Maryland leaders rally to save historic Beltsville research center from closure.

BELTSVILLE, Md. — Maryland's top political leaders are intensifying their efforts to prevent the closure of a vital scientific research facility in Prince George's County, a move that would represent the latest blow to the state's federal workforce.

Earlier this year, the administration of President Donald Trump announced a reorganization of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) that included plans to close the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center (BARC) and relocate its workers.

On Monday, a coalition of state and county officials, including Prince George’s County Congressman Glenn Ivey, toured the facility to highlight its importance and push back against the proposed closure. They emphasized the significant agricultural research conducted at the center, as well as its substantial economic contribution to Prince George's County.

For over a century, the 6,400-acre Beltsville facility has been a cornerstone of agricultural innovation. As Congressman Ivey explained, the administration's proposed shutdown would force more than 600 researchers out of the area.

"It was pretty clear after there was a hearing in the Senate about it, that [Trump officials] really hadn't thought it through and weren't sure about what they were actually gonna do or why they were gonna do it," Ivey stated.

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The lawmakers argued that shutting down BARC would be a costly and shortsighted decision, undermining decades of taxpayer-funded research.

"The American taxpayers have pumped billions of dollars into that site, so moving it would be expensive to do, and you would undermine your ability to continue the research that's been going on there for decades," Ivey added.

The push to keep the center open comes amid a broader pattern of federal workforce reductions in Maryland. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the state has been hit the hardest in the nation by federal job cuts, losing around 15,000 positions since January, including 2,500 in August alone.

Ivey expressed hope that a bipartisan coalition would form to oppose what he called the "radical moves" of the administration. If the facility were to be closed, he noted, it would require an act of Congress to sell the property and pursue new economic opportunities for the area.

For many, the fight to save BARC is not just about a single facility, but about protecting the economic stability of a region heavily dependent on the federal government.

The closure of the research center, along with other federal moves, would contribute to a rise in Maryland's unemployment rate and create widespread uncertainty for federal employees.'

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