ALBANY, Ore. — The Linn County Board of Commissioners voted 2-1 to affirm a 1-mile setback for confined animal feeding operations on June 20, but only for large-scale chicken farms.

The vote essentially clarified a December board decision that used broad language and could have impacted cattle, swine and other livestock.

Commissioners Roger Nyquist and Will Tucker voted in favor June 20, while Commissioner Sherrie Sprenger voted against. Sprenger favored a ¾-mile setback, which would open more land for CAFOs.

“We are talking about the cost of food and that’s a really big deal,” Sprenger said.

Nyquist said Linn County had 90 potential sites that would qualify under the 1-mile setback.

The decision won’t impact existing CAFOs, including those seeking to expand.

Tucker noted that ag operators could get a waiver from neighbors and seek a variance for a CAFO, but Sprenger said that scenario was implausible.

Sprenger said she hated how the issue pitted small farms versus large agriculture and said the issue was challenging. “The whole nation is watching us,” she added.

Written testimony illustrated how the issue divided farmers, with some asking commissioners to reject the new setback altogether, and others seeking to retain the setback for all new CAFOs.

Setback background

Opponents of large poultry operations proposed near Scio, Ore., took their concerns to the state Legislature, which passed SB 85 concerning how CAFOs are permitted.

SB 85 gives counties the authority to impose setbacks between farms and their neighbors to mitigate conflicts over traffic and odor.

In December, Linn County became the first jurisdiction to adopt setbacks under Senate Bill 85, but the discussion focused solely on chickens.

In May, commissioners revisited the issue, saying they didn’t understand it could also apply to cattle and swine.

The record on the matter reopened for written comments in mid-June and more than 200 emails, letters and other materials were reviewed by the board.

Tucker said some comments came from the Midwest, East Coast and other regions. “I was surprised by the reach across the nation,” he added.

Dozens of comments, however, included identical sections.

Among those submitting testimony against the setback were the Oregon Farm Bureau, Oregon Dairy Farmers Association and state Rep. Jami Cate of Lebanon, Ore.

Farm Bureau response

Denver Pugh, president of the Linn County Farm Bureau, was unhappy with the decision, saying it set a precedent for other areas of the country.

“Chickens should not have been segregated out,” said Pugh, a grass seed farmer from Shedd, Ore.

He said he pushed for a 100-foot setback with a vegetative buffer, similar to the state of Maryland.

Katie Boshart Glaser, vice president of the Linn County Farm Bureau, said she felt safe with a CAFO nearby because of the rules, regulations and technology that are part of large farms.

“I feel there’s room for all kinds of ag,” added Boshart Glaser, a grass seed and mushroom farmer from Lebanon, Ore.

John Langdon of Harrisburg, Ore., a Linn County Farm Bureau board member, said the setback amounted to a ban on chicken farming locally and was a step toward banning other protein production.

A ‘victory’ for community

Kendra Kimbirauskas, co-founder of Farmers Against Foster Farms, called the decision a victory for the community.

“This action will protect our homes, our farms and our rural businesses,” said Kimbirauskas, who farms 70 acres near Scio.

She worried multinational corporations could expand into Linn County with other livestock.

Kimbirauskas said she was disappointed in the Farm Bureau and called it out of touch with membership.

“The majority of the folks who have been very, very active with this issue have been farmers. It’s really unfortunate that not only the Farm Bureau, but our state representatives, sided with these corporations in the face of our local farms,” Kimbirauskas added.

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