USDA to close 4 offices in Capital Region

As part of a campaign to cut waste and consolidate resources, the U.S. Department of Agriculture is closing 259 offices, facilities and labs across the country, including four in the Capital Region. Offices to be shuttered in Baton Rouge include the Animal Plant Health Inspection Service and the Food and Nutrition Service. In Denham Springs, the Farm Service Agency and Rural Development Office are slated for closure. Six other offices across Louisiana will also be closed in New Orleans, Franklin, Bossier City, Colfax, Lafayette and Opelousas. The closures are part of the USDA’s new plan to streamline operations and cut costs, which it’s calling Blueprint for Stronger Service. The plan is based on a departmental review of operations conducted as part of the administration’s Campaign to Cut Waste, launched by President Barack Obama to make government work better and more efficiently. When fully implemented, the office closures and other recommended changes are expected to save DOA $150 million annually—and eventually more, based on future employee realignment plans. Office closures will take place in 46 states, the USDA headquarters in Washington, D.C., and one U.S. territory. A timeline on when the offices will be closed has not been released. Read more about the plan and see more specifics on the office closures at the USDA website here.