BELTSVILLE, Md. — The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s plan to close the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center (BARC) in Prince George’s County is drawing strong opposition from the Maryland Farm Bureau and state leaders, who warn the move could undermine decades of agricultural research, disrupt local jobs, and waste hundreds of millions of dollars already invested in the site.
USDA announced in a July 24, 2025 memo that it plans to close the 6,500-acre BARC in Prince George’s County as part of a larger departmental reorganization. The agency said the change would be phased in “over multiple years to avoid disruption of critical research activities” and described the move as an effort to “better align with its founding mission of supporting American farming, ranching, and forestry” while reducing costs tied to the Washington region’s higher federal locality pay.
The Maryland Farm Bureau argues the facility’s unique Mid-Atlantic location and ongoing research partnerships make it irreplaceable, while Maryland’s congressional delegation warns the move would waste taxpayer dollars and may violate federal law.
About BARC
The Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, founded in 1910 and operated by USDA’s Agricultural Research Service, is one of the world’s largest and most diverse agricultural research facilities. Spread across 6,500 acres of fields, laboratories and animal facilities, BARC conducts long-term studies on poultry diseases, invasive pests such as the brown marmorated stink bug, soybean genetics, and dairy cattle health, along with work in soil conservation, water quality and pollinator health. Its location in the Chesapeake Bay watershed and proximity to universities and federal agencies have made it a hub for collaborative agricultural science for more than a century.
Maryland Farm Bureau Letter — Sept. 26, 2025
On Sept. 26, 2025, the Maryland Farm Bureau sent a letter to Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins urging USDA to keep the Beltsville campus open and invest in modernizing existing laboratories instead of relocating them.
The bureau emphasized BARC’s Mid-Atlantic location — near the Chesapeake Bay watershed, with access to both fresh- and saltwater environments, and a mix of soil types and climate zones — as offering “advantages that cannot be replicated elsewhere.”
The letter also cited more than 30 active collaborations linking BARC scientists with the University of Maryland, land-grant extension services, and regional partners that support research in soil health, crop resilience, animal-disease response, and environmental stewardship.
The bureau warned that moving operations would disrupt these partnerships and ongoing research efforts critical to local producers.
Maryland Congressional Delegation Letter — Aug. 23, 2025
Earlier, on Aug. 23, 2025, Maryland’s two U.S. senators — Chris Van Hollen and Angela Alsobrooks — and eight House members — Steny H. Hoyer (5th District), Glenn Ivey (4th District), Jamie Raskin (8th District), Kweisi Mfume (7th District), Sarah Elfreth (3rd District), April McClain Delaney (6th District), and Johnny Olszewski Jr. (2nd District) — submitted a joint letter during the USDA’s public comment period opposing the relocation and closure of BARC.
The delegation warned that USDA “has already invested more than $174 million in BARC facility upgrades and repairs; abandoning a facility right after USDA has made such significant upgrades to it is illogical and wasteful.”
Lawmakers also raised legal concerns, writing: “The plan to close BARC requires congressional approval; moving forward without it would be illegal.” They cited Section 716 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2024, which bars USDA from relocating or reorganizing staff without authorization or a funding transfer approved by Congress.
The letter emphasized BARC’s national role, calling it “an engine of agricultural research and innovation … its closure would be deeply harmful to American farmers, as well as a waste of taxpayer dollars.”
Only Rep. Andy Harris (1st District) did not sign the letter.
The USDA’s 30-day public comment period on the reorganization plan closed Sept. 30, 2025. Stakeholders ranging from farm groups to research institutions submitted feedback opposing the closure.`
Full USDA announcement: USDA press release, July 24, 2025
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