Dunn County LOSG working on key findings

By LeAnn R. Ralph

MENOMONIE —  The Dunn County Livestock Operations Study Group is now working on compiling key findings from the past six months of work.

The Dunn County Board approved a six-month moratorium last fall on expanding existing CAFOs or developing new CAFOs of 1,000 or more animal units, and the study group was subsequently formed  to evaluate the impact of CAFOs on the health, safety and welfare of Dunn County’s residents and resources, to report on the group’s findings and to make recommendations. 

The moratorium officially ends on May 4, and the LOSG had originally planned to present their report with recommendations to the Dunn County Board at the May 17 meeting.

The work is taking longer than expected, and the LOSG will most likely give a progress report to the county board at the May 17 meeting with the final report coming later.

The LOSG met April 27 to discuss some of the key findings.

Presentations have been made to the study group on a variety of topics related to, or that could be impacted by CAFOs, such as manure storage, high nitrate levels in the groundwater, traffic impacts from large farm machinery and hauling manure, the state Department of Natural Resource’s permitting procedure for CAFOs, and existing county regulations.

Here is some of the information presented during the LOSG’s discussion about findings of fact:

• More milk is being produced with fewer cows and using less feed. The improvement in production is due to better nutrition and better cow comfort. The carbon footprint of dairy farms also has become smaller.

• In Dunn County there is an interest in adopting innovative conservation standards. A growing diversity in farming is also present, with more people being interested in gardening, for example. 

• A need for pro-active education exists to counteract misconceptions and lack of knowledge about farming. More public information is needed on CAFO rules. The public needs to know more about all kinds of farming, and to know, for example, that Wisconsin state law protects the right to farm. Farm operators and the general public need to know more about regulations.

• Nitrate and phosphorus levels are increasing in surface water, and nitrate and bacteria in groundwater also are a concern. Much of the nitrate in the groundwater is from fertilizer applied to corn and potato crops and is not all due to land-spreading of manure. Nitrate can also be an indicator of other contaminants in the groundwater.

• Groundwater baseline testing is important to groundwater quality and quantity. High capacity wells can impact the flow of groundwater and can impact nearby streams and wells. Dams can also impact groundwater. Understanding the dynamic between groundwater and surface water is important.

• Overflowing manure pits and manure spills must be reported to the state Department of Natural Resources.

• More research is needed to determine nutrient contamination of groundwater from various sources, including agricultural operations.

• Heavy trucks from livestock operations and heavy farm equipment can damage roads and shoulders and increase safety risks. 

• Dunn County requires a Traffic Impact Analysis, but the TIA has only been applied to sand mines.

• Weight restrictions can be placed on roads year around.

• Drag lines can be an effective way to spread manure with less impact on roads.