September 22, 2025
The following comment was emailed to reorganization@usda.gov per the USDA press release on the public comment period.
To Whom It May Concern,
We are writing on behalf of the Climate Land Leaders, a cohort of over 200 Midwestern farmers and landowners working to create resilient farms and landscapes through conservation. Many are power users of USDA conservation programs and depend on their local FSA and NRCS offices for guidance and technical assistance as they work to enhance their land’s ability to bounce back from extreme weather and leave a legacy of healthy soils and clean water for the next generation.
We are concerned that the proposed USDA reorganization, with its relocation of staff and consolidation of offices, will provoke more staff to leave USDA, further eroding the knowledge, experience, and local working relationships that farmers and landowners value and depend on. Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin – four states where we operate – have respectively lost 21%, 20%, 22%, and 22% of USDA employees since January. Further attrition of staff is likely to increase wait times for information and application assistance for farmers and landowners seeking access to conservation programs, loans, and other USDA programs.
We oppose the closure of ARS area offices. We cannot abandon the long-term agricultural research they lead. USDA conducts and supports research at institutions nationwide, including the stewarding of publicly held seeds, tracking and responding to food borne illness, and mitigating significant crop loss from disease and pest outbreaks. Losing research capacity will threaten our national food security and resilience for the future. The health and livelihood of our farmers, ranchers, and communities is on the line.
We urge you to prioritize farmer, landowner, and rural community member feedback in the reorganization process, and produce a thorough cost-benefit analysis of options for improving USDA staff retention and services in line with USDA’s mission. We ask USDA to publicly post all comments received at this email address, and to formally request feedback on reorganization plans through the public-facing Federal Register, the standard and more transparent process for public comment. Taxpayers, including the farmers and landowners who use these services, deserve transparency in this process.
Thank you for inviting comments on the proposed USDA reorganization. In closing, we want to share two quotes from members of our cohort – examples of USDA impact we want to see sustained. One cohort member stated: “If we did not have access to [FSA and NRCS] services, we would not be managing the farm with as much success as we have had. These staff are critical to us.” Another cohort member described their local NRCS staff as “a quarterback in connecting landowners to specialized engineers, DNR experts, and local vendors, project managing, and identifying cost-share funding. They play a vital role in the community.”
Sincerely,
Sarah Hunt
Program Director
Wendy Johnson
Federal Policy Co-Lead