Oregon Delegation Calls on Trump Administration to Reinstate Fired Agricultural Researchers in Oregon

Washington, DC – Today, Congresswoman Andrea Salinas (OR-06) led her Oregon colleagues – including U.S. Reps. Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Val Hoyle (OR-04), Maxine Dexter (OR-03), and Janelle Bynum (OR-05), along with U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley – in a letter to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Brooke Rollins, expressing concern about the Administration’s decision to terminate USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) workers based in several locations across Oregon, including Corvallis, Newport, Burns, Pendleton, and Hood River.

“The United States is already falling behind other countries in research and agricultural development, and the loss of these researchers will significantly stunt our competitive capabilities in agricultural science and technology,” wrote the members.

The lawmakers go on to explain how terminations are undermining important cooperative agreements between research institutions, USDA-ARS, and stakeholders representing some of Oregon’s most vital crop industries, including greenhouse and nursery crops, grass seed, wine grapes, and hazelnuts.

“Because of unexpected and unpredictable staff terminations, these crop industries cannot holistically benefit from such cooperative agreements and are at risk of losing valuable research progress, which otherwise would have helped stakeholders be more productive and financially successful,” they continued.

The letter highlights how ongoing projects are being destabilized and progress is being lost on valuable research to improve crop yields and storage methods, manage pests, mitigate and prevent disease, and develop resilient farming practices – partly because these fired workers were, in some cases, the only or one of just a handful of people in the country with those research specialties. For example, the Corvallis-based Forage Seed and Cereal Research Unit (FSCRU), whose research improves the resiliency of cereals and hops, lost its only hops horticulturalist and technician in the first round of staff cuts.

The lawmakers concluded: “As Members whose constituents are greatly impacted by these research cuts and personnel firings, we urge you to reconsider these staff terminations and permanently reinstate those who have been let go. Permanent reinstatement will ensure that agricultural operations in Oregon are competitive, data-based, competitive with foreign markets, and stable for generations to come.”

Read the full letter below or click here.

March 27, 2025

The Honorable Brooke L. Rollins
U.S. Department of Agriculture
1400 Independence Ave SW
Washington, DC 20250

Dear Secretary Brooke L. Rollins:

We write to express our deep concern regarding United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) decision, under direction from President Trump and Elon Musk to fire Agricultural Research Service (ARS) researchers based out of the Corvallis, Newport, Burns, Pendleton, and Hood River locations.

The United States is already falling behind other countries in research and agricultural development, and the loss of these researchers will significantly stunt our competitive capabilities in agricultural science and technology. Here in Oregon, important cooperative agreements between Oregon State University (OSU) and ARS have been undermined without due cause. Neither ARS nor OSU alone have the full breadth or depth of expertise required to address the ongoing and emerging needs of stakeholders. However, by leveraging their combined strengths, USDA-ARS and OSU have more effectively supported Oregon agricultural industries and driven innovation in Pacific Northwest agriculture. These industries include several of Oregon’s highest-value crops, such as greenhouse and nursery crops ($1.2 Billion), hay ($785 Million (M)), grass seed ($639M), wine grapes ($330M), blueberries ($182M), hazelnuts ($100M), and hops ($85M). Because of unexpected and unpredictable staff terminations, these crop industries cannot holistically benefit from such cooperative agreements and are at risk of losing valuable research progress, which otherwise would have helped stakeholders be more productive and financially successful.

With Corvallis, staff terminations have significantly hampered the work of research units which directly strengthen Oregon’s – and the nation’s – agricultural production. The Forage Seed and Cereal Research Unit (FSCRU), whose research improves the resiliency of cereals and hops, lost its only hops horticulturalist and technician in the first round of staff cuts. The Horticultural Crops Research Lab (HCRL) drives innovation by studying breeding and improving disease and pest management for the small fruit and nursery industries, some of the highest profiting Oregon agricultural commodities. After years of recruiting the best and brightest staff in their fields, the lab has now lost at least 2 specialists and 15 postdoctoral researchers who, in some cases, were the only or one of just a few people in the country with those research specialties. Though some of these staff have been temporarily reinstated, they face an uncertain future, destabilizing ongoing projects and indefinitely barring new research from starting.

In Newport, the ARS Pacific Shellfish Research Unit (PSRU) focuses on West Coast oyster growers’ priorities that promote and improve field survival of oysters in response to key threats like changing ocean conditions, disease, toxins, and pests. Because of recent firings, PSRU has lost unit leadership capacity, forcing an immediate halt in its oyster production and breeding program operations. Imperative research mitigating diseases, pests, and ocean conditions has also stopped, undermining any future data-driven aquaculture operations because of reduced research personnel and data acquisition capabilities. 

At Hood River Mid-Columbia Agricultural Research and Extension Center (MCAREC), research is completed to understand and subsequently mitigate challenges to sweet cherry and pear post-harvest storage. Staff terminations have significantly undermined scientists who were working to address the most pressing postharvest processing and storage challenges for pears and cherries. Managing postharvest diseases and disorders is critical to increasing and maintaining healthy agricultural distribution across the region and country. Undermining these efforts negatively afflicts the regional U.S. tree fruit industry yield and distribution of its products.

These haphazard firings have also affected Pendleton Columbia Plateau Conservation Research Center (CPCRC). The Pendleton CPCRC conducts priority research on soil and water conservation, resilient farming practices, and dryland wheat and crop production – all of which are put at risk by the Trump Administration’s staff terminations. There has also been a loss of research expertise to advance development of cropping systems and management techniques focused on water use efficiency and soil moisture storage. Reinstating these important researchers is paramount to ensuring Oregon wheat growers remain competitive with foreign markets.

Burns Eastern Oregon Agricultural Research Center (EOARC) is a cooperative research effort between OSU and USDA-ARS focusing on rangeland ecology and restoration of wildlands, environmentally compatible livestock systems, forage crops, and alternative livestock systems. EOARC’s research program is unique in the integration of research about beef cattle, rangeland, wildlife, watershed, and forest management. Reduction of staff capacity will impact output across three areas of research and outreach funded by USDA-ARS: precision rangeland agriculture, rangeland restoration, and rangeland outreach. Oregon’s ranchers will unnecessarily see significant reductions in holistic management that both save ranchers money and promote smart land-management strategies. 

As Members whose constituents are greatly impacted by these research cuts and personnel firings, we urge you to reconsider these staff terminations and permanently reinstate those who have been let go. Permanent reinstatement will ensure that agricultural operations in Oregon are competitive, data-based, competitive with foreign markets, and stable for generations to come.

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