An industrial hog farm recently approved to be built along a tributary of the Buffalo National River has several Arkansans concerned that waste generated by the farm will eventually make its way into the river.
Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality recently approved a permit for C&H Farms to operate the 670-acre farm on the banks of Big Creek near Mount Judea.
The farm is permitted to hold as many as 6,500 hogs, notes the Associated Press. The farm will generate about 2 million gallons of waste annually, and the plan is to dispose of the liquid waste by spraying it onto 640 acres of surrounding grassland.
The decision has sparked opposition around the state in the form of an online petition, which had over 6,000 supporters as of Thursday morning. Concerned citizens have also started the Keep The Buffalo National River Clean and Pristine Facebook page.
From the petition:
The Buffalo National River is America’s First National River, with over 1 million visitors annually who expect and deserve to swim, fish, paddle, and play in the clean and pristine river waters free from factory hog farming! By protecting Big Creek, a critical and immediate tributary of the Buffalo National River from factory hog farming, the legacy of America’s First National River will remain a source of pride for the people and stewards of the National Park Service, the Great State of Arkansas, and all Americans for generations of visitors to come.
The Buffalo River Chamber of Commerce also opposes the project based on concerns that potential damage to the river could threaten the $38 million in tourism dollars annually generated by visitors to the river.
The issue could be discussed on Friday, March 22 by the Arkansas Pollution Control and Ecology Commission, which is the state’s environmental policymaking body.
Stan Jorgensen, chairman of the commission, told a reporter from the Associated Press he wasn’t sure if the commission was in a position to affect past permit decisions, but that the permit would likely be discussed on Friday.
“Usually, if things are in the media, there’s a good chance they’ll come up at the commission meeting,” Jorgensen told the AP.
The Arkansas Pollution Control and Ecology Commission will meet at 9 a.m. Friday at 5301 North Shore Drive in North Little Rock.
More: Springfield News-Leader, Courier News, KHOZ, Arkansas Times
If anyone thinks spraying ’2,000,000 GALLONS’ of hog sewage on 640 acres is beneficial to anyone they should “be taken out back and dealt with.” According to the above article, 6,500 hogs will be kept on a meager 30 acres (670-640)… Who at the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality is in charge of doing math? Who at the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality is on the exec. board of this pig city? I would like to know if any elected officials made this decision, and what values they referenced in the issuing of this operating permit?
Teresa Marks is the head of ADEQ and she was appointed by the governor. She claims that she did not know about the approval of the permit approved by her department. ADEQ staff members are state employees. I do not know if they receive federal funding, perhaps for some of their programs they do. They facilitate Project Wet, which is an educational program federally developed and adopted by our state. It’s purpose is to send qualified teachers out to teach the importance of protecting the quality of water and how to protect it. There is a PDF copy of their Watershed Protection Guide on their web site. It will provide interesting reading as it states many times that CAFOs, large contained animal feeding operations, have caused a decrease in the quality of our waterways. They imply that through proper maintenance of these animal factories, water quality is not affected and requirements are in place. However, the farm owners are responsible for their own checking and reporting and field reps may go out once every few months to check records and do their own checking. Does this remind you of the fox guarding the hen house? Big Creek is pretty wide and fast moving right now, a perfect freeway of refuse leading straight into our national river. The huge hog farm sits at the top of a now flattened hill top and there are plenty of feeder creeks that flow downhill into BIG Creek, and we all know what flows downhill!
Slim Tim you need to get your facts straight. Its not 6500 hogs it is 1500 hogs and they are not coming soon there is already over 800 hogs in the bar,n now as we speak, and they seem to be adjusting to their new home very well.
After reading further, officials at the Buffalo National River were not even consulted before the permit was issued. This seems like a gross oversight on the part of the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality. Also, it seems that the permits were actually granted last summer and construction is now in progress. It just seems like there could be a better place for a commercial hog farm.
I can’t imagine the decision was based on science. It does not appear to have taken public sentiment into consideration. Could this have had anything to do with agricultural industerial complex (Cargill) and their considerable influence? Hmmm. Sometimes, I am convinced we would be better led by 6 year olds.
Please check out the Buffalo River Watershed Alliance website to learn more. Not only will the waste be spread on fields that are affected during a 25year flood( which happens every few years now), one of the fields is a mere 300 feet from the Mt. Judea school.
Coody, I’ve bagged on you a lot, but I want to be fair, thank you for your effort to educate the general public more about this.
