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Making wavesBy Seymour Klierly Speaking at the annual American Farm Bureau Federation meeting in Honolulu, Hawaii, USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack made waves by releasing his "Blueprint for Stronger Service." Since 2010, Congress has trimmed USDA's operating budget more than $3 billion, or roughly 12 percent. And, as Congress continues to wrestle with the national debt crisis, additional cuts are likely. To date, USDA has dealt with the budget cuts by limiting employee travel, reducing publications, enacting a hiring freeze and searching for operation efficiencies. However, the budget reductions have reached a point where USDA must take on a much more controversial budget savings trick--closing offices. Vilsack told the Farm Bureau crowd that USDA has plans to close 259 field offices as well as consolidate USDA's more than 700 cell phone contracts, streamline civil rights training, and centralize civil rights, human resources, procurement and property management functions. When it is all said and done, Vilsack believes the Blueprint for a Stronger Service will save $150 million annually. But back to the item that piqued the attention of most: the plans to close offices. USDA plans to close 131 Farm Service Agency field offices in 32 states. The big losses are as follows, Texas with 15 fewer FSA county offices, Tennessee nine, Arkansas 10 and Mississippi eight. However, Vilsack said USDA will begin to hold public listening sessions within 90 days where the proposed closure location can have their case heard. Vilsack also noted that the 131 FSA offices proposed to be closed were based on a criteria and most of the these offices were not staffed at all or only had one or two employees. In addition, the location was within 20 miles of another FSA county office. USDA also plans to close 43 Rural Development area and sub-offices in 17 states, 15 Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service offices in 11 states, 24 Natural Resources Conservation Service soil survey offices in 21 states, five Food Safety and Inspection Service district offices in five states, 12 Agricultural Research Service programs at 10 locations, and 31 Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services field offices in 28 states. Additional office closures would have likely been proposed had it not been for the nearly 7,000 USDA employees who retired on their own or chose to accept an early retirement package in the past 15 months. If you noticed a drop in morale in your local FSA or RD office, the Blueprint for Stronger Service may help explain why. On the other hand, it does not make sense for the federal government to continue leasing a building if there are no employees working there, especially if it is a 20-mile drive to the next closest office. As history shows, Congress will have the last say in which USDA field offices are to be closed. Until then, enjoy the waves and kowabunga, dude!
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