Around a third of large livestock farms in Wisconsin are operating with expired permits, says Wisconsin Public Radio. It’s not uncommon or illegal “but it is a source of frustration for farmers and residents concerned about oversight.”
The state Department of Natural Resources says it is hiring more field inspectors in a step to catch up with the expanding number of large farms, known as concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs). State and federal laws call for permits to be reviewed very five years. Permits – and the underlying rules – remain in effect until they are re-issued, says WPR.
“Until they have a new one, they must follow everything in that original permit,” says a spokesman for the Wisconsin Dairy Business Association. The downside for farmers is they cannot update or expand their operations during the interim, so even simple construction projects have to wait. The nonprofit group Farms Not Factories says the backlog raises the question whether the state can adequately police the livestock industry.