Colorado is about to reap a hefty reward from ongoing efforts by the Trump administration to decentralize the federal bureaucratic behemoth. The north Front Range and Fort Collins will be the most direct beneficiaries, but our whole state and region will gain.

That’s the upshot of an analysis by Colorado’s Common Sense Institute into the dollars-and-cents impact of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s planned relocation of up to 2,600 employees to Fort Collins. 

It’s the home of Colorado State University’s sprawling flagship campus, which includes the state’s premier higher-ed program in agricultural sciences — and one of the nation’s foremost veterinary schools. The university already is a dynamic economic incubator for the ag economy, and the incoming operations of the Agriculture Department promise to kick it into overdrive.

In July, the White House announced it will relocate roughly 56% of the agency’s Washington, D.C.-based workforce to five new regional hubs across the American heartland. The move aims to streamline operations by reducing bureaucratic layers and moving closer to the communities the department serves. It’s a sensible and practical move that arguably also serves to “drain the federal swamp.”

Fort Collins will get a larger slice of the agency’s relocated staff and payroll than any of the other four new hubs – Raleigh, N.C., Kansas City, Indianapolis and Salt Lake City — and stands to benefit the most along with the rest of our state.

“The relocation of USDA employees to Fort Collins represents a transformative opportunity for both the local and statewide economy,” the Common Sense Institute analysis finds. “Based on CSI projections, this federal investment is expected to generate up to $1.4 billion in economic output, contribute $854 million to Colorado’s GDP, and create more than 6,300 new jobs…”

The report continues, “These impacts extend far beyond direct federal employment, stimulating growth across private industries and reinforcing the interconnectedness of public and private sector activity.”

Other data in the findings include:

• Employment impacts that will range from 1,228 new jobs if only 500 staffers make the move, to 6,386 jobs with 2,600 movers.
  
• Personal income is projected to grow by as much as $608 million total in Colorado, with disposable personal income gains of up to $514 million.

As the report also points out, the findings underscore the central role agriculture continues to play in Colorado, not only in putting dinner on the table for most Coloradans but also in serving as a cornerstone of our economy.

“As a top-10 national producer in 14 crop categories — including the leading producer of proso millet — and a leader in livestock and processing, Colorado’s agricultural base is both deep and diverse,” the report states. “The infusion of USDA personnel into Fort Collins will further strengthen the state’s agricultural infrastructure, enhance access to federal resources and research to CSU students and the community, and ensure that policy and programmatic decisions remain closely aligned with the needs of producers on the ground.”

“The data show that a stronger USDA presence will not only support new jobs directly, but also generate growth across industries and enhance the state’s long-term economic competitiveness,” concluded the institute’s research director Caitlin McKennie.

Colorado’s largely urban and suburban metro population along the Front Range has much to be thankful for when it comes to our state’s farmers and ranchers and the rural communities where they work and live. Agricultural bounty keeps us all fed — and as the Common Sense report illustrates, the ag sector’s economic bounty helps pay our bills.