Colorado Not on Shortlist for USDA Reorg

Colorado has not made the shortlist of possible sites for the relocated homes of the Economic Research Service (ERS) or the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA).

Agriculture Sec. Sonny Perdue announced that most ERS and NIFA personnel would be moving out of Washington DC by the end of 2019 as a cost saving measure.

The Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation, Aurora Economic Development Council, Cottonwood Management Company and Forest City Trust of Denver all expressed interest in hosting the relocated agencies.

The relocations are being fought against by many in the scientific community.Colorado State University Biology Professor and Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs, Daniel Bush was one of hundreds of scientists who oppose the move..

Ron Wasserstein, executive director of the American Statistical Association (ASA) released a statement saying that any gains that USDA asserts will result from relocating ERS and NIFA away from our nation's research, food and agricultural policymaking are overwhelmingly outweighed by the detrimental impacts," and he said USDA has neither made a compelling case for such an upheaval nor listened to their own stakeholders, experts and leaders. Adding insult to injury, they have bypassed the 155-year partnership with land grant universities and Congress that has been a hallmark in determining American agricultural and food research policy."

The locations that did make the cut are in Indiana, Missouri, North Carolina and Wisconsin .