Tribe says no to new dairies, feedlots and expansions

TOPPENISH -- Responding to public outcry, Yakama tribal leaders have barred new dairies, feedlots or the expansion of either within the reservation.

The move comes after complaints from a group of residents on the reservation -- tribal members and nonmembers -- about a Sunnyside family's interest in erecting a dairy just uphill from Toppenish Creek and the Toppenish National Wildlife Refuge.

The Tribal Council approved the measure late Thursday after meeting with tribal staff members about the possible effects such an operation would have on the environment, Tribal Council Chairman Ralph Sampson Jr. said today.

"The council was more of the opinion that now is the time to do something," he said.

Despite the move, the Sytsma family still hopes to persuade tribal leaders to allow their dairy on the 480 acres they own along Pumphouse Road south of Harrah, said Stuart Turner, an agronomist helping them with the project.

The reservation is a checkerboard of tribal and nontribal land.

The Sytsmas want to put up to 7,000 cows on that property, and say the operation would include state-of-the-art technology that would eliminate any adverse environmental impacts, he said.

The family plans to hold a public meeting in early August to explain the project in detail.

"We want folks to understand the science behind the proposal," Turner said. "We would like as many people as possible to come with an open mind."

But it's not just the Sytsmas' project that critics are worried about.

They complain the reservation is becoming a new "stomping ground" for dairies and feedlots and fear that existing operations are poisoning the air and groundwater.

Tribal member Pam Wong is currently embroiled in a lawsuit against the owner of a feedlot that borders her Harrah home. She said the operation has fouled the air, brought too many flies and is making her family sick.

Feedlot operators, however, say they are following all environmental regulations.

"I'm happy with what the tribe is doing because it's a step toward preserving our reservation and protecting our resources," Wong said.

-- Phil Ferolito

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