The analysis, shared first with Civil Eats, was conducted by Prospect Partners this month and is based on updated data released by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) in early March.

OPM shared data in January that showed the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) lost nearly a quarter of its staff since President Donald Trump took office, but the latest data shows for the first time how much staffing has been lost at the county level.

Most NRCS staff work outside of Washington, D.C., in local offices, where they act as the agency’s “boots on the ground.”  They visit farms and work closely with farmers to identify appropriate programs and practices and help with complicated paperwork.