http://www.arktimes.com/ArkansasBlog/archives/2013/02/25/landowners-continue-complaints-against-lake-maumelle-watershed-zoning Comments On: Landowners continue complaints against Lake Maumelle Watershed zoning by David Ramsey en-us Copyright 2013 Arkansas Times. All rights reserved. This RSS file is offered to individuals, Arkansas Times readers, and non-commercial organizations only. Any commercial websites wishing to use this RSS file, please contact Arkansas Times. robert@arktimes.com (Arkansas Times Webmaster) Thu, 23 May 2013 00:00:01 -0500 Thu, 23 May 2013 17:00:00 -0500 Foundation http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss
The ordinance does state the following and is copied directly from the latest version in it's entirety:
Section 3.4 Land Application of Waste Prohibited
The land application of septage or animal waste by any method, including surface spreading, subsurface injection, burial or other process, is prohibited within any zoning district subject to this Code. This section does not apply to drip irrigation.

I'm sure you will agree that cow manure is animal waste. Now the real question is, how will the enforcement agency interpret this provision? We won't know until it comes up.

Now I do want to make a correction. I found that they have stricken the Animal Unit section out and dealt with feed lots properly. However there are still other items that just don't make sense.
Posted by Wyemountain]]> Tue, 26 Feb 2013 10:16:39 -0600 Arkansas Times
Not to mention, Pulaski county already has been proactive about protecting water quality by passing Section 8 Subdivision rules for the Watershed. Section 8 Subdivision rules state actual practices that will protect our water quality. Also, these guidelines are to be reviewed regularly to ensure that the practices are working to keep our water clean. Clearly, Central Arkansas Water’s US GS study proves that fact as well as the good steward practices of the small land owners in the Watershed. The Land Use and Zoning regulations focus more on government control of our private and public lands in the Watershed.

There is NO present or urgent threat to our water quality. Along with the EPA, the Clean Water Act (CWA) is the federal law designed to keep U.S. waters pollution- and toxin-free. It applies to all kinds of waters, including coastal waters and shorelines, rivers, lakes, streams, and wetlands. Anyone – individuals, businesses, corporations - who violates the Clean Water Act, faces stiff civil fines and possible criminal prosecution. So, the water can never be dirty or impure for drinking and consumption. Why then, do we have a need for more regulation?? The fact is that there is NO need for land grabbing regulation and county government control!

The water will always be safe for drinking per the above law. If anyone thinks that this ordinance is about "keeping the water clean," is not wanting to see the truth.
Posted by Sound Truth]]> Tue, 26 Feb 2013 09:34:36 -0600 Arkansas Times
Mr. Eggers, do you really believe that to be true? If so, I'm sorry you have been so mislead about what the proposed ordinances would and would not prohibit.
Posted by Sound Policy]]> Mon, 25 Feb 2013 21:51:59 -0600 Arkansas Times Posted by Mean Gene]]> Mon, 25 Feb 2013 21:14:21 -0600 Arkansas Times Posted by Mean Gene]]> Mon, 25 Feb 2013 21:12:49 -0600 Arkansas Times We own a small 20 acre farm on Wye Mountain and do the best we can to make sure our farming practices leave the smallest environmental footprint possible and still maintain economic feasibility. We have done this ever since we purchased the land in 1998 and began out farming operation.
Even though the proposed ordinance seems at first glance to be about water quality, if actually studied it shows that that is not truly the case. It is over reaching in it's restrictions to the point of devaluing a persons property. These are just a couple examples: for thousand of years the best fertilizer for crops has been animal manure, which now-a-days is called going green. Within the provision of the ordinance this practice would be illegal. As written a person could not go to a store and buy a bag of composted cow manure and apply it to a garden. This also means that a farmer or horse owner would be prohibited from cleaning out his barn or stall and applying it to the field to fertilize the pasture. His only option then would be chemical fertilizer. Please understand no one in the watershed wants large commercial feed lots like you see out west where hundreds or thousands of head livestock are few in crowded spaces. This ordinance classifies a one acre pasture with 20 free range chickens as a feed lot and is prohibited contrary to what today is an encouraged green practice. These are just two of many more restrictions that need reworked BEFORE the ordinance is passed.
The USGS study says that the quality of the water in Lake Maumelle is exceptional and that development at current and even at an accelerated rate would have "little" effect on water quality.
Next the apparent conflict of interest between CAW and the planning board chairman, Mr. Vogelpohl needs to be addressed before the County places any restrictions on the people of the watershed.
Again, please be assured the property owners want to protect the water in Lake Maumelle. However, they want to be a part of the well thought out plan and not just the recipient of a flawed one sided one.
Please contact your respective JP and ask them to vote no on the Watershed Ordinance as it is written and encourage CAW and the Planning Commission to work with all those involved to come up with a more realistic plan.
Butch Eggers
Wye Mountain
Posted by Wyemountain]]> Mon, 25 Feb 2013 20:43:12 -0600 Arkansas Times Posted by cruise]]> Mon, 25 Feb 2013 17:17:22 -0600 Arkansas Times Posted by TheLegend]]> Mon, 25 Feb 2013 16:44:34 -0600 Arkansas Times
The ultimate snub to those thrown off by eminent domain is to take it for the comon good then squander it.