DEQ doesn’t have the power to just shut this down, so long as this facility’s design doesn’t violate Arkansas State Code then they have to approve the permits. I would be surprised if Arkansas State Code on this subject is very stringent.
Read the letter from the National Park Service and then decide if they followed the law. It wouldn’t be the first time a project that was permitted was eventually halted. If you lie on your application and omit required documentation, is it a legal permit?
There is a lot of discussion about how ADEQ did not provide adequate notification, misrepresented that they had consulted with the National Park Service, and may not have followed NEPA. However I am not hearing any strategy other than writing letters to immediately stop this hog farm from going into production. Are people working on hiring attorneys to file an injunction to cease operations and building? C and H is rapidly trying to get their farm up and running-before folks can fully organize. Remember the Turk power plant close to Hope. They just kept building until it was too late to stop them. I would bet the same strategy is being implemented at the hog farm.
Did the state require an EIS or EA? What about the endangered/threathened cave fish, gray bat, Indiana bat, and freshwater mussels? All are likely prevalent in this area full of caves and near pristine habitat.
I hope folks are making more noise than writing letter and truly organizing against the destruction of this incredible river! We need to organize and do it quickly or the game will be over.
Which has what effective bearing on ADEQ Mr. Coody?
Too little too late! BRING ON THE BACON!!!!!
If anyone is interested in what’s about to happen to the Buffalo River water quality, you should read the letter from the Narional Park Service about it. Link below.
http://buffaloriveralliance.org/Resources/Documents/Ltr%20to%20FSA%20State%20Executive%20Director%20022713.pdf
Mr. Coody, I am hoping you will help lead the crusade against this travesty that stands to destroy a beautiful part of our state. Few people walk the walk on the environment better than you and I sincerely hope you will be a leading voice in this debate. If the project is allowed to continue, it’s a matter of time before groundwater pollution and illness will follow.
Thank you for providing the link. It opens a window in to an amazing lack of oversight– or an oversight, depending on how you choose to interpret the contranym.
Thanks, David. This is important.
The National Parks Service letter suggests possible violations of the National Environmental Policy Act. How can a Finding of No Significant Impact be valid if the Environmental Assessment it’s based on isn’t factual? and how can the resulting permit be valid?
Stunning, yet unsurprising. It takes some balls to state that there are no wildlife resources in the vicinity, and that there will be no community impact. The hog sh!t is already being spread well beyond the limits of this operation. I’m glad the NPS is taking them to task.
This is worthy of inspection. Some qualified entity should look into this and not assume it is too far gone to reverse this apparently questionable decision
This has to be stopped. It will destroy one of Arkansas’s most beautiful features, the Buffalo River.
Do these C & H hog farm people have a track record? I read that they have/had at least two other operations. Do we know where? Any problems? (I mean for anyone, including the animals.) How do we find this out?
Aldo, they have a good track record.
But, ADEQ lied when approving this operation by saying the Parks Service had approved it, when they never ran it by them, so it should be reheard with Parks Service input, and hopefully revoked.
Information I find on that company says it’s been in existence only 1 year. This data may be incorrect or defective. But if it’s accurate, the question might arise: how can a company establish a good record in just one year? Yes, I know the state says “good standing” but that’s pretty much pro forma if fees are paid and forms are filled out.
There is no “good track record” for a CAFO. It is inherently an oxymoron.
It’s never too late.
The only public notice that is required by the ADEQ for this type of permit is a notice on their website, no publication in a newspaper or notice to neighbors or schools. No surprise that they didn’t get any public comment so now there is no one with standing to even appeal the permit. The time for appeal has long past and the only reason we know anything about this at all is because the Park Service was notified by the
government backed financing agency that falsely named them as a “cooperating agency” and the protested. The EPA states that the public should have “the opportunity for meaningful review and comment on the plan “(Nutrien Management Plan). I don’t think with the current method of public notification by the ADEQ, that requirement can ever be met. This needs to change before the next CAFO files for a permit.
Arkansas: Wake up. The state is being overrun by greedheads and profiteers who are raping away. This. Fracking. The Illinois River dumping. Clock’s running.
The carpetbaggers never stopped moving in, and now we have local Teabaggers to aid and abet them. Ignorance plus greed will be the ruin of Arkansas if we’re not careful.
