USDA Pushes Employee Relocations Despite Court Stay

The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), USDA’s second-largest component, issued management-directed reassignment (MDR) letters telling staff they are “permanently reassigned” to new hub locations. The letters state that the moves are to take effect in early November, but also note that a recent court injunction blocks any geographic reassignment until the order is lifted. Approximately 725 MDR letters have been sent, part of a broader plan to relocate roughly 2,600 employees nationwide.

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A federal judge in San Francisco granted a stay in a lawsuit challenging the agency’s relocation scheme, prohibiting USDA from issuing or enforcing any MDR letters or similar directives. The department appealed, and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has left the lower-court injunction in place. USDA officials assert that the agency is complying with the order, though they have not detailed how the appeal affects the pending relocations.

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In a recent remarks, USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins expressed confidence in the reorganization, stating, “We believe in it more today than we ever have — taking the USDA to our constituents, which is rural America, the Forest Service out West,” — Brooke Rollins, USDA secretary. Acting Associate Chief Scott Edwards explained the rationale behind the moves, noting, “As NRCS works to implement efficiencies across the agency, there is a critical need for leadership and oversight of operational functions across the agency and reassigning you to this position will enable the agency to achieve this,” — Scott Edwards, acting associate chief.

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NRCS has opened a “critical vacancy” portal allowing staff to apply for positions in their current commuting area. Employees have until early November to submit applications for roles at the same grade level or lower. The portal lists hub offices in Fort Worth, Texas; Fort Collins, Colorado; and Raleigh, North Carolina. Many workers say they cannot relocate and anticipate having to resign if the agency proceeds.

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USDA indicates that any further responses will be filed with the court rather than the press. The agency continues to process relocations that it argues are not expressly barred by the stay, while the appeal remains pending. Employees must decide by the early-November deadline whether to apply for local vacancies or face potential job loss.

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• “As NRCS works to implement efficiencies across the agency, there is a critical need for leadership and oversight of operational functions across the agency and reassigning you to this position will enable the agency to achieve this,” — Scott Edwards, acting associate chief

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• “We believe in it more today than we ever have — taking the USDA to our constituents, which is rural America, the Forest Service out West,” — Brooke Rollins, USDA secretary

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