Senate subcommittee. Beyond that description, the department's detailed timeline and the specific locations for researcher moves have not been set out in the remarks reported to the committee.
Context provided by the department:
- The plan to move most Washington-area staff involves about 2,600 employees and five regional hubs.
- The next phase will include placing researchers closer to land-grant institutions and was being finalized on Wednesday.
- More than 15,000 employees left USDA last year after accepting financial incentives tied to reorganization efforts.
- USDA plans to sell one of its two Washington headquarters buildings and has said the Forest Service HQ will relocate to Salt Lake City, Utah.