Planning Gone Hog Wild: Mega-Hog Farm in a Mountain West County

Lacking the natural amenities “New West" counties, some rural communities have attempted to attract land use activities that are normally seen as undesirable. One example of these undesirable industries is the hog concentrated animal feeding operation, or CAFO. While a number of studies have explored the socio-economic and environmental aspects of hog farms, few studies have focused on the planning process and evaluated its effectiveness in dealing with the threats and challenges that a CAFO poses. This qualitative study used interviews, observations, public meeting minutes, and other written sources of data to evaluate whether or not a rural, western community, Beaver County, Utah, was able to successfully plan for one of the largest hog operations in the United States. The evidence suggested that the majority of planning efforts failed in the short-term, but were more successful in the long-term. Despite any relative success, the proposal generated intense controversy in the small community. Crucial to any planning achievement was the input and guidance provided by the state environmental agency. This research highlights the need for long-range planning as well as the importance of public participation in the planning process.

Name thesis:degree_name

MS

Grantor dc:publisher

Brigham Young University - Provo

Author dc:creator

• Sanders, Jeffrey Melvin

• planning
• CAFO
• Mountain West
• Geography

Language dc:language

English

Repository record dc:identifier

https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/1026

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:scholarsarchive.byu.edu:etd-2025