Many researchers asked to move with some US Department of Agriculture agencies from Washington, DC, to their new digs in the Kansas City area have not agreed to do so, NPR reports.
The agency announced nearly a year ago that it would be moving two of its research departments, the Economic Research Service— which now falls under the purview of the Office of the Chief Economist — and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, out of DC. At the time, USDA Secretary Sunny Purdue said the move would allow the agency to provide "more streamlined and efficient services." Critics, though, argued that moving these departments away from DC would limit their effectiveness. Kansas City was later selected as the new site.
But according to NPR, a good portion of USDA researchers don't wish to move. A USDA spokesperson tells NPR that 72 ERS employees have accepted relocation, while 99 declined or didn't respond, and that 73 NIFA employees have accepted relocation, while 151 declined or didn't respond. The spokesperson notes, though, that those figures are in flux, as employees have until the end of September to relocate and can change their minds.