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The Department of Natural Resources on July 1 allowed a dairy farm in Door County to expand its milking operation from 1,443 cows to 2,430 cows. Most citizens who attended the public hearing spoke against the expansion.
This will now bring the Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation {CAFO } total dairy cows in southern Door County to 13,814. A modern lactating dairy cow excretes 150 pounds [18 gallons] of waste per day. Lactating dairy cows have high water and feed intake, leading to nearly double the manure output of beef steers.
Door County is a one-of-a-kind pristine scenic environment that visitors flock to generating a huge tourist economy. In much of the area soil depth is 5 feet or less, often over fractured bedrock. Excessive manure spreading over this area has the potential to contaminate groundwater quality and impact well water.
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How can spreading the daily waste from nearly 14,000 dairy cows over the acreage available benefit those living in and visiting the marvelous natural resource that Door County presents?
The Department of Natural Resources owes all of Wisconsin’s citizens an explanation of how expanding CAFOs in Door County and elsewhere across Wisconsin does not harm our long-term environment and serves the interests of those living anywhere near these expanded sites.
Hanson, of Elkhorn, is a member of the Walworth County Democratic Party.
