REE Organizational Restructuring

We recently announced a major step forward to modernize the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and to strengthen our ability to deliver our mission: USDA’s Research, Education, and Economics (REE) Mission Area Agencies are beginning their Reorganization processes, including agency restructuring and position relocations.

The reorganization plans announced today are part of USDA’s ongoing efforts to improve operational efficiency and create a work environment that better supports our mission and employees.

To be clear, this reorganization is not a reduction in force. REE Agencies have all identified critical areas of alignment with the directives that have been set forth by President Trump and Secretary Rollins. The decision realigns federal spending, eliminates duplication and redundancy, and ensures all agencies are efficiently and effectively delivering services.

The changes REE Agencies are undertaking will allow USDA to continue to place the needs of U.S. farmers and ranchers first. Agencies will be better able to work closely with our customers and stakeholders to accelerate decision-making and tailor solutions to local needs. The relocations will also enhance collaboration, improve transparency, and enable us to strengthen cross-functional interactions.

The REE Mission Area contributes meaningfully to the success of U.S. Agriculture, but the expectation for expanding our impact requires a continuous evolution. The journey to optimize any organization should be never-ending, and that is equally true for our four agencies within the REE Mission Area of USDA.

Restructuring each Agency will enhance our focus on USDA priorities, organizational effectiveness, and operational efficiency. New leadership and Agency structures (with details) will be shared in the coming days by REE Agency Leadership, but all are built upon five principles:

strengthening leadership accountability
reducing organizational complexity
seeking consistency across agencies (where useful)
utilizing emerging tools (e.g., AI)
aligning, unequivocally, on Mission/USDA priorities.

All REE Mission Area agencies will be relocating positions located in the National Capital Region (NCR) and all critical functions of the Department will continue. Relocation will move many REE positions to areas closer to the farmers and ranchers we serve and create collaborative and intact work environments for employees. Each REE Agency will be relocating some of their positions from the NCR, as well as some positions located outside of the NCR.

Each Agency will have employees who will be affected. Where appropriate, the agency will engage with the bargaining unit representative to ensure that any changes are implemented in accordance with applicable collective bargaining obligations.

As such, all REE agencies are now under organizational restructuring that will:

Strengthen mission focus and align strategic themes to achieve USDA priorities,
Streamline and simplify management focus with clear lines of accountability,
Flatten overly complex and bureaucratic leadership structures to better allow scientists, statisticians, and researchers to do what they do best: focus on science, statistics, and research that is the core of REE’s mission.

We understand that changes of this nature will raise questions and we are committed to providing information as it becomes available. Please read more about the REE Reorganization.

ARS Reorganization Fact Sheet (PDF, 763 KB) ERS Reorganization Fact Sheet (PDF, 704 KB) NASS Reorganization Fact Sheet (PDF, 278 KB) NIFA Reorganization Fact Sheet (PDF, 1.7 MB)

BARC Research Projects 

As part of this reorganization, USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) will be decommissioning the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center (BARC) and relocating research projects. No decisions have been made on final locations for BARC research projects. Research projects with continued congressional funding will be relocated to other ARS locations. USDA ARS has thoughtfully considered many ARS sites to determine the best ARS locations to assume this work. Many BARC research projects will be moved closer to the stakeholders they serve. These moves are commonsense – and they present ARS researchers with more opportunities to engage directly with the farmers and ranchers who produce our food. In addition to the locations below, some work maintained at BARC is slated to be relocated to the U.S. National Arboretum, the National Agricultural Library, and the Smithsonian Institution.

At this time, the following locations are slated to receive BARC research projects:

Fayetteville, AR
Albany, CA
Ft. Collins, CO
Ft. Pierce, FL
Miami, FL
Athens, GA
Tifton, GA
Ames, IA
Aberdeen, ID
West Lafayette, IN
St. Paul, MN
Columbia, MO
Starkville, MS
Stoneville, MS
Raleigh, NC
Fargo, ND
Grand Forks, ND
Clay Center, NE
Chatsworth, NJ
University Park, PA
Wyndmoor, PA
Charleston, SC
Kerrville, TX
Logan, UT
Wenatchee, WA
Madison, WI
Kearneysville, WV

BARC Reprogramming

As part of REE’s ongoing reorganization, USDA is taking steps to modernize its research infrastructure and ensure taxpayer resources are directed toward facilities that best serve American farmers, ranchers, and producers.

Following the decision to move research projects and decommission the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center (BARC) in Beltsville, Maryland, USDA plans to reprogram unobligated Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Buildings and Facilities resources previously designated for modernization projects at BARC.

These resources will support three priority research infrastructure projects:

Lexington, Kentucky: Construction of a new laboratory at the ARS Forage-Animal Production Research Unit.
Lincoln, Nebraska: Construction of the new ARS National Center for Resilient and Regenerative Precision Agriculture.
Ames, Iowa: Design of a new ARS National Plant Germplasm System Centralized Distribution Center.

These investments support USDA’s broader effort to modernize research infrastructure, strengthen research capabilities across the country, and better align federal research resources with the needs of American agriculture.

By investing in facilities where they can have the greatest impact, USDA is positioning its scientific enterprise to continue delivering results for farmers, ranchers, and American agriculture for generations to come.

BARC Reprogramming (PDF, 388 KB)