Farm Service Agency shelves cutback plan

The nation’s Farm Service Agency shelved a plan Monday to close hundreds of offices that farmers have relied upon for decades to assist them with subsidies and other federal programs.

Called “FSA Tomorrow,” the measure is the equivalent of new national business plan to trim costs by consolidating offices and modernizing services.

U.S. Department of Agriculture officials called it an attempt to best meet the future needs of farmers and ranchers.

But agriculture groups and farm-state politicians considered the closure of 700 county offices nationwide an ill-timed effort that would cut services to struggling farmers.

In Washington State, FSA director Jim Fitzgerald had said FSA offices in Asotin and Ferry counties could be closed with the least disruption to farmers. He made the announcement Monday morning, minutes before the surprise announcement setting aside the entire plan — at least for now.

The FSA plan called for the closure of 12 offices in Idaho, including the one in Kootenai County.

FSA spokeswoman Chris Bieker said Ag Department officials offered few details behind their reasoning to halt “FSA Tomorrow.”

Using a formula that included workload and driving distance to the nearest FSA county office, Fitzgerald and his staff determined Asotin and Ferry were the two county offices out of 25 statewide best suited for consolidation. Both county offices have one employee. Bieker said those workers would be offered the opportunity for another FSA job if the plan is reinstated and the offices are closed.

The FSA administers the federal government’s massive programs that have sustained farmers for years with a variety of subsidy programs, low-interest loans, and popular conservation measures that pay farmers not to grow crops on lands that are susceptible to erosion or those that provide good wildlife habitat.

In Washington state, the FSA has a staff of 134 people. Last year it distributed $308 million to farmers in the form of federal subsidies, conservation payments and disaster relief for such things as drought or storm damage.

Across the country, FSA has 2,351 county offices. About 400 have a staff of two of fewer.

Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., was quoted by the Associated Press over the weekend that he was given assurances that the FSA plan would be pulled back. The plan proved controversial in Montana, which was slated to close six of its 49 offices.