Agriculture Secretary Defies Court Order to Reorganize USDA

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced that the Trump administration is proceeding with a sweeping reorganization of the United States Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Forest Service, despite a federal court order halting the plan. The overhaul includes moving the Forest Service headquarters from Washington, D.C., to Salt Lake City, closing 23 research stations, and replacing regional offices with state-level offices. The plan also proposes new centers in Urbandale, Iowa, and Athens, Georgia, while relocating the Agricultural Research Center from Beltsville, Maryland.

U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria blocked the reorganization on October 13, ruling that the administration likely violated congressional spending restrictions by illegally reprogramming appropriations. The court found the plan would likely force thousands of employees to relocate or lose their jobs. While the administration is appealing the decision and has scaled back some closures, Rollins stated the department is moving forward with the changes.

Opponents, including environmental groups and the National Federation of Federal Employees, argue the reorganization is a pretext for deep workforce cuts and will lead to a loss of technical expertise. Separately, President Donald Trump has sought to transfer wildfire fighting responsibilities to a new federal Wildland Fire Service, though Congress has blocked that specific action.