Town of Rome Sends DNR Letter to Kill Massive, Proposed CAFO

334 Halberds Court;
Rome, Wisconsin

The Town of Rome, Wisconsin is an idyllic community in northern Adams county offering residents and retirees a scenic country life, peace and quiet and recreation in central Wisconsin.

This peace, in fact the future of the Town and surrounding region is imperiled by a proposed massive dairy CAFO (concentrated agricultural feeding operation) that would deliver pathogens into the water, land and air of the Central Sands.

The proposed CAFO is called the Golden Sands Dairy CAFO, now under consideration from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

Citizens groups are fighting back, including Protect Wood County and Rome Saratoga Friendly (Facebook). [These groups are still waiting on presumptive Democratic Party gubernatorial nominee, Mary Burke, to issue a position paper protecting the water and Wisconsin families from CAFOs, and to make this a priority in her campaign, and failing that at least issuing a public statement calling for stopping the poisoning of the region.]

Local governments are not waiting, and are making their voice heard by the DNR, what used to be an independent agency but under Gov. Scott Walker has become a corrupt arm of corporate interests that no longer give an impartial hearing to "environmentally-motivated opponents of frac sand mines, big dairy expansions and mountain-top removal iron mining in the Bad River watershed," as Jim Rowan writes.

Time is not on the side of the conservationists and those working to protect natural resources.

"The ecological carrying capacity on at least two of Wisconsin’s agricultural landscapes has been exceeded: that includes much of Northeastern Wisconsin as well as the Central Sands. These landscapes are literally bleeding excess nitrogen and phosphorus into groundwater and surface water," said Gordon Stevenson, a 26-year veteran of the DNR where his last assignment was serving as the Chief of Runoff Management until his retirement in January of 2011.

CAFOs typically take the cow manure mixture, store some of it in lagoon and spray the rest of the toxic brew:

Below is the letter submitted to the DNR by the Town of Rome Board of Supervisors in Wood County:
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July 24, 2014

Mr. Russ Anderson
WDNR Environmental Review Coordinator
3911 Fish Hatchery Road
Fitchburg, WI 53711
RE: Golden Sands Environmental Impact Statement

Dear Mr. Anderson,

The Town of Rome is located two miles south of the proposed CAFO, and borders the cropland on which the manure will be spread and where many of the forty high capacity wells will be located. Rome has 2741 full time residents, and has 4262 residential properties with improvements, many of which are vacation homes. Rome is a recreational and retirement community. Many of the full time residents bought property as a weekend retreat, and then moved here after retirement. They chose Rome because it was a quiet community with clean water, clean air, and an abundance of natural resources in the area that provided many recreational opportunities. This continues to be why many people buy in Rome.

The proposed CAFO now threatens the environment that brought people to the Town of Rome.
 
Experience has shown that there are many environmental issues surrounding other CAFO operations in Wisconsin, and in the Midwest. There are air quality issues which should be controlled by the State and Federal air quality standards, but are difficult to monitor and enforce. The odor from the Factory Farm operation, and from the fields where the manure is applied is not controlled. Manure odor is very offensive to most people, and it will easily travel into Rome when the wind is blowing from the north or west.

There is a new campground less than two miles from the CAFO being built by the Wisconsin Trapshooting Assn (WTA) on the site of their world class trapshooting complex. Their operational plan calls for attracting campers even when there are no trapshooting events. The income from the premier quality campground which will have 204 drive-through full hookup sites is needed to fund the operation of the complete facility. The presence of the manure odor, and the noise of the 24/7 operation will have a negative effect on attracting campers to make the campground successful. The WTA is projecting an investment of $4.9 million into this project which includes a “Learning Center” for use by schools statewide for educational events. The annual income from the campground, shooting facility, and Learning Center is projected to be $1.4 million per year, which will be jeopardized by the CAFO being located so close.

