Petition to Stop Proposed Hog Farms
The Undersigned oppose the Multispecies Zoning Text Amendment (Z-17-04) which will allow Hog Farms on all lands zoned Agricultural in Siskiyou County. By signing this petition, you will help stop the imminent changes that will affect all the County, especially the Scott Valley area and our rural way of living in this beautiful Valley. Currently commercial hog raising is allowed with an approved use permit. Although the term“pastured” has been added so that these Hog Farms are more acceptable,if this amendment passes Hog Farms will be permitted by right (no use permit, no complaints accepted, no County oversight and no County enforcement) on Prime Agriculture, Non-Prime Agriculture and Rural Residential zoned lands. The Amendment sets no size limits for amount of land required or number of animals allowed. The County intends to approve the Amendment as Categorically Exempt from Environmental Review because “there is not substantial evidence, in light of the whole record before the County, that the proposed text amendment may have a significant effect on the environment.” Written comments have been submitted to the County that Hog Farms could and will have an extreme negative effect on the environment. If the Amendment is approved, since the County has no way of enforcing the definition “pastured”, it will allow large-scale Hog Farms with confinement housing, concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFO), cesspool-like lagoon storage of hog feces and urine, and the spreading or spraying of manure on open fields. The cost to our health and well being, the destruction of our agriculture lands and pollution of our surface and ground waters is just not worth it. We respectfully request that our County officials deny the Multispecies Zoning Text Amendment, and continue to require use permits for all Hog Farms.