So here is the problem. These CAFO’s have wanted in for a long time here in Arkansas. There are horrible stories in Iowa and the Carolina’s about these same type Cargill CAFO’s and pollution. Now Fayetteville is a fantastic city with many progressive, green programs and minded folks. However, while we were eating from the bounty of our farmer’s market, these CAFO’s received a general permit to operate here in Arkansas. The only input the ADEQ got was from the corporate farm outfits and their lawyers. The ADEQ and PC&E Commission had meetings all over the state they said, and we missed it guys. These farms are legal here now and I am sure planned everywhere. They could make policy changes on notification, or regulation changes. Right now their lawyers feel real confident. It will take outside pressure on these CAFO’s, as the people in the local area are neighbors, friends, and family, and shouldn’t be fighting each other. This type of farming is out of balance with nature. The ADEQ seemed to be selling us on how safe these are. They are not. Some in Texas have 700,000 hogs. 6500 head on the buffalo won’t be a drop in the bucket. They are going to crap all over us. They are buying this state cheap.
Could enough money be raised to pay the property owners not to do this?
They claim to be starving to death, according to one of the JP’s at the quorum in Jasper. However one of the permit holders is a JP on the quorum, and they secured a loan of 4 million with their own properties and federal money according to the permit holder. So they had enough capital to secure a 4 million dollar loan. That sounds like they are doing ok. This farm will only add 8 jobs to newton county, 8. This is about corporate farming and corporate control of our food supply. These big producers say they are on a mission from God to feed the world. They operate for profit. The world will be just fine without their CEO’s recieving another paycheck. Monsanto is selling the same lies. All the Monsanto GMO corn burned up in the drought last year, saw it for myself. In between their massive fields would be smaller places that were green and fine. We are being sold lies about our food and health by “industry leaders”. People can feed themselves just fine, this is for profit. Thanks for thinking outside the box, but we have enough people on the payroll that seem to be paid to do nothing already.
This is EXACTLY it. Thank you.
Eminent Domain
Lol, do you think the state government doesn’t want this hog farm?
Don’t they represent us?
A few of them do, supposedly. However, the state government welcomes this business. They just created a system to make us one of the few states who allow this type of large-scale operation. They wanted it, they sent out invitations, and they are getting what they asked for.
The Natural State “of money talks”.
Arkansas gonna Arkansas.
We are so screwed people. $ talk$ indeed.
Here is why: now with Supreme Court backing the public purpose doctrine has been reduced to “as long as we get some tax revenue, we are serving the public” –by any means necessary.
Of course the banks are ready to fund anyone who’s got a CAFO contract to wave around. As long as there are people to buy the stuff, we are pissin’ against the wind people. And it sure ain’t agriculture so don’t even call it a Farm (don’t even think about paying them a visit).
So it is game over: politicians bot & paid for, kabuki regulatory boards, and big folks able to pay for the Reg’s they need to operate er, under.
Time for some creative disobedience ala Occupy methinks.
We need to do something NOW before they have this hog farm up and running. Anyone know a good environment/natural resource attorney?
I agree. THE FARM IS BUILT! This was done so queitly, that all they need are the hogs. ACT NOW! Sign the petition, contact ADEQ, your congress, governor and the Pollution Commission. Boycott all GMO fed animal products, and grain products. Demand farm to table legislation. Demand clean water. Pay an organic farmer what they need to continue to provide real food. All you need are your neighbors. Only way to hurt a corporation is to hurt their profit. Tell them not in ARKANSAS or the rest of the world.
Again, YES!
Hey, are all of you interested in this? Then check this crap out. We need to call the President and tell him to veto the MONSANTO PROTECTION ACT HR 933 in Section 735. Basically this bill makes it illegal to sue Monsanto. That’s right. They are taking the farmers right to sue corporations away. Hit the panic button, because the US and Canda are screwed. We are the only country that lets this crappy non food item into the food supply and it’s killing us. Over 90 percent of our seed stock in this country is from them. It’s time to occupy monsanto in st louis. Stop paying your taxes, don’t go to work, rise up against these food corporations and say no more. Stop shopping at grocery stores, it’s all GMO! They were asking in California just to label the GMO’s and the companies spent 1 million a day for 30 days convincing them that they would starve if passed, it’s a lie. Then they stopped counting the votes just a few thousand away from passing prop 37. Other cities have passed laws so that consumers and farmers can buy and sell unprocessed food, meaning real food. Same problem in our health care industry. Don’t believe that you need a lab to be healthy. We have one problem, it’s called INDUSTRY. Grow your own.
This has been the one thing that struck me as most ironic. The Buffalo River is certainly a treasure, a national gem and should be saved. But where were people for the last several decades as Monsanto, Dow, Nestle, Cargill, Tyson, Unilever, etc., have been destroying people’s bodies? These corporations and others are causing cancers, autoimmune diseases, increased allergies and more.
