BELTSVILLE, Md. — The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced plans to begin shutting down the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center as part of a nationwide reorganization, drawing immediate pushback from Maryland lawmakers who say the move may conflict with federal law passed in 2025.
The plan was outlined in an April 23, 2026, USDA press release detailing a restructuring of the agency’s Research, Education and Economics mission area aimed at improving efficiency and relocating research operations closer to agricultural regions.
USDA officials said the restructuring is intended to improve efficiency and better serve farmers nationwide.
“At USDA, we are putting farmers first,” Secretary Brooke L. Rollins said in the press release. “By streamlining operations and moving resources closer to the ground, we are making USDA more responsive and better equipped to support American agriculture.”
As part of that effort, the Agricultural Research Service said it will begin “decommissioning” the Beltsville campus and relocating research programs to facilities across the country. Officials cited the size and condition of the site — which includes more than 400 buildings — along with significant maintenance needs, as reasons for the shift.
Located in Prince George’s County, the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center is the USDA’s largest research facility and has long supported work in food safety, crop production, climate science and animal health. The site supports roughly 1,000 jobs in Maryland.
Prior Funding, Federal Law At Center Of Dispute
The move comes despite recent federal funding and congressional direction supporting continued operations at the facility.
In November 2025, the Fiscal Year 2026 Agriculture Appropriations Act included $6 million for infrastructure improvements at BARC, including upgrades to water systems and utilities, along with language backing the center’s continued research mission.
Maryland’s congressional delegation argues the USDA’s plan contradicts that law.
In an April 27, 2026, statement, U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen and other lawmakers said the proposal to shut down the facility is “illegal and deeply harmful to American farmers and the nation’s food security,” warning it “would have catastrophic consequences for farmers across the country and particularly in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.”
Lawmakers also said the department has not provided a required cost-benefit analysis or demonstrated that relocating research operations would not disrupt critical work supporting farmers nationwide.
USDA Cites Efficiency, Modernization
USDA officials said the restructuring is intended to streamline operations, strengthen accountability and better align research with the needs of farmers, ranchers and producers.
The agency said shifting research programs away from the National Capital Region will allow for modernization, improved safety and stronger collaboration with agricultural communities.
As part of the reorganization, the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service said it will begin decommissioning the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center and relocating research projects.
Officials said no final decisions have been made on all locations, but projects with continued congressional funding will be moved to other Agricultural Research Service sites across the country. The agency said it evaluated facilities nationwide to determine where research could continue with minimal disruption while being closer to farmers and agricultural stakeholders.
In addition to those sites, some work currently based at Beltsville is expected to be transferred to the U.S. National Arboretum, the National Agricultural Library and the Smithsonian Institution.
Next Steps Unclear
A timeline for the Beltsville facility’s closure has not been announced.
Maryland lawmakers have requested detailed information from USDA, including cost estimates, relocation plans, workforce impacts and the effects on ongoing research, and asked the department to respond by May 1, 2026.
Read the full letter Maryland lawmakers sent to USDA below.
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What a shame, another politician skim pot to be removed from Maryland politicians’ pockets.