Federal Court stops USDA’s restructuring plans, for now

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced a radical restructuring plan in March, which aimed to relocate the U.S. Forest Service to Utah, close all nine forest service regional offices and close 23 research facilities. Thousands of employees were also set to be relocated out of Washington, D.C., reports Emily Gardner for Eos.

But on Oct. 13, U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria ruled the USDA can’t continue with its plans through a preliminary injunction, which "asks that the status quo is maintained until a ruling is reached. In this case, it means disallowing major restructuring for the time being."
 

The plans were ruled against because the agency would use funds appropriated by Congress for a purpose (shutting down offices and relocating staff) they did not approve of at the time funds were given.

Agency secretary Brooke Rollins, who was nominated by President Trump, said the restructure did not involve cutting staff, but the USDA’s Reductions in Force and Reorganization Plan "acknowledged that the approach would cut the workforce by 23%, which led some to call the relocation efforts a ‘RIF in disguise.'" Patrick Moran, president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) said the agency’s attempt to gut staff would threaten programs like SNAP, hinder wildfire responses and hurt farmers.

The USDA cannot move forward with any restructuring plans until Dec. 11. While Judge Chhabria was able to strike down the plan this month, the statutes used against them will expire in two months, "which means that the agency could convince Congress to appropriate funds toward initiatives like office closure and employee relocation in the future."