PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – Amid the Trump administration’s efforts to slash the federal workforce, a group of Oregon lawmakers are calling for terminated agricultural researchers in Oregon to be reinstated.

On Thursday, members of Oregon’s Democratic delegation – led by Congresswoman Andrea Salinas (OR-06) – sent a letter to USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins – with concerns over the administration’s decision to terminate USDA Agricultural Research Service workers across Oregon – including in 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,” the lawmakers wrote.

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According to the lawmakers, the terminations undermine agreements between research institutions, USDA-ARS, and stakeholders from Oregon’s vital crop industries including greenhouse and nursery crops (valued at $1.2 billion), grass seed ($639 million), wine grapes ($330 million) and hazelnuts (valued at $100 million).

“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,” the letter continues.

Amid the terminations, ongoing projects are being “hampered,” including research to improve crop yields, ways to manage pests and developments for resilient farming practices, officials said.

According to the lawmakers, these developments are being stalled in some cases where the terminated workers were the only or one of a handful of people in the country with those research specialties.

“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,” the lawmakers concluded.

The letter was signed by Reps. Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Maxine Dexter (OR-03), Val Hoyle (OR-04), and Janelle Bynum (OR-05), along with Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley.

KOIN 6 News reached out to the United States Department of Agriculture. This story will be updated if we receive a response.

When terminations started within the USDA in February, a spokesperson said the department was “optimizing operations, eliminating inefficiencies, and strengthening its ability to serve farmers, ranchers, and the agriculture community,” as reported by Reuters, noting it was not immediately clear how many USDA workers were terminated.

The USDA is among several federal agencies seeing staff cuts directed by the Department of Government Efficiency and Elon Musk. Other agencies seeing job terminations include the Department of Education, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, USAID and the Department of Energy, which impacted some employees at the Bonneville Power Administration.