The Senate Agriculture committee took up testimony on Thursday on the changes to the Generally Accepted Agricultural Management Practices (GAAMPs) changes.  The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development testified to and explained the changes.  There were many individuals in attendance wanting to speak with their concerns to the changes.

The changes recently approved by the Commission add a new category 4 that states land is not suitable for livestock if the area of the community is primarily residential (defined as more than 13 homes within 1/8 of a mile of the animals, or with any home within 250 feet of the proposed facility) AND does not allow for agricultural use.  This would still allow a local community to have an ordinance allowing livestock within their community in these areas if they choose to do so.

If our communities have had or continue to have issues dealing with Right to Farm and the GAAMPs especially as this process moves forward with the new changes, please make me aware of them so those concerns can be passed along to the MDARD and then to the Commission (a request they made to us during their last Commission meeting).

Nikki Brown is a legislative associate for the League handling economic development and land use issues.  She can be reached at nbrown@mml.org or 517-908-0305.