SALT LAKE CITY — Salt Lake City has been selected as one of five regional hubs where the U.S. Department of Agriculture will be relocating operations.
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins announced Thursday the U.S. Department of Agriculture will be moving its operations from Washington, D.C., to these five hubs across the country:
- Raleigh, North Carolina
- Kansas City, Missouri
- Indianapolis, Indiana
- Fort Collins, Colorado
- Salt Lake City
The reorganization will refocus the department on its “core operations” to support American farming, ranching and forestry, according to a USDA news release.
“American agriculture feeds, clothes and fuels this nation and the world, and it is long past time the department better serve the great and patriotic farmers, ranchers and producers we are mandated to support,” Rollins said in the release. “President (Donald) Trump was elected to make real change in Washington, and we are doing just that by moving our key services outside the beltway and into great American cities across the country.”
The multimonth reorganization process will be transparent, “common-sense” and preserve the critical health and public safety services of the department, Rollins added.
The reorganization will ensure the department’s workforce size aligns with financial resources and agricultural priorities, bring the department closer to its customers, “eliminate management layers and bureaucracy,” consolidate “redundant support functions,” and provide a more affordable cost of living for employees, the department said.
“Washington, D.C. will still hold functions for every mission area of USDA at the conclusion of this reorganization, but USDA expects no more than 2,000 employees will remain in the national capital region,” the release says.
Sen. Mike Lee congratulated the department on the decision to decentralize from Washington.
“The people making decisions about how our forests are managed and our food is grown shouldn’t be distant bureaucrats,” the senator said in a statement. “Not only is this a big win for Utah’s farmers and ranchers, but also for our land managers as the department moves closer to the people who live, work and rely upon these lands. I will continue to fight for the Utahns who raise livestock, grow the best food on Earth, and sustain our National Forests.”
Utah House SpeakerMike Schultz called the move a “win for rural communities, for agriculture, and for restoring trust in how government serves the people.” He said it will strengthen Utah’s economy, support families and agricultural producers and ensure USDA resources are accessible for farmers and ranchers.
“Thank you, Secretary Rollins, for making the bold move to shift USDA operations out of Washington, D.C. and into the communities they’re meant to serve. This is smart government — more local, more accountable, and a better use of taxpayer dollars,” Schultz said.
The Department of Agriculture’s footprint in D.C. is “underutilized,” “redundant” and “plagued by rampant overspending and decades of mismanagement,” the department’s release says. Additionally, the department’s workforce grew by 8% in the last four years, “including hiring thousands of employees with no sustainable way to pay them.”
“President Trump has made it clear government needs to be scrutinized, and after this thorough review of USDA, the results show a bloated, expensive and unsustainable organization,” reads the release.
All “critical functions” of the agency will continue throughout the reorganization, which is a step in the agency’s process of reducing its workforce, the department said. The release adds that 15,364 individuals have already voluntarily elected for deferred resignation.
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