Monday, July 10, 2017, 6:20am
Bayfield County officials say they’ve begun formal settlement talks with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources over an ordinance that would go beyond state standards for large farms known as concentrated animal feeding operations, or CAFOs. The two were set to defend their positions on the ordinance in Bayfield County Circuit Court on Monday, but that has been postponed.
Monday, June 12, 2017, 9:45am
Bayfield County will argue its case against the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources in court next month. The two are at odds over a county ordinance that would place more restrictions on large-scale farms to protect water quality there.
Monday, February 27, 2017, 5:35am
Bayfield County is looking for more leeway from the state to protect water quality from potential farm runoff, but state officials say their hands are tied to the letter of the law.
Monday, July 11, 2016, 12:30pm
The debate over a proposed large hog operation in Bayfield County raises questions over how much power Wisconsin's local governments have to regulate farms.
Friday, July 1, 2016, 5:30pm
The state Department of Natural Resources has rejected an ordinance developed by Bayfield County in northern Wisconsin that sought to put more restrictions on large scale farms built near a watershed.
Monday, March 21, 2016, 9:25am
The city of Ashland is asking the state to put the brakes on its permitting process for a large hog farm planned near Lake Superior. But the state says its hands are tied.
Tuesday, February 16, 2016, 11:30pm
Participants in this year's Superior Days — a grassroots lobbying initiative focusing on northern Wisconsin issues — met with the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp., the University of Wisconsin-Extension, and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources during its first day of lobbying on Tuesday.
Monday, February 15, 2016, 10:30am
Regional transportation and the regulation of cafos are two of the big issues that northern Wisconsin residents will lobby lawmakers about during the annual Superior Days.
Wednesday, January 27, 2016, 6:30pm
Last February, Bayfield County passed a one-year moratorium on concentrated animal feeding operations. Almost a year later, the county has passed a pair of ordinances that provides more local oversight of large farms, known as CAFOs.
Tuesday, January 26, 2016, 7:05pm
In recent decades, the number of small-scale farms in northwest Wisconsin counties has waned. Those who remain have varying opinions about a proposal to build a large-scale hog farm there, and about what it takes to make it in modern agriculture.
Tuesday, January 19, 2016, 6:10pm
Researchers have found phosphorus levels exceed state water quality standards in a creek near Lake Superior. The data suggests runoff from farm lands is likely contributing to higher levels as an Iowa company is moving ahead with plans for a large hog farm nearby.
Tuesday, December 15, 2015, 7:30pm
A group of northern Wisconsin landowners have sent a letter to the state because they’re upset over an Iowa company’s plans to spread hog manure on their land. They say the company never approached them about its plans.
Monday, December 7, 2015, 9:00pm
A northern Wisconsin county is weighing its options for protecting public health and the environment from the potential impacts of a concentrated animal feeding operation, as an Iowa company prepares to build a large-scale farm there that will house 26,000 hogs.
Friday, November 6, 2015, 7:30pm
A coalition calling for state lawmakers to take action on pollution from large farms is planning a so-called "stink-in" at the state Capitol on Saturday.
Wednesday, May 20, 2015, 12:10am
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has said it plans to review a draft water quality protection permit for a large-scale hog farm in Bayfield County near Lake Superior that's been proposed by an Iowa-based agriculture company.
Friday, March 13, 2015, 4:20pm
Plans for a large-scale hog farm near Lake Superior recently prompted Bayfield County to pass a one-year moratorium on big farming operations. Now, two nearby counties are considering passing similar moratoriums themselves.
Thursday, February 19, 2015, 3:55pm
Supporters of a new moratorium on large-scale farms in Bayfield County say it gives the county more time to study risks and oversight that come with concentrated animal feeding operations, while opponents say it could negatively impact existing farmers.
Wednesday, February 18, 2015, 5:15pm
Bayfield County will consider passing a moratorium on large-scale farms at a Wednesday night meeting, though it's unclear whether the moratorium would apply to a concentrated animal feeding operation that an Iowa-based company has proposed building in the area.
Friday, February 6, 2015, 6:50pm
Farmers in Bayfield County are divided in their support for a proposed large-scale hog farm near Lake Superior, with some worried about issues like pollution and water quality and others convinced that such fears are overblown.
Friday, January 9, 2015, 12:30pm
The state has received an application for the first proposed large-scale hog farm near Lake Superior.
Tuesday, December 9, 2014, 2:10pm
Bayfield County is looking into the possibility of permitting its first-ever CAFO, a large-scale hog farm that would be located near Lake Superior. The county, while it has yet to receive an application for the project, is determining what sort of oversight may be necessary for such an operation.