The Town of Rome is going to be the site of the Sand Valley Golf Resort which is under construction now. This will be mega golf facility that will draw visitors from around the country and world to play their links style courses. The developer chose the Town of Rome because of the rural area away from industrial development, the abundance of open rolling terrain, natural resources for other recreational activities, and clean air and water. Their long range business plan calls for developing five courses, lodging facilities, and full service club houses at an investment of $100 million. When finished, this operation will employ hundreds of people in well paying positions. Even though the facility will be located in southern part of Rome, many of the guests will be arriving from the airports to the north where they would see and smell the CAFO as they arrive. This will be another major source of income for local residents and businesses, as well as tax revenue for the Town, County, and State. The successful operation of this facility would be jeopardized by the CAFO.

The proposed 6000 acres of cropland with forty additional high cap wells will have a negative effect on Rome’s lakes and groundwater. Private water wells around other CAFO operations and near high concentrations of cropland have experienced increased nitrate levels, and contamination from the chemicals and pesticides used to the point where the well water is not safe to drink. Ground water levels have dropped as witnessed in the Plainfield and Plover areas. The Rome Town Board passed a resolution last year opposing the method that the DNR uses when issuing high cap well permits, because they are not considering the cumulative effect of multiple wells in the same area. This was forwarded to the Governor and State officials with no response.

There are about 3500 private wells in Rome with 1500 located within the three mile radius of the proposed high cap wells. In addition, the Rome Water Utility serves 1300 customers in the Lake Camelot area from their wells located 2.3 miles from the proposed high cap wells. Engineered studies have shown that there is a three mile cone of depression of ground water levels around each high cap well.   Many of the 1500 private well owners stand a good chance of having their wells contaminated, and/or dried up when the ground water levels drop.  They would then have to drill deeper wells, and/or purchase expensive filtration equipment to have safe drinking water. The cost to each property owner could be $3000 to $5000 or more. This could easily have a cost of $4.5 to $7.5 million to Town residents within the three mile radius of the high cap wells. The nitrate contamination would go beyond the three mile radius which would affect even more wells.

The same issues will threaten the Rome Water Utility wells. In 1995, the Water Utility found that two wells were contaminated with nitrates from the agricultural area east of Rome resulting in the wells being taken out of service. A new well had to be drilled at a cost of $600,000. Since 2006, another new well was drilled and the filtration equipment updated at a cost of $1.6 million. If the Water Utility’s current wells become contaminated with nitrates, the cost of the necessary filtration equipment will be over $2 million, plus the waste disposal for the nitrate residue would be about $40,000 per month, or $480,000 per year. These costs would need to be charged back to the Water Utility customers.

In addition to the air quality and ground water issues, some Town of Rome residents will have to contend with additional noise from the Factory 24/7 operation, and the additional 24/7 truck traffic through Rome. Rome would no longer be a quiet place to live.

A number of residents have already stated that if this CAFO is allowed, they will be selling their property as they did not move to Rome to live under these conditions. They want to sell their property before the value of Rome property drops as a result of the CAFO. Residential property in the northern part of Rome will see the greatest impact. There are numerous papers written documenting that the value of residential property within three miles of a CAFO declines, some places have been as much as 30%. As more properties are put on the market, all Town property values will be affected. There will be fewer buyers that want to buy in Rome, and put up with the air, water, and noise issues. When the supply exceeds the demand, property values drop. A good example of this was when the Town’s residential property values dropped $190.4 million (26%) from 2009 to 2013. This was because there were a lot of properties on the market, and nobody was buying. This will happen again if the environment that brings people to Rome is compromised by air, water, and noise issues. The 2014 assessed value of the residential property in Rome is $574.4 million. Even a modest 5% decrease in property value would be $28.7 million loss. A 10% decline would be $57.4 million. Rome expects to see very little additional revenue from the CAFO, and the 25 farm hand employees that the CAFO will employ, so the economic impact to the Town of Rome will be all negative. When you look at all of the factors, this could easily be over $50 million when you factor in the lost to the tourism industry, to businesses, both local and county wide, to the construction industry, and less jobs available. How will the Town of Rome, Adams County, and the residents be compensated for that loss?

