HADLEY — In an apparent reversal of a decision by the Trump administration, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Northeast regional headquarters at 300 Westgate Center Drive is remaining open.
Several months after the 72,220-square-foot building and its $1.6 million annual lease was among 748 lease terminations across the country officially posted online, the site will continue to be where 79 wildlife refuges located in 13 states, from Maine to Virginia, are overseen, according to a spokesperson.
“After a nationwide evaluation of the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of federal facilities, the federal government is continuing its lease of 300 Westgate Center Drive, Hadley, Massachusetts, for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Northeast Region headquarters,” spokesperson Bridget C. MacDonald wrote in an email.
A spokesperson for the U.S. General Services Administration in a statement confirmed that the lease termination notices for both that headquarters and the Natural Resources Conservation Service office for Massachusetts, located in Amherst, have been rescinded:
“The U.S. General Services Administration continues to work closely with our partner agencies to ensure we are providing office space that meets both short-term and long-term housing needs, while supporting evolving missions and operations.”
In March, the Hadley site, along with the Natural Resources Conservation Service office that has been at 451 West St., Amherst since 1980, were identified by Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency for possible closure. That federal streamlining initiative had sought to end federal leases on nearly 9.6 million square feet of space, resulting in what it said would be $660 million in lease savings.
According to a published list, terminating the lease on the Hadley building would have yielded $11.5 million in total savings, while ending the lease on the smaller NRCS office, at 22,428 square feet and with a $484,122 annual lease, would have realized only $80,687 in total savings.
When the possibility of closing the Hadley headquarters was announced, a federal employee who requested anonymity due to fear of retribution said 36 probationary employees at the Hadley office were being let go.
The looming building closure and the reported layoffs, both in Hadley and across the country, with the National Wildlife Refuge Association estimating the termination of 420 employees, led to a protest in March near the Fish & Wildlife headquarters, at the intersection of Routes 9 and 116.
About 200 employees have historically worked from the building, but MacDonald said she was unable to discuss staffing levels.
“The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service remains dedicated to conserving America’s wildlife and natural habitats while promoting access, use and enjoyment of public lands by the American people, all while upholding federal responsibilities with efficiency and accountability,” MacDonald said. “Per department policy, we do not comment on personnel matters.”
The late U.S. Rep. Silvio O. Conte spearheaded the $8 million move of Fish & Wildlife’s Northeast headquarters from Newton to Hadley as the chief congressional sponsor. Reps. John Olver and Richard Neal continued the effort after Conte’s death in 1991 and the building opened in 1992.
Among the sites it oversees are the Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge, which includes land in Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut and Massachusetts, and the Great Thicket National Wildlife Refuge, which spans five New England states and New York.
The Northeast region of the federal department also protects endangered species, studies migratory birds from Maine to Puerto Rico, and disseminates federal funds to state wildlife refuges.
Natural Resources office
While the Natural Resources Conservation Service office, which provides U.S. Department of Agriculture services to farmers and others across the state, is still open, the space remains under threat, according to Matthew Bonaccorsi, communications director for U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern.
A July 24 reorganization memo from Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins states the Natural Resources Conservation Service will align its regional structure with five USDA hub locations, none of which are in New England or the Northeast.
“We plan to demand answers from the Trump admin on exactly how the NRCS footprint will change,” Bonaccorsi said.