Jerome County Beefs Up Ordinance For Chicken Farms

Fearing a possible influx of warehouse poultry farms to the area, Jerome County officials are taking steps to regulate such large-scale operations.  A few years ago California changed the rules for large poultry farms to the point that many thought would run some of the large operations out of the state to others with lesser binding regulations, such as southern Idaho.  So far that has not happened but Jerome County officials are preparing rules to regulate such operations if that should happen.  The Jerome County Planning and Zoning Commission is considering a proposal that would not only regulate poultry farms but any livestock inside a Confined Animal Feeding operation.  The plan would be subject to approval by the Jerome County Commissioners.  Commissioners say they have no applications from any poultry operations right now but say they hope to be ready should that time come.