From Meg Pokorny, Chairman, Public Issues Committee, Blanchardville Woman's Club
Blanchardville
To the editor:
Our area of southwestern Wisconsin is blessed with many streams and rivers that are a part of watersheds that drain into the Mississippi Basin. Access to abundant clean water is vital for local agriculture, which is essential to our way of life as a producer of needed food crops. It is also important for tourism. Together these industries form the economic backbone of our area. We are aware that best practices exist which safeguard water quality and that many of these best practices are already being implemented by various family farms within our region.
However, we are also aware that large livestock facilities have been shown to be hazardous to water quality and quantity. The spreading and storage of large volumes of liquid manure pose dangers regardless of whether or not a facility follows Department of Natural Resources permitted procedures because current regulations are inadequate and fail to take into consideration the geological features of our area; also, because the DNR lacks resources to monitor compliance with its regulations.
Because we understand the importance of clean water, the Blanchardville Woman's Club opposes the development of more large livestock facilities in our area. We encourage our local, township, and county officials to pass livestock licensing ordinances that include strict limits on setbacks from water sources, roads and homes, as well as moratoriums that allow local officials time to study specific water health and safety issues. We also strongly urge that up-to-date hydrogeological mapping of ground and surface water flow and vulnerability in our area be done as soon as possible.
Blanchardville
To the editor:
Our area of southwestern Wisconsin is blessed with many streams and rivers that are a part of watersheds that drain into the Mississippi Basin. Access to abundant clean water is vital for local agriculture, which is essential to our way of life as a producer of needed food crops. It is also important for tourism. Together these industries form the economic backbone of our area. We are aware that best practices exist which safeguard water quality and that many of these best practices are already being implemented by various family farms within our region.
However, we are also aware that large livestock facilities have been shown to be hazardous to water quality and quantity. The spreading and storage of large volumes of liquid manure pose dangers regardless of whether or not a facility follows Department of Natural Resources permitted procedures because current regulations are inadequate and fail to take into consideration the geological features of our area; also, because the DNR lacks resources to monitor compliance with its regulations.
Because we understand the importance of clean water, the Blanchardville Woman's Club opposes the development of more large livestock facilities in our area. We encourage our local, township, and county officials to pass livestock licensing ordinances that include strict limits on setbacks from water sources, roads and homes, as well as moratoriums that allow local officials time to study specific water health and safety issues. We also strongly urge that up-to-date hydrogeological mapping of ground and surface water flow and vulnerability in our area be done as soon as possible.
