By Oregon Family Farm Association,
Environmentalists are heralding new Oregon state rules that govern people who raise sheep, chickens, cows, and other animals as a needed clarification to prevent abuse by large livestock farms, but Ag trade groups say they place an unnecessary burden on farmers, according to Oregon Public Broadcasting. The rules determine who needs a permit to raise animals under the definition of confined animal feeding operations and offers protection against pollution and overuse for water resources such as lakes, rivers, and creeks. An outcry ensued in early 2023 after the Oregon Department of Agriculture clarified its definition of CAFOs, expanding it to small raw dairy farms, prompting the agency to reverse itself. The new rules define CAFO operations as those that house animals in pens or buildings for 12 hours a day or longer for more than 120 days a year. A permit won’t be required for people with fewer than 20 dairy cows or 250 laying hens unless they produce more than 100 gallons of water or manure daily.
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