In conclusion, this CAFO is proposed to be located in the middle of two residential communities. This is the worst possible location for this kind of operation.  Consideration needs to be given to the fact that a private party wants to make a huge profit at the expense of the Town residents, both Saratoga and Rome. There are areas in central Wisconsin where there is open land with very few residents per square mile, and located many miles away from residential communities. If this type of operation is going to be permitted, that is where it should be located, not in Saratoga. We agree that the agricultural and dairy industries are a vital part of Wisconsin’s economy, but the tourism and recreation industries also contribute many dollars to the economy. There needs to be a compromise reached to share and preserve our natural resources. In order to preserve wild life habitat, control soil erosion, and clean the air we breathe, there needs to be limits established to control the amount of forestry land that can be converted to cropland in any given area.  We ask the Department of Natural Resources to take on the responsibility that has been assigned to them, to protect Wisconsin’s natural resources, especially clean water and clean air.

Respectfully,

Town of Rome Board of Supervisors,

Central Wisconsin Assembly Dem Primary Race Centers Around CAFOs

Democratic Party primary for District 72 in central Wisconsin.
Primary election is on August 12

Several citizens' groups in central Wisconsin are working to stop a proposed massive concentrated agricultural feeding operation (CAFO) Factory Farm that would border four Wisconsin counties in the Golden Sands region that is a heavy tourism and recreational destination.

Protect Wood County and Its Neighbors: Rome, Grand Rapids, Port Edwards, Nekoosa, Saratoga, Wisconsin Rapids have drafted and received responses to its candidate questionnaire of the two candidates vying for the nomination of the Democratic Party in the 72nd assembly district—Dana Duncan, a seventh-generation Wisconsinite from Port Edwards, and Tom Rayome, a city council member from Wisconsin Rapids.

The winner of the primary will face State Rep Scott Krug (R-Wisconsin Rapids and ALEC), a Scott Walker ally and member of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) that determines how Krug votes on major bills of interest to ALEC.

Rome and Saratoga-Friendly

Krug has been a cheerleader for the transformation of the Department of Natural Resources in the Scott Walker administration.

"[U]der the direction of Secretary Cathy Stepp, a homebuilder and politician, the DNR’s role in protecting natural resources has been turned inside out ... [into an agency] ... streamlining regulations to make it easier for companies – a.k.a. polluters - to do business." (Kimble, The Progressive)

Both Democratic Party candidates blasted the proposed CAFO, and called for a new DNR that is independent from the Scott Walker administration.

From Protect Wood County and Its Neighbors:

Dear Friends,

As I reported in my last email update the dreaded WI political season is upon us. Round 1 of information gathering focuses directly on our Democratic candidates as they first are facing a primary run-off on Aug 12th.  Once the primary is over the same type of questioning will occur between our Republican and Democratic candidates vying for the 72nd Assembly seat.

Below you will find the questions posed to the candidates with responses copied exactly as written.

Question 1 - What is your stance on the increased number of high capacity wells to the Central Sands area? 

Dana Duncan -  I would oppose any future legislation that will limit, interfere with, or compromise the DNR's authority to regulate high capacity wells and make the best possible decisions on a total environmental impact basis. I would also oppose any law that places time limits on impact studies to be completed by the DNR. Furthermore, I would support the repeal of Motion 375 which prohibits citizens from challenging high capacity well permits based on cumulative impact. Moreover, I would support allowing the DNR to practice adaptive management, increasing stream protections, or expanding Groundwater Management Areas.

Tom Rayome - I am against the increased number of high capacity wells proposed in the Central Sands area.  I am concerned about the affect that will have on surrounding wells, ground, and air pollution from the proposed CAFO.

Question 2 - With tourism being a large part of the Wisconsin economy, how big a factor is it to your campaign?

Dana Duncan - Tourism is the largest industry in Wisconsin and is our potential future. Everything should be done to promote and protect that portion of our economy. A priority should be set that all other businesses should be considered as far as an impact on tourism.

Tom Rayome - It is a very big part of my campaign.  Tourism has already become and is getting bigger in Central Wisconsin.  We have to protect our water and air for this to continue.  Regulations have been relaxed too much for the sake of high water useage businesses while hurting the environment, surrounding properties, and people.  This goes for mining as well.

Question 3 - What are your thoughts regarding the appointed position of the Department of Natural Resources?