I speak with many friends and land owners up along the Buffalo National River and there were and are some hard feelings but most agree it has been a big benefit to the community.

The Tyler family comes by every 5 years or so for a giant reunion at the Tyler Bend Campground/Ranger Station and are proud of its quality.

People do understand that it sucks to be pushed off you land for Interstate Highways, Drinking Water projects, Hydropower projects etc but also understand living in a country with no highways, drinking water systems, sewage systems, power lines, parks etc SUCKS WAY MORE.
Posted by Citizen1]]> Mon, 25 Feb 2013 16:38:31 -0600 Arkansas Times Posted by Cookie]]> Mon, 25 Feb 2013 15:02:12 -0600 Arkansas Times
Actually, LittleItalyUSA, the reason the water is of such high quality (not 'pristine') is because the watershed is roughly 90% forested AND because there are so few people living in it that even if every one of you pissed 10 gallons a day it wouldn't affect the water quality. So don't pull a muscle patting yourself on the back!
Posted by Sound Policy]]> Mon, 25 Feb 2013 14:35:12 -0600 Arkansas Times Posted by Cookie]]> Mon, 25 Feb 2013 13:48:29 -0600 Arkansas Times Not everyone believes in Global warming, but they better start learning, or future generations will be living in a bubble similar to the environment on a space capsule. If you think it's hard to get congressional approval for taxes today, imagine what it will be like then.
Posted by Verla Sweere]]> Mon, 25 Feb 2013 12:39:28 -0600 Arkansas Times
My problem is that every scenario presented involves profit by someone involved.

This is just a mess and I hope to be out of the county and away from this crap very soon.
Posted by Mean Gene]]> Mon, 25 Feb 2013 12:15:25 -0600 Arkansas Times Posted by Grumpy Grizzly]]> Mon, 25 Feb 2013 11:46:33 -0600 Arkansas Times Posted by couldn't be better]]> Mon, 25 Feb 2013 11:32:22 -0600 Arkansas Times Posted by pcpro]]> Mon, 25 Feb 2013 10:21:57 -0600 Arkansas Times
Central Arkansas Water (CAW) bought and paid for the land FAIR AND SQUARE (back before even this middleage guy was born) and has the right to make sure others are not allowed to pollute it.

400,000 people can't wait till the inevitable occurs and then the lake water requires much more expensive purification to make it safe for drinking.

For all the greedy simple minded people, I will keep it simple.

What you have been doing for the last 100 years is fine.

DUH!

Anything developed is fine and dandy. ADDITIONAL and more intense developement is not.

Sorry if you are a land speculator and the Bush Depression set you back but CAW customers can't be required to subsidize your profits.
Posted by Citizen1]]> Mon, 25 Feb 2013 10:10:26 -0600 Arkansas Times