People played complacently as their health and that of their children and, yes, future generations was being destroyed, but damage their playground and now they’re up in arms!
I’m all for saving every piece of pristine wilderness we have left, but realize that it’s part of a bigger picture people! If by some miracle we were to win the Buffalo, I beg you please do not go back to head up your a$$ dissociation from what is happening to our food and our environment. Do not put the blinders back on “after the Buffalo” because it will come back to bite you from another direction.
This is a wake up call!
Hipster dilemma: environmental outrage or bacon worship?
Way to make a dumb joke out of a serious issue.
Dumb, perhaps, but pretty good dumb.
I like a good joke as much as most folks, but some things I can’t laugh at.
This is an astonishing image from their official application. Notice how the town of Mt Judea and their school is almost entirely surrounded by manure fields. If any one of you has ever smelled a fresh application of hog manure, you will understand how it seems impossible to imagine that the residents can remain when they crank up this operation. Who’s going to pay for their loss? We are. The publicly-backed farm loan puts the taxpayer in the position of absorbing the farm’s debt if it goes south. We will pick up the bill for environmental, social, and health damage, as well as the cost of building the operation, principle and interest. Privatize profits, socialize losses.
.https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=544658292224245&set=a.538075672882507.1073741826.532012206822187&type=1&theater
Thank you sir please help.
I don’t know politics, but I can guess that all involved simply want their life to be easier. For those asking what they can do, you can CALL your state senator and state rep DAILY. You can PHONE your US Congressman DAILY about the impact on the NATIONAL river within their state. We must realize how easy it is to not read an email. It is not easy to for anyone to sit on the phone for 500 2 minute calls everyday.
The side of sanity will not prevail on its own. Only if the side of sanity is a thorn in the side of the policy makers.
Those asking how to make this change, take 15 minutes and call the same phone numbers everyday asking if they’ve decided yet to not risk the health of the Buffalo National River. EMAIL will be ignored as much as you ignore emails you don’t want to read. PHONE DAILY.
And if people then move from the area? Obviously it’s only then good for one thing: expanding the operation! At pennies on the dollar for the land, no less.
http://buffaloriveralliance.org/Resources/Documents/Ltr%20to%20FSA%20State%20Executive%20Director%20022713.pdf
Please join the above organization. Let him know you support him. He will be grateful to hear from you. He has invested considerable time and energy in fighting this and has recruited what appear to be some very talented co-workers. You HAVE to make some noise, lots of it. Call and write your reps, attend the upcoming meeting in Jasper, do what you can. This is a “gateway” test..like a ‘gateway drug”. IF we roll over, there will be more CAFOs in more watersheds to come. Also, house bill 1929, which will weaken existing water quality standards, needs to be stopped in its tracks. That “somebody” is you. Please ….give’em Hell.
Here is something you can do to help the Buffalo along with every other creek and river that isn’t designated as a public water supply. Call the Senators on the Public Health Committee and ask them to vote against HB1929; They will be discussing it on Wednesday of this week.
The bill, if passed, will instantly remove water quality protections from hundreds of Arkansas streams and waterways, and would land the state in more legal trouble as it is in clear violation of the Federal Clean Water Act.
please contact these Senators to let them know you oppose this bill in it’s current form.
http://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/assembly/2011/2011R/pages/CommitteeDetail.aspx?committeecode=430
This link might be more up to date. http://citizensfirst.org/updoads/senatepublichealth.pdf
Senator Bledsoe’s number is 479-636-2115. She is from Rogers.
Well well there he is – welcome back Mr. Coody, we haven’t heard from you in awhile. Does this mean a political office campaign is coming up ? Governor ? Seriously, are you going to be involved – parking issue, block street, Mexican Original…
@Dan Fan – I think you are lost. This thread is for people actually concerned with maintaining the integrity of our local environment, particularly the Buffalo River. Take your trite, agenda oozing dribble elsewhere. Politics aside, anyone who doubts Mr Coody’s sincerity on this issue hasn’t been paying the least bit of attention.
More documents concerning the matter
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/epadhx9j6axllnb/QnQC7edrrf
If you have a subscription to the DemGaz, there’s a good story by Ryan McGeeney and a good column by Mike Masterson.
