Liane Stout

Buffalo

Concerned citizens of North Dakota must speak up and oppose Senate Bill 2345 relating to animal feeding operations and zoning regulations.

The bill restricts and threatens local control by townships on zoning and permitting. It allows the ND Department of Health as well as the ND Agriculture Commissioner involvement with our local land uses. Bill 2345 is anti-family, anti-family farm, anti-community, and anti-local control. It offers too much cover and a lack of transparency for the applicant of these animal feeding operations who may be an out of state corporation or a special interest group, like Farm Bureau. Why provide developers more protection while stripping local boards of their zoning abilities.

What does North Dakota value? How do we protect that? Who is listening?

I strongly urge everyone to ask these questions to the sponsors of this bad legislation that will forever change our great state of North Dakota. They are Senator Wanzek (tmwanzek@nd.gov), Senator Dotzenrod (jdotzenrod@nd.gov), Senator Luick (lluick@nd.gov), Representative Brandenburg (mbrandenburg@nd.gov), Representative D. Johnson (djohnson@nd.gov), and Representative Pollert (cpollert@nd.gov).

For a state that prides itself on property ownership and self-sufficiency of local governments, North Dakota must always do their best for all our people. The future of our state depends on we the people, the same people who voted to reject corporate farming by 76%.

Time is running out to express your opinion. Please contact your senator and legislators who represent your district and tell them to vote against Senate Bill 2345 this week. The best method to communicate with them is by email. These addresses are available online at www.legis.nd.gov/contact-my-legislators as well as their telephone numbers. Our voices do matter and must be heard.