Local farmer urges Routt County