The following list is from the website of the Buffalo River Watershed Alliance: Legislative and Stakeholder Contacts
Arkansas State Delegation
Governor Mike Beebe Phone: 501-682-2345
Letters to Governor via Marc Harrison email: marc.harrison@governor.arkansas.gov
Senator Mike Lamoureux Michael.Lamoureux@senate.ar.gov Phone: 479-968-7300
Senator Missy Irvin Missy.Irvin@senate.ar.gov Phone: 870-269-2703
Representative Kelley Linck kelley@kelleylinck.com Phone: 870-453-6149 Cell: 870-404-2741 (best)
Representative David Branscum davidlbranscum@hotmail.com Phone: 870-448-2408 Fax: 870-448-5124
Arkansas Federal Delegation
Senator Boozman philip_moore@boozman.senate.gov Phone: (202) 224-4843 Fax: (202) 228-1371
Senator Pryor russell_hall@pryor.senate.gov Phone: (202) 224-2353 Fax: (202) 228-0908
Representative Rick Crawford (district 1) no email published Phone: (202) 225-4076 Fax: (202) 225-5602
Representative Steve Womack (district 3) amanda.ladden-stirling@mail.house.gov Phone: 202-225-4301 Fax: 202.225.5713
Representative Tom Cotton (district 4) no email published, no fax Phone: 202-225-3772
Arkansas State Agencies
Arkansas Pollution Control and Ecology Commission oversees ADEQ commissioners@adeq.state.ar.us
Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) Teresa Marks, Director marks@adeq.state.ar.us (501) 682-0959
Buffalo National River Business Stakeholders
Buffalo River Chamber of Commerce admin@buffaloriverchamber.com
Scenic 14 Association buffaloriverfloatservice@gmail.com
Upper Buffalo River Merchants Association sheilahroenfeldt@aol.com
Organizations
Arkansas Canoe Club ozarktom@gmail.com 479-634-5160
Arkansas Game and Fish Commission askagfc@agfc.state.ar.us 800-364-4263
Arkansas Master Naturalists roy.stovall@suddenlink.net website not working
Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission arkansas@naturalheritage.org Phone: 501-324-9619 Fax: 501-324-9618
Audubon Society jstewart@audubon.org Jack Stewart
Backcountry Horsemen of America jacque.alexander@arkansas.gov Jacque Alexander
Cave Research Foundation Scott House
Nature Conservancy (Ozark Highlands Office, Fayetteville) Phone: (479) 973-9110 Fax: (479) 973-9135
National Parks Conservation Association (Southeast Region) southeast@npca.org Phone: 865-329-2424
Newton County Wildlife Association newtoncwa@gmail.com
Corporations
Cargill, Incorporated michael_martin@cargill.com Mike Martin 316-291-2126
Great information, thanks for posting.
Dan, Liz Lottman has a petition going around, like you, she own’s some land over there
Hey Mike, the Buffalo Rover Watershed Alliance has a petition on their website. It may be the same one. It has pver 7000 signatures so far. http://www.change.org/petitions/keep-america-s-first-national-river-the-buffalo-river-clean-and-pristine
Any voice willing to speak out in a productive and respectful manner on this issue is a welcomed voice. Thank you DB, whoever you are.
URGENT! Support this Bill to Protect The Buffalo
From:
Buffalo River Watershed Alliance
Make a call to preserve water quality in the Buffalo River watershed
Facebook Twitter
Support Arkansas House Bill 2252
and protect the Buffalo and other ERWs
This bill may be voted on tomorrow, April 9 so we need your help NOW
House Bill 2252 may be read in its entirety here:
http://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/assembly/2013/2013R/Bills/HB2252.pdf
This bill calls for the protection of all Extraordinary Resource Waters (ERWs) within Arkansas by establishing a moratorium against CAFOs for 2 years. There are many ERWs in Arkansas, the Buffalo National River being the most notable.
Below is a list of the Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee members with telephone and email information.
Please call or write these members NOW! The Committee meets at 10 am tomorrow and needs to hear from those who support protection of these important waters. It will only take about 30 minutes of your time.
Ask them to please SUPPORT HB 2252 as currently written
We urge you to contact all committee members if possible but if you only have time for a few, concentrate on Reps. Branscum, Burris and Harris.
