Feedlot Rejected Near Minidoka
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Saturday, Oct. 13, 2007

National Park Service
Historic buildings near the entrance to Minidoka, one of 10 internment camps that held 120,000 Americans of Japanese descent during World War II.

JEROME, Idaho.—Southern Idaho officials have rejected a 13,000-animal cattle feedlot proposed for land just a mile from a World War II-era internment camp for Japanese Americans that’s been declared a national monument.
The Jerome County Commission voted 2-1 Tuesday against the plan by Eden, Idaho, businessman Don McFarland to build the feedlot near the Minidoka Internment National Monument. There, nearly 10,000 Japanese and Japanese Americans were held behind barbed wire following Japan’s Dec. 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor.
The National Park Service has plans to develop the 73-acre parcel set aside in 2001 by President Clinton into an educational exhibit focusing on wartime civil rights and how the government treated minorities in times of fear.
Some nearby neighbors, the Park Service and former internees at the Minidoka camp had opposed the feedlot on grounds it was inappropriate to locate thousands of cattle—and millions of pounds of fly-attracting manure—near a site with so much historical importance.
Meanwhile, McFarland had reduced the size of his proposal from 18,555 animals in a bid to placate foes. McFarland had won the support of the region’s agriculture industry.
County lawyers said the decision sets the stage for a lawsuit by McFarland, who has 28 days to appeal.
“This is likely headed for court,” said Jerome County Attorney Mike Seib, who during the hearing urged commissioners to be more explicit about their decision. “You haven’t weighed any of the evidence. There needs to be a discussion of how the evidence supports the decision you’re making.”
McFarland told the Associated Press on Wednesday that he didn’t think the county commission considered his application properly.
“We did spend a considerable amount of money and time—it was 18 months or more—to ensure that the application was correct and complete and complied with Jerome County planning and zoning requirements,” he said. “We’re discussing our options with our attorney.”
Feedlot opponents said they were pleased with a decision they hope will protect the site’s historical integrity—and their quality of life.
“I’m thrilled,” said Dean Dimond, who lives near the site. “It’s for the best. I’m glad the county stood up to him.”
Since the former camp was declared a national monument, Idaho governors have annually declared a “Day of Remembrance” of the Japanese and Japanese Americans held here. Late last year, President Bush signed a $38 million grant program to help the National Park Service restore and pay for research at 10 such camps, including Minidoka.
The National Park Service has plans to expand the monument, in hopes of attracting as many as 80,000 visitors a year.