County completes feedlot inventory

By Sara QuamThe final reports on Rock County’s feedlot inventories, which started in June 2002, are finally complete.The Level III inventories were court ordered to ensure no environmental harm was done during the tenure of former Rock County Land Management Director John Burgers. He was implicated in a bribery case involving a hog operation outside of Rock County.Even with the scandal, Rock County is seen as having a progressive Land Management Office, which many use as a model for their county programs. Burgers was an instrumental part of setting up those local practices.LMO director Eric Hartman said, "I do not know how many other counties in the state could have performed this project in the time frame we had to work with and also have accomplished the results we have at this time."Now the LMO will have to plan a way to help the 109 producers who have to fix some problems found with their feedlots.Hartman said, "It’s pretty commendable that 80 percent of the lots have no concerns."Now that the county knows where the problems are, the clock is ticking on having to correct them. Some producers have two years to fix problems, others have five, depending on the size of the operation.Hartman said the LMO is trying to sign up producers who need to make corrections in the Open Lot Agreements and Interim Permits. The county will also help people apply for federal and state cost share monies and provide technical assistance on correcting feedlot problems.Final resultsThe cost to the county came in at less than expected, $125,559.07. Final results from the inventory show:
618 feedlots were registered in the county
655 sites were visited through the inspection process
598 are active feedlots
489 have no environmental concerns
82 are active sites with only runoff concerns
12 are active sites with unpermitted basins (depressions that hold waste)
15 active sites have basin and runoff concerns
28 sites need engineering assistance to correct problems within two years
69 sites need engineering assistance to operate under an open lot agreement.
There are 21 sites with less than 10 animal units; 236 sites with 10 to 100 animal units; 183 sites with 100 to 299 animal units; 63 sites with 300 to 499 animal units; 86 sites with 500 to 999 animal units; and nine sites with more than 1,000 animal units.