USDA Planning to Terminate Leases for Dozens of FSA, NRCS Offices

By Ryan Hanrahan

AgDaily reported last week that “the U.S. Department of Agriculture has begun listing planned lease terminations to impact 59 Farm Service Agency and Natural Resources Conservation Service offices as part of an effort to cut costs, according to the Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) website.”

“The move is part of the Trump administration’s initiative to reduce agency spending, affecting numerous office spaces across the country. So far, 748 lease terminations totaling 9.59 million square feet and approximately $660,000 in lease savings have been listed on DOGE’s website,” AgDaily reported. “…The USDA’s lease terminations zero in on 36 NRCS office leases, 13 FSA county offices, and 11 Rural Housing Service offices (that) will see their leases terminated. Some of the slated closures are state offices (Alaska and Kentucky), and some are county field offices.”

“According to the DOGE website, the USDA expects the FSA state and county office lease terminations to result in savings of over $9.7 million, while NRCS lease terminations are projected to save over $19.3 million. The Rural Housing Service lease terminations are estimated to save more than $8.6 million,” AgDaily reported. “Meanwhile, USDA lands as number seven on the Agency Efficiency Leaderboard, which continues to track progress across federal agencies.”

Agri-Pulse’s Noah Wicks and Philip Brasher reported that “Steve Peterson, who is serving as USDA’s acting deputy undersecretary for farm production and conservation, told Agri-Pulse Monday at Commodity Classic in Denver that the purpose is to ‘evaluate savings and see whether or not there’s the ability to renegotiate or find other locations in those areas to possibly find cheaper rent.’”

“‘It’s not that those sites are not important,’ Peterson said of the offices. ‘They are important. It’s just, what I’ve heard and understand is that in the evaluation of leases, rents just continue to climb and go up and up and up. So this is an opportunity to reevaluate those leases and maybe renegotiate at a lower rate,’” Wicks and Brasher reported. “Among these is the Kentucky state FSA office in Lexington, which is housed in the same building as the state NRCS office. One source who spoke to Agri-Pulse on the condition of anonymity said the leasing of the space is being terminated by the General Services Administration with no plans for where staff will go, or what will happen with paper copies of easement filings stored onsite.”

“Peterson, however, said the terminations will take place ‘down the road,’ giving agency officials time to find new locations for staff,” Wicks and Brasher reported. “Peterson also said all equipment and files will be removed from affected offices and stored in temporary locations until they can be moved to new sites.”

“A GSA spokesperson said in a written statement that Acting Administrator Stephen Ehikian’s vision for GSA ‘includes reducing our deferred maintenance liabilities, supporting the return to office of federal employees, and taking advantage of a stronger private/government partnership in managing the workforce of the future,’” Wicks and Brasher reported. “The spokesperson said the agency is ‘reviewing all options to optimize our footprint and building utilization,’ and added that part of its ‘space consolidation plan will be the termination of many soft term leases.’”

“‘To the extent these terminations affect public facing facilities and/or existing tenants, we are working with our agency partners to secure suitable alternative space,’ the GSA spokesperson said,” according to Wicks and Brasher’s reporting. “‘In many cases, this will allow us to increase space utilization and obtain improved terms.’”

What Offices are Being Affected?

AgDaily reports that “the FSA state office listings on the DOGE website include locations in:

• Montgomery, Alabama
• Madera, California
• Hato Rey and Mayagüez, Puerto Rico
• Annapolis, Maryland
• Nacogdoches, Texas

Additionally, upcoming lease terminations have been announced for FSA county offices in Batesville, Arkansas; Watertown, South Dakota; Hendersonville, North Carolina; Paragould, Arkansas; Monticello, Utah; Baudette, Minnesota; Wilkesboro, North Carolina; Clovis, New Mexico; Utuado, Puerto Rico; Roswell, New Mexico; Ponce, Puerto Rico; Lares, Puerto Rico; Gonzalez, Texas; and Bakersfield, California.”

“The DOGE website also lists NRCS office leases as terminated, affecting locations in

• Batesville, Arkansas
• Yreka, California
• Pearl, Mississippi
• Greensboro, North Carolina
• Amherst, Massachusetts
• St. Johnsbury, Vermont
• Oxnard, California
• Fairbanks, Alaska
• Wasilla, Arkansas
• Puyallup, Washington
• Dayton, Washington
• Raton, New Mexico
• Lincoln, Nebraska
• Lawrence, Kansas
• Conway, Arkansas
• Dover, New Hampshire
• Yuma, Arizona
• Woodland, California
• Griffin, Georgia
• Goldsboro, North Carolina
• Fargo, North Dakota
• Gallup, New Mexico
• Saipan Island, Northern Mariana Islands
• San Sebastian, Puerto Rico
• Greenwood, Mississippi
• Portland, Oregon
• Arecibo, Puerto Rico
• Columbia, Mississippi
• Missoula, Montana
• Gallatin, Tennessee
• Logan, Utah
• Blythe, California
• Syracuse, New York
• Renton, Washington.”

USDA Planning to Terminate Leases for Dozens of FSA, NRCS Offices was originally published by Farmdoc.