Legislator District Party hometown email phone
John Burris 98 R Harrison burrisforstaterep@gmail.com 870-688-6181
Reginald Murdock 48 D Marianna rkm_72360@yahoo.com 870-295-3208
James Word 16 D Pine Bluff jword@aaasea.org 870-550-3799
Butch Wilkins 59 D Bono butch.wilkins@arkansashouse.org 870-972-5503
Mark Perry 42 D Jacksonville mperry@windstream.net 501-982-4561
Stephanie Malone 77 R Fort Smith stephanie.malone@arkansashouse.org 479-629-5119
Henry “Hank” Wilkins 17 D Pine Bluff hank.wilkins@arkansashouse.org 870-536-6366
Greg Leding 86 D Fayetteville greg@gregleding.com 479-966-9201
Frederick Love 29 D Little Rock fjlove@att.net 501-612-3939
Kelley Linck 99 R Yellville kelley@kelleylinck.com 870-404-2741
Justin Harris 81 R West Fork Justin.Harris@arkansashouse.org 479-871-8542
Jeff Wardlaw 8 D Warren jeff@jeffwardlaw.com 870-226-9501
Kim Hammer 28 R Benton kimdhammer@yahoo.com 501-840-3841
David Branscum 83 R Marshall davidlbranscum@hotmail.com 870-448-6290
David Meeks 70 R Conway David.Meeks@arkansashouse.org 501-277-9340
Andy Mayberry 27 R Hensley andymayberry@windstream.net 501-888-3522
Betty Overbey 69 D Lamar Betty.Overbey@arkansashouse.org 479-885-6479
Chris Richey 12 D West Helena chris.richey@arkansashouse.org 870-995-2499
Richard Womack 18 R Arkadelphia richard@richardwomack.com 870-403-6287
Deborah Ferguson 51 D West Memphis deborah.ferguson@arkansashouse.org 870-735-7098
Emails sent. Wish I had time to call them all. Thank you for this.
National Parks Conservation Association Calls Permitting Process Flawed for Hog Farm onBuffalo National River Tributary
National Parks Group Urges U.S. Department of Agriculture and Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality to Pull Permit
Mt. Judea, Ark. – On March 29th, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Services Agency (FSA) responded to a written request from the National Park Service (NPS) seeking clarity around a permit that was issued earlier this year for a hog farm along Big Creek – a tributary that empties intoBuffalo National River just 5 miles downstream. An analysis of the process by which C & H Hog Farms, Inc. obtained a loan guarantee suggests that the permit was issued without proper consultation of the Park Service – a requirement of the Farm Services Agency for projects located below or above a national river.
“Based upon the Farm Services Agency’s own guidelines, the entire permitting process for the hog farm was flawed and the decision should be thrown out,” said National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) Senior Program Manager Emily Jones. “This hog farm could do real damage to the resources at Buffalo National River. If a proper review was completed, the environmental assessment would have shown the impacts.”
The hog farm would hold as many as 6,500 animals and generate roughly 2 million gallons of waste annually, which could impact the Buffalo River downstream. The operation could harm several endangered or threatened species in the region, including the gray bat and the endangered snuffbox mussel. Under Endangered Species Act regulations, federal agencies must ensure their actions don’t jeopardize the continued existence of listed species. In addition to failing to consult with the Park Service on impacts to the river, the Farm Services Agency did not submit a determination of effects on endangered species to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, as required by law.
The Buffalo National River is America’s first national river. In 2011, over 1 million visitors to the river spent over $38 million in surrounding communities, creating jobs, attending festivals, and supporting local businesses. Canoe and kayak enthusiasts, equestrians, hikers, fisherman, and birders enjoy the 132 mile free flowing river. Elk, deer and turkey, along with more than 300 species of fish, freshwater mussels, insects, and aquatic plants depend on the Buffalo, America’s first National River. A hog farm could jeopardize this economic benefit for the State of Arkansasand impact local communities.
“On behalf of the National Parks Conservation Association’s over 800,000 members and supporters, we call on the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality to work cooperatively to pull this permit,” said Jones. “Buffalo NationalRiver is a national treasure, and the necessary precautions must be followed to ensure it is protected for future generations.”
Any unpopular and controversy thing such this hog farm is always shoved through fast . People are not given the opportunity to speak and give reasons for their objections. The plan always seem to be, get it through fast before any one can do something to stop it. And definitely don’t allow a debate or time for opposition to speak on it. Big thumbs up to the people trying to stop it. And the best of luck. The Buffalo river is a treasure. Even the risk of the sewer waste pits getting a leak is an obtusity. they leak and break all the time. And that much manure spread adjoining a feeder creek to the Buffalo is totally unacceptably. How can people sign the petition? cam they mail something in. If it was advertised how to sign it they would get 20,000 more signatures fast. Gloria Eighmey