Although members of the CAFO Working Group agreed on how to categorize Animal Feeding Operations (AFOs) by specific "animal units," the proposed land-use plan broadened their definitions greatly, opening the door to much larger animal counts then recommended.
In a plan that confused even Planning Commissioners at yesterday's land-use plan work session, animal units would be defined like this:
Cattle, Beef = 1 animal unit Cattle, Dairy = 1.4 animal unit Chicken = .02 animal unit Elk = .5 animal unit Geese, Ducks, Turkeys = .03 animal unit Goat = .2 animal unit Horse = 1 animal unit Sheep = .2 animal unit Swine = .4 animal unit Bison = 1 animal unit
CAFO Working Group members recommended that a minor AFO contain fewer than 50 animal units. The county, however, is planning for 50-to-149 animal units.
Translation: A 373-animal pig farm could go on five acres (A5 zone) with limited review and administrative approval.
Anything but minor.