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Agriculture

Maryland Lawmakers Urge USDA to Keep Beltsville Agricultural Research Center Open

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

Congresswoman Sarah Elfreth, Senator Chris Van Hollen, and other Maryland lawmakers have warned the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) that closing the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center (BARC) would undermine U.S. agricultural innovation and harm farmers who depend on the center's research. The lawmakers, in a letter to the USDA, argue that the required Congressional approval has not been granted for the agency to carry out the large-scale restructuring effort. They also point out that closing BARC would be a waste of taxpayer dollars and jeopardize the success of American farmers in the immediate and long term.

Key Takeaways:

  • The lawmakers strongly oppose the USDA's proposed reorganization plan, which includes the closure of the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center (BARC) in Beltsville, Maryland.
  • BARC has been an engine of agricultural research and innovation for over 100 years, and its closure would be deeply harmful to American farmers.
  • The plan to close BARC requires Congressional approval and moving forward without it would be illegal.
  • Closing BARC would waste federal resources, harm the United States' leadership in agricultural production and research, and jeopardize $10 billion in agricultural productivity.
  • BARC provides regionally-tailored research to the 83,000 farms throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed, and its loss would be catastrophic.
  • Key BARC research projects cannot be relocated, and decades of work may be lost completely if BARC closes.
  • Closing BARC will not result in lower cost of living for USDA employees, and no USDA reorganization plan should move forward without a thorough benefit-cost analysis.
  • The lawmakers urge the USDA to keep BARC open, provide a detailed accounting of the full impact of the proposed reorganization plan, and ensure full transparency in any potential reorganization.

Statistics:

  • 105 years: The number of years BARC has been an engine of agricultural research and innovation.
  • $10 billion: The amount of agricultural productivity that would be jeopardized if BARC closes.
  • 83,000: The number of farms throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed that rely on BARC's research.
  • July 23, 2025: The date when Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced plans to restructure the U.S. Department of Agriculture, including closing the BARC building.
  • July 25, 2025: The date when Elfreth joined the Maryland Delegation in issuing a statement opposing the restructuring plan.

Sources:

  • "MD-03 Rep. Sarah Elfreth Urges USDA to Protect Beltsville Research Center" (exact phrase as in the source)
  • "USDA's Plan to Close Beltsville Research Center Opposed by Maryland Delegation" (exact phrase as in the source)
  • Letter from lawmakers to the USDA (exact phrase as in the source)

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