FORT COLLINS, Colo. — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced on Thursday it is moving thousands of its employees out of the nation's capital to five new hubs, one of which will be located in Fort Collins.
The USDA said the move will bring decision-makers closer to farmers and ranchers.
Around 2,600 USDA workers, more than half of its workforce in Washington, D.C., will relocate to five hubs: Fort Collins, Colorado; Raleigh, North Carolina; Kansas City, Missouri; Indianapolis; and Salt Lake City, Utah.
In a phone call Thursday, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins told Denver7 that the shift is part of an effort to enhance efficiency within the agency. She said tens of thousands of square feet of unused office space will be closed down in D.C.
"I believe both Republicans and Democrats, for the most part, would agree that Washington becoming such a massive hub for government and for decisions is just not healthy for America," said Rollins.
Following the agency's announcement, Denver7 drove up to Fort Collins to talk with farmers and the community about the reorganization.
Ann Hutchinson, CEO & president of the Fort Collins Area Chamber of Commerce, expressed enthusiasm for the opportunity to bring more federal jobs to the area. She said there are already about 3,000 federal workers who call Fort Collins home.
"We know that federal jobs, as well as really any jobs connected to government, have had great success in Fort Collins," said Hutchinson.
Some members of the community, however, remain cautiously optimistic.
Chad Franke, president of the Rocky Mountain Farmers Union, which represents 15,000 farmers across Colorado, Wyoming, and New Mexico, acknowledged both excitement and concern regarding the plans.
"I think getting the people who make the decisions about these farm and ranch programs out into the farm and ranch country is not necessarily the worst idea in the world," said Franke. “I can appreciate the efficiency talk. Farmers are all over efficiency. If we can do things better, we do. It’s not efficient to have a farmer have to get in his vehicle and drive four hours to the nearest county office.”
During the transition, Franke emphasized the importance of fully staffing local USDA offices that farmers rely on for loans and other programs. Denver7 brought that concern directly to Secretary Rollins and asked if there would be any closures to USDA offices in Colorado.
"We don't have that in a plan right now, but obviously President Trump has made a commitment to the American people," said Rollins. "We will continue to work around the clock to find efficiency."
As the transition gets underway, those with ties to northern Colorado plan to closely monitor its impact on the community.
"We will be keeping an eye on how the transition goes, and we'll be working with Secretary Rollins and our legislators and making sure that as this transition happens, that it is a good thing for our farmers and ranchers and the Forest Service as well," said Franke.
