The Newton County Farm Bureau recently elected a second owner of C&H Hog Farms to its board of directors and passed resolutions including one to encourage water quality monitoring on the Buffalo National River, while detractors of the farm are scheduling a rally in support of a lawsuit filed regarding the farm.

Officials say Jason Henson, one partner in C&H Hog Farm, was elected to the board of directors at a recent meeting. Co-owner Richard Campbell was already a board member.
One resolution passed at the same meeting is in support of monitoring water quality at multiple sights on the river during the May-October floating season to determine impact on recreational activity.

Another resolution calls for existing state and federal guidelines regulating confined animal feeding operations like the hog farm be deemed adequate for permit eligibility.
That resolution states that “scientific testing and studies have concluded these guidelines meet or exceed safeguards to protect the environment and general public” and that “certain radical environmental groups have challenged these accepted guidelines based on emotion, supposition and unscientific reasoning....”

The Buffalo River Water Shed Alliance, the Arkansas Canoe Club, the National Parks Conservation Association and the Ozark Society filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the federal and state Small Business Administration, the federal and state Farm Service Agency and directors of each entity.

The suit asks the court to void loan guarantees to C&H Hog Farms near Mt. Judea based on the impact the concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFO) could have on the Buffalo National River.

A press release said members of the plaintiff groups have invited former Sen. Dale Bumpers, Cong. Ed Bethune, former Cong. Vic Snyder, Rev. Betsy Singleton and other dignitaries to a reception and rally to raise money for and awareness of efforts to preserve the river from possible pollution from the hog farm.

The rally is scheduled for 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 12, at Snyder’s home, 50 Robinwood Drive, Little Rock.