Wood County Board Approves Nutrient Management Plans for All Wood County Farms
Wednesday, August 19th, 2015 -- 8:36 AM
(Wisconsin Ag Connection) -Livestock operations of all sizes in Wood County will now be asked to develop and file nutrient-management plans for their farms, even if they are not large enough to be considered a CAFO, or concentrated animal feeding operation.On Tuesday, county supervisors voted 10-9 to adopt an ordinance amendment in hopes of bolstering compliance and enforcement of such plans. Proponents say the ultimate goal is to protect lakes, streams and ground water from fertilizer and manure contamination.
The previous rules required only CAFOs and other large farms to file nutrient management plans, as well as farms of any size if they are looking to construct a new animal waste storage facility. As part of the amended rule, farmers could face a $500 fine if they fail to submit the manure management program to the county. However, the board did reject a proposal to hire a full-time staff person to help farmers finalize and enforce their nutrient management programs.
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