Lawmakers to tour river, new hog farm

Politicians, activists and farmers are expected to convene this afternoon in Marshall for a two-day meeting that will include a closer look at two pillars of a recent controversy: the Buffalo National River and C&H Hog Farms, a large-scale concentrated animal feeding operation located within the river’s watershed in Newton County.

The Joint Committee on Agriculture, Forestry and Economic Development is holding a meeting of its members today and Wednesday to tour both the river and the farm in order to gain some firsthand knowledge, said Rep. Kelley Linck, R-Yellville.

“We want people to put their eyes on the Buffalo, eyes on the farm,” Linck said. “I have little doubt these issues will come up again next session, and I want people to have a clear vision of what these things are.”

Rep. David Branscum,R-Marshall, said he is expecting about three dozen to four dozen legislators to participate in the tours and a series of informational presentations on farming, tourism and environmental issues that affect the state.

“I thought it was a pretty good little idea,” Branscum said. “The Buffalo River is in my district, the [concentrated animal feeding operation] is in my district, and there’s been a ton of misinformation about this operation.

“Whether you’re for or against it, it makes no difference to me - I just wanted people to get a chance to see these things,” Branscum said.

C&H Hog Farms, located in Mount Judea near the western bank of Big Creek, is permitted to house about 2,500 sows and as many as4,000 piglets. The farm, which contracts with Cargill Inc. to provide piglets for pork production, began operating in late April with 125 sows and is expected to reach full capacity within the next two months.

The operation has drawn criticism and public concern from advocates of both environmental causes and tourism-based businesses since early January over worries that waste from the farm’s animals may pollute the area’s groundwater and streams. The farm’s permits allow waste to be collected in large lagoons, then spread over about 630 acres of grassland as fertilizer.

The event will begin at 1 p.m. today with a welcome from Branscum, Marshall Mayor Jim Smithson and Searcy County Judge Johnny Hinchey inside the Marshall High School gymnasium, according to a schedule published through the Arkansas Legislature’s website.

Kevin Cheri, superintendent of the Buffalo National River, will deliver a presentation on the history of the river, and Richard Davies, director of the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism, will discuss the economic impact of tourism associated with the river.

The legislators will then beshuttled to the Tyler Bend access point on the Buffalo National River in Searcy County and journey by canoes to the take-out point at Gilbert. Branscum said several park rangers will escort the legislators on the river.

“Some of them have never floated,” Branscum said. “I thought this was a great opportunity.”

Linck said the canoes will be provided by three local outfitters who will donate the cost of the rentals. Legislators will be required to pay for their own lodging in the area.

Branscum and Linck both said the plan to float on the river, and the time allotted for the event, are subject to change depending on weather.

On Wednesday morning, Arkansas Attorney General Dustin McDaniel is scheduled to update the legislators on the cleanup from the March 29 pipeline rupture in Mayflower. Legislators will also hear from Searcy County farmers L.C. Ratchford, owner of Ratchford Farms, and Cody Hopkins, co-owner of Falling Sky Farm.

Ratchford Farms raises buffalo, elk and other animals. Falling Sky farm raises cattle, pigs and poultry.

The legislators will then travel 45 miles west to Mount Judea to meet Jason Henson, co-owner and president of C&H Hog Farms, and tour the facility.

After the tour, the group will have dinner at the Ozark Cafe in Jasper. The meal will be sponsored by Cargill.

Mike Dougherty, president of the Buffalo River Chamber of Commerce and an organizing member of the Buffalo River Watershed Alliance, said he and other members of the alliance will be present at both days of the event.

Dougherty has been outspoken in his criticism of the Farm Service Agency’s environmental assessment of C&H Hog Farms, which concluded the farm posed “no significant impact” on the surrounding ecology. He has also criticized the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality’s permitting process for the farm.

Although Branscum declined requests by both the watershed alliance and Cargill to make presentations to the lawmakers, Dougherty said alliance members would be present to answer any questions the legislators may have and to make their concerns known.

“I think it’s useful for the legislators to get some exposure,” Dougherty said. “We have a belief that once someone gets in the river, it’s a transformational experience. I think they will see why the river must be protected. If the river is harmed, it will have a ripple effect through the entire tourism industry in the state.”

Northwest Arkansas, Pages 11 on 05/21/2013

Upcoming Events