Jill Schramm/MDN Tom Bodine with the North Dakota Department of Agriculture speaks to the Ward County Commission about planning efforts for potential livestock developments Tuesday.

Ward County will join other area counties in working with Souris Basin Planning Council on an analysis designed to identify suitable locations for animal feeding operations and other livestock-related development.

The Ward County Commission voted Tuesday to opt to work with SBPC rather than do its own analysis.

The 2023 North Dakota Legislature passed a bill that directs the state agriculture commissioner to administer a grant program to assist counties and regional planning councils in strategic planning and in the encouragement of investment in livestock production. Up to $500 per township plus $12,000 per county can be granted toward a study.

Briselda Hernandez, executive director for SBPC, said five of its seven counties, in addition to Ward, have approved participation so far.

“This is an opportunity to essentially pull efforts together and apply in one single application submitted to the Department of Ag to receive planning dollars to support future economic development projects in our area pertaining to livestock,” Hernandez said.

“As far as Souris Basin’s role, we essentially will serve as the facilitator,” she added. “Our intent is to have a committee leading this effort, not only in selecting a consultant but also monitoring the work that’s being accomplished and making sure that there are grassroots efforts to get us the information or get the consultant the information to complete the analysis. So our goal is to work with every planning and zoning committee with every county that provides a resolution of support.”

Deputy Commissioner Tom Bodine with the North Dakota Department of Agriculture said the state is following the lead of other states that have conducted comprehensive planning and site analysis for livestock development. Planning can address neighbors’ sentiments that commonly favor animal agriculture but not in their backyards, he said.

“This is an opportunity to really plan out where is the best location of the animal feeding operation if it comes in. With that, it’s also looking at your current infrastructure to see what is best,” he said. He cited analysis items such as roads, power systems, distances from residences, security of aquifers and bodies of water.

Ward County Commission Chairman John Fjeldahl questioned what the county’s access to the data would be and how decisions about development would be made.

Bodine noted the completed analysis would be made available to county governments, which can make it available to the public. Bodine said the plan is for local land-use authorities “to use this as a planning tool and use the information as you see fit.”

The local land-use authority might be a township, working with state environmental health officials, or the county. Bodine said the agriculture department is examining livestock facilities in other states as it looks into a model zoning ordinance for local authorities.

Mark Lyman, economic development director with Minot Area Chamber EDC, spoke to urge participation in the grant program.

“This is exactly what our region in our state needs to grow animal agriculture,” he said. “A lot of these, we think, will be local businesses, will be local farmers, will be local opportunities. So who doesn’t want to give that chance back to their county, to their region, to really take advantage of new opportunities. So, in short, we support this at the Minot Area Chamber EDC, and we support this because having our ducks in a row only makes us better at what we do to try and grow our economy.”