Dana Duncan -  I believe the DNR should be a wholly independent agency separated from the partisan politics of the legislature and the Governor's office. I believe we should amend the Wisconsin Constitution and have the DNR commissioner become and elected position like that of the State Superintendent of Schools.

Tom Rayome -  I believe the DNR Secretary should be appointed by the NRB.  They would be less likely to be influenced by politics in the management and protection of the states natural resources.  I also believe a DNR Secretary appointed by the governor would not be held as accountable.  The Secretary of the DNR should not be a cabinet position.  The DNR must be an independent agency.

Question 4 - What is your vision for economic growth of Wisconsin?

Dana Duncan - Wisconsin's economic growth will continue to be based around and involve tourism, manufacturing, and agriculture. However, the key to our future is water. It's the 21st Century's version of oil in that it is our most precious and treasured resource. As California, Arizona, and other such states continue to have trouble meeting their fresh water demands of their citizenry. This holds the key for all three areas of growth. Therefore, water must be actually managed and protected to ensure this future.

Tom Rayome - To bring together people and businesses from all walks to see how we can live in harmony with recreation, industry, etc. without harm to the environment.  This can be accomplished with the right regulations in place.

Question 5 - What environmental bills do you plan to present if elected?

Dana Duncan - I would like to present an adaptation of the Minnesota law which has set a CAFO-specific ambient air quality standard for hydrogen sulfide and establish a program for monitoring compliance. I would also include legislation ending "open-air lagoons", standards for holding facilities, and standards for the treatment of manure. Moreover, as I indicated before, I would present legislation to separate the DNR from the control of the Governor's office.

Tom Rayome -  For sure it is to make sure we have the right regulations in place when environmental issues come up.

If we destroy our land and resources what kind of tourist area will we have?

Question 6 - What are your thoughts regarding the proposed establishment of a CAFO to a highly recreational and residential area in your potential district?

Dana Duncan - It could cause detrimental harm to the area and destroy economic growth. As I stated in my open letter in the Daily Tribune in June. I do not believe CAFOs have any value to our communities or our state as they are the equivalent to agriculture as "sweatshops" and child labor are to manufacturing and have no business being in Wisconsin and I would act to remove them all if possible. I fully support the efforts of Protect Wood County and the Rome and Saratoga Friendly business initiative as well as the Saratoga Town Board in fighting this incoming threat.

Tom Rayome -  A recreational and residential area is much more preferred by me compared to a huge CAFO coming in and buying thousands of acres of land.  It's bad for the environment, the residents don't want it and it would hurt the tourism in the area.

Question 7 - You will most likely be facing a Republican run Senate and Assembly. What current contacts do you have in Madison or within the political environment that will assist you in being a successful representative? 

Dana Duncan -  I expect to receive the endorsement of Clean Wisconsin within the week. I will be using them as a resource for information, legislative language and to join with other endorsed Assemblyman to fight for our environment. Furthermore, I would be a member of the legislature, (even with not being in the majority or possibly having an opposing party Governor) both the rest of the legislature and Governor's office would be areas that I would have access to.

Tom Rayome -  Some of the contacts and people I have worked with over the years include: Sen. Julie Lassa, Rep. Amy Sue Vruwink, Rep. Katrina Shankland, Rep. Peter Barca, Rep. Chris Taylor,
Rep. Evan Goyke, Ed Garvey, Marlin Schneider, Dave Obey and Russ Feingold.
[Note: No endorsements of the candidates by the above people or Protect Wood County have been made.]
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Don't forget to vote in the primary August 12th.  Once our Republican and Democratic candidates are determined we will again question each potential representative in a variety of important areas such as the environment, education, and much more.

Stay tuned for Round 2!
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Below are two maps; one of the proposed Wysocki CAFO operation abutting four counties (Wood, Portage, Juneau and Adams counties) at left, and the map of the proposed Sand Valley golf resort in northern Adams county, at right. Note the proximity (some three miles) between the two planned developments where they abut on the Wood and Adams county border, a short distance from the Town of Rome (a vacation home region with several small lakes).



Wysocki Proposed CAFO

 

Wisconsin Conservation Group Fighting Proposed Factory Farm Are Not Screwing Around

Increasing opposition to proposed
massive CAFO in Wood County
in Wisconsin - Photo by
Mary Captain-Braund

Update: Reader points out the Facts about CAFOs site (Wisconsin John Muir Chapter of the Sierra Club). Excellent summary of the health and environmental devastation wrought upon Wisconsin families by CAFOs, begging the question: Why isn't every candidate for elected office blasting CAFOs? Stay tuned for answers.
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The citizen groups in central Wisconsin fighting a proposed massive concentrated agricultural feeding operation (CAFO) are now listing area businesses joining the fight at Protect Wood County and Its Neighbors: Rome, Grand Rapids, Port Edwards, Nekoosa, Saratoga, Wisconsin Rapids.

Anyone doubting the political and economic muscle of this citizens group is not paying attention.

Long on facts, short on polemics and non-partisan, 100s of people are alerting the Wisconsin DNR and the secretive Wysocki Family of Companies that buying up land to create a massive CAFO is unacceptable, no matter how jealously Scott Walker's DNR and local Wisconsin state Rep. Scott Krug (R-Wisconsin Rapids and ALEC) protects this enterprise.

So furtive is Wysocki that Bloomberg's Buinessweek profile does not even list CAFOs in its profile of Wysocki.

The Wysocki corporation does not know or does not care, but you do not threaten the health of families and children, and you never shite on your neighbors, to borrow from Saratoga, Wisconsin resident, Rhonda Cain-Carrell.

And Wysocki actively working against local community control is not going over well.

This writer has covered grassroots movements for some 25 years and I can tell you I have never seen a more organized, determined group of people in my life.

From Protect Wood County and Its Neighbors Rome, Grand Rapids, Port Edwards, Nekoosa, Saratoga, Wisconsin Rapids:

The business owners on this list appreciate the business from the people of Rome and Saratoga and support us in our efforts to preserve our recreational community and prevent the potential damage to our lakes, wells and streams from the proposed factory farm in the Saratoga/Rome area.

Please patronize these businesses that have come out in support of their Rome and Saratoga area customers and oppose the Golden Sands CAFO proposed for Saratoga. E-mail romesaratoga@gmail.com if the business you normally frequent is not listed here.

Visit our Facebook Page for more information.

All businesses on this list are a part of Rome and Saratoga Friendly.

Wisconsin Gov Race, World Class Golf Resort and the Politics of Cow Manure



Citizens groups in Wood County Wisconsin and
surrounding region oppose CAFOs and
aerial liquid manure spraying. 
Photo by Martha Karris of
Rome and Saratoga-Friendly
in Wisconsin (Facebook).

A dream golf resort is under threat by liquid cow manure and a proposed massive factory farm in central Wisconsin as Scott Walker's DNR rubberstamps dangerous Concentrated Agricultural Feeding Operations (CAFOs) and high capacity water wells that could drain area waterways and ruin the golf site as another area CAFO has done to residential homes  

Updated — "If Sand Valley’s first course — which is expected to open in 2017 — is a success, then Keiser and his team will consider adding subsequent golf courses, with a total of five courses possible" (emphasis added), reports Melanie Lawder in an exclusive interview with golf developer, Mike Keiser, appearing this weekend in the Wisconsin Rapid Daily Tribune.

The report by Lawder—following a series of pieces appearing in the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel (D’Amato) and Wisconsin State Journal (Moe) touting Keiser's recruiting of famed golf course architects to design numerous courses at the planned golf resort in the Golden Sands region in central Wisconsin at the bottom of an ancient glacial lake—has in the writer's nut graf (or why-readers-care graf) cited above an important word: "If."

No one wants Keiser to fail to achieve his dream that may make Wisconsin one of the top summer golf destinations in the world, the Journal-Sentinel's D'Amato notes.

But there is one rapacious and pathological entity that doesn't care about Mike Keiser's dream, Wisconsin's environment, or the health of Wisconsin families: The Concentrated Agricultural Feeding Operation (CAFO) inflicted by the Wysocki Family of Companies [specifically the Golden Sands Dairy, LLC and Ellis Industries Saratoga, LLC created by Wysocki in 2012 to avoid zoning rules] onto innocent families. I'll come back to that.

Writes the State Journal's Moe, citing D'Amato's breaking the story in 2013: "A Chicago businessman (Keiser) who turned the tiny coastal town of Bandon, Ore., into one of the world’s premier golf destinations is planning to build a similar multi-course resort on sand dunes that formed the bottom of a prehistoric lake in what is now Adams County."

Onto the one skunk making an appearance in the Sand Valley resort dream.

Make that one disgusting waste product from 1,000s of cows, some 150 pathogens, and the corporate neighbor from hell: The Wysocki Factory CAFO Farms (which act like the Koch Brothers) of Central Wisconsin.

In 2012, Wysocki quietly formed two LLCs to avoid coming zoning changes, and subsequently sued the Town of Saratoga in Wood County when the Town refused to grant new building permits. The case is still open.

Wysocki's MO is to buy up land quietly, and then spring its CAFO operation on the local populace and elected officials, with the help of the new Scott Walker-altered Department of Natural Resources (DNR) rubber stamping high capacity well permits and other CAFO permits in a process that is supposed to protect area waters and the environment generally. The families in these small rural towns depend on getting their drinking water--all of their water--from the local groundwater aquifers, all of which are susceptible to seepage and drawdown from CAFOs in the central sands area.

"Between 2003 and the end of 2010, Wisconsin will have permitted 200 mega-dairies to open or expand but has never turned down a permit application or revoked a permit, even after repeated environmental violations," notes the Food and Water Watch organization. Clearly, this situation was not helped by Scott Walker's transformation of the Department of Natural Resources into a do-anything that helps potential Walker campaign contributors approach to protecting natural resources.

Siting a CAFO in the central Wisconsin sands area is in a word: Crazy.

The central sands are the worst place outside of downtown Milwaukee to site a CAFO because of the soil-sand susceptibility. "According to the Wisconsin Soil Survey provided by the United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service, our soil properties are identified as Plainfield Sand, by soils scientists. "The Plainfield series consists of deep, excessively drained, sandy soils on outwash plains. Available water capacity is low to very low, and permeability is rapid."

For a region that hypes its recreational value for tourists, a massive CAFO is without question destructive.

"I can't imagine what this would be like for the new Trapshooting complex [Wisconsin Trapshooting Association] that happens to be working for national accreditation. These folks are right next to the proposed CAFO (site)," said Rhonda Cain-Carrell of the Town of Saratoga, Wisconsin. "And another of my concerns is that Mike Keiser is working to build a world-class golf resort, people would fly in to the Wisconsin Rapids airport and basically drive through the epicenter of this proposed CAFO where liquid manure-spreading irrigation and a 50-million gallon manure lagoon are right next to the highway. How would that look, and smell? Then, you consider the pathogens that are going into the environment. ... And make sure you write 'proposed' CAFO, because this Golden Sands operation isn't going to happen."

Protect Wood County did an analysis of campaign contributions to Scott Walker using data supplied by the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign. The data show contributions of over $700,000 from Big Ag (Big Agriculture) since 2011 directly to Scott Walker campaign committees.

It is a political truism in Wisconsin that Scott Walker has Big Ag's back. It remains to be seen how fervently the Democratic Party opposes Big Ag in the face of Big Ag's damage inflicted onto the Wisconsin people—not necessary a disqualification of political support.

Already, other area CAFOs in central Wisconsin have experienced damaging incidents, all of which are feared to occur should the massive Golden Sands CAFO begin operations.

A recent fire occurred near the existing manure lagoon, silage storage (chopped hay and corn) and the methane digester through which manure is trapped in the Central Sands CAFO in the Town of Armenia in neighboring Juneau County. Could have been bad.

Groundwater contamination and manure irrigation (which are foreseeable consequences of these types of operation) are proven bad, occurring next to neighboring houses forcing the buying-out of residential homes.

Just another risk CAFOs ignore, says Cain-Carrell.

