1. Program detail

Funding for environmental projects at Idaho confined animal feeding operations is part of Gov. Brad Little’s proposed budget for the third consecutive year, but the amount is less.

The spending plan he presented to open the annual legislative session Jan. 8 includes $2 million for CAFO grants. Funding of $5 million was approved in each of the previous two sessions.

“For us to make the cut, we are very appreciative,” said Rick Naerebout, Idaho Dairymen’s Association CEO.

The proposed funding is significant given that the state budget surplus is smaller than that of 2023, he said.

“It also speaks to the success of the program,” Naerebout said.

Money for the CAFO projects includes the $10 million approved over the last two years and $28 million of dairy owner-operators’ money spent on projects during that period, he said.

The grants target work that aims to improve soil, water and air quality, with an emphasis on manure and nutrient management, according to the state Department of Environmental Quality.

These projects are not eligible for federal Clean Water Act Section 319 non-point source grants or for grants through Idaho’s agricultural best management practices fund, according to DEQ, which partners with the state Department of Agriculture and the ag industry.

CAFOs are point sources, from which pollutants can be traced to an individual source.

At least 40% of total project costs must come from sources other than the CAFO Improvement Fund, according to the Department of Environmental Quality. Recipients must have a state-approved nutrient management plan that is current. Work must start within a year of the grant award and conclude within three years.

Projects have included centrifuges, reverse osmosis and separation facilities, water recycling and distillation systems, and screens, pipelines and lagoons.