In the foreground, notice the manure coming out of the end gun and
drop sprayers. The background center pivot irrigation system is
pumping water. Photo by Rhonda Cain-Carrell.

Then there's liquid cow manure that sticks, and won't go away.

Cow manure irrigation is the normal operating component of CAFOs, and especially the Wysocki conglomerate.

A Wood County resolution passed last week in a committee vote banning the aerial applications to spread manure, a practice banned now in 10 counties in Minnesota.

"The issue is spraying manure through industrialized irrigation equipment, said Criste Greening, a Saratoga resident who spoke in favor of the ban. One type is similar to a residential sprinkler system and sprays the liquid manure through a traveling gun. A second kind uses a type of distribution pipe that pivots around a central point to spread the liquid manure." (Karen Madden, Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune).

The Scott Walker administration reportedly contacted local Wood County officials last week and said it wanted the manure ban resolution killed in committee in another Republican attack on local community control.

Walker looks very vulnerable in central Wisconsin because of his dismantlement of the DNR as an independent agency.

Notes Rebecca Kimble in The Progressive (March 2013):

The prize for Wisconsin’s most Orwellian agency goes to the once-great Department of Natural Resources. It might as well be the Ministry of Truth itself. Once known as among the best environmental protection and stewardship agencies in the nation, under the direction of Secretary Cathy Stepp, a homebuilder and politician, the DNR’s role in protecting natural resources has been turned inside out. Now the name of the game is streamlining regulations to make it easier for companies – a.k.a. polluters - to do business.

In Walker’s first year in office he turned the DNR into an 'enterprise agency' with 'increased operating flexibility to enable the agency to improve customer service and business support.' This shifted staff and resources away from monitoring, oversight and compliance with environmental regulations and created the Office of Business Support and Sustainability at a time when two major threats to clean air and water were ramping up: Frac sand mining and massive Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFO) with thousands of head of livestock.

The Protect Wood County citizens groups (and others in the area) say they have been in touch with the Mary Burke campaign, and that they remain non-partisan, but note Burke's people appear "very sympathetic."

Attorney Dana Duncan of Port Edwards, Wisconsin challenging a sitting legislator says opposing the Wysocki CAFO operation is a major campaign plank, along with local control targeted by the Walker administration.

"Dana wants to return much of the local control that has been taken away by the current state leadership and help empower local municipalities and small communities to have a say in what happens in their area. Dana believes that we should make strides to reverse the policies of the last four years that have tried to consolidate power at the state level and work to assist communities to be able to make the best and most equitable decisions for them," reads Duncan's webpage. "Dana believes that protecting our water quantity and quality in Wisconsin are essential for maintaining our quality of life, but also if we want the type of economic growth that Wisconsin deserves. Water is one of our most precious resources and is the oil of the 21st Century and must be protected as such. This means protection from threats like Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) or from the over abundance of high capacity wells that are drawing down the aquifers. Dana stands for denying any further expansion of CAFOs in Wisconsin and to limit overabuse of the watershed through too many high capacity wells. Dana supports common sense approaches like a moratorium on all high capacity wells until we receive all of the environmental impacts studies, making the DNR an independent agency again so that the position would no longer be used as a partisan tool, and for establishing locally controlled water boards that would work with an independent DNR to maintain their water quantity and quality."

Duncan is running against incumbent Rep. Scott Krug (R-Wisconsin Rapids) — a Scott Walker loyalist and member of the rightwing American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) that is a corporate bill mill.

Krug, says one Protect Wood County citizen, "has been jerking us around because he knows he's in big trouble running for (re)election."

Meanwhile, the groups with active citizens numbering well into 100s say they have hired an attorney looking into federal remedies from the Environmental Protection Agency and the Army Corps of Engineers, should as is expected the DNR roll over for Wysocki, with the predictable consequence of devastating the Central Sands region as a recreational community.

Writes Julie Kreutzer of Wisconsin Rapids in an email going around the region, reminding folks that people live here now.

Everyone here talks about the recreational community.  Well for us it's not recreational, it's where we live!  My husband has cancer and is now on disability.  We won't be able to live here on our 40 acres anymore if the farm comes in. The property right next to us would become crop land.  The pesticides, herbicides, manure they spray would be very harmful to him.  The water quality, the air quality, stress are detrimental to his health.  No one is listening to the health issues we have here in Central Wisconsin with all the cancer.  It IS a matter of life and death for us.  Add to that the loss of property value.  Now the main bread winner in our home is no longer working, and when we try to sell our home we won't get the value we put into it!  Even if I sell my home right now!  The farm isn't even here yet!   Who's going to help us?  Will we get subsidized?   I've been a resident of this area all my life along with my dad, my grandparents, and my great grandparents who originally settled in Rome!  We will leave  if the CAFO comes in, we will be forced to.  We won't buy a home in Wisconsin again.  Can't trust that anyone is looking out for our well being.  I have brought this information to all the town meetings, DNR in our township etc.  Just saying it again hoping someone will hear.

Citizens are reaching out to career DNR staffers whom they believe are more amiable to listen, per Wisconsin statute and case law, speaking to the socioeconomic and health effects of the proposed CAFO, including:

Decline of property value - Many have already felt the impact of this. Homes in Saratoga recently sold between 75-100 thousand dollars below the asking price simply due to the threat of the dairy.  If you know what your home was worth prior to the dairy announcement and have an estimate of what it is worth now, it is great solid information to include.

    Property Taxes Increase - The proposed farm would be taxed at a significantly lower rate than personal property owners, less than a dollar an acre ... who do you think will be making up the difference?

    Significant Road Damage - The vast majority of roads in Saratoga and Rome do not have underlying road base that can support the weight of the constant heavy machinery and truck traffic it will be made to support. Again, who do you think will foot the bill to maintain and fix these roads?

    Increased Health Concerns and Medical Bills - the Center for Disease Control (CDC) states that there is an average of a 25% increase in children with asthma that live next to an industrialized agriculture facility or its fields.  It is also highly dangerous for individuals suffering from allergies and/or Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). Any and all medical conditions that would require additional medical attention effects a families income and are valid socio-economic impacts.

    Increased Financial Burdens - Living next to fields sprayed with manure STINKS.  Residents in such positions are forced to keep their windows closed and air conditioning units running 24/7.  Hanging clothes on the line outside in the fresh air will be a thing of the past. Both of these factors directly effect a residences pocket book by higher electric bills and unnecessary wear and tear on personal appliances.

    Water wells running dry - If the High Capacity Well permits are granted and they start pumping the estimated 7.3 billion gallons of water annually, there is a very high likelihood that numerous wells will run dry.  YOU as a homeowner are solely responsible for this cost.  A drilled well is estimated to cost between 7-12 thousand dollars.

    Water Contamination - Nitrates in drinking water are not to exceed 10 mg/L. If higher than the standard of 10, detrimental health impacts can occur.  We all know that a main side-effect of industrialized agriculture is extreme spikes in Nitrate levels in our groundwater. One way to address excessive Nitrates in drinking water is the purchase of a Reverse Osmosis machine (which at times still cannot filter the water enough to make it drinkable again).  Reverse Osmosis equipment can vary from a few hundred dollars to thousands of dollars depending on the filtration needed. Again ... who do you think pays for this device?

    Small Business Owners - If you are a small business owner there is no doubt you are concerned with maintaining your customer base when faced with potential air and water quality issues.  Please be sure to document how your business will be detrimentally effected by the proposed dairy.  Will you be able to stay in business if your campers all smell of manure?  Will customers be able to eat out on your patio if manure drift is landing on the tables?  Can you continue a restaurant or campground if Nitrates in your water exceed 10 mg/L? What will happen to the Saratoga and Rome economy if businesses start shutting down?

Below are two maps; one of the proposed Wysocki CAFO operation abutting four counties (Wood, Portage, Juneau and Adams counties) at left, and the map of the proposed Sand Valley golf resort in northern Adams county, at right. Note the proximity (some three miles) between the two planned developments where they abut on the Wood and Adams county border, a short distance from the Town of Rome (a vacation home region with several small lakes).



Wysocki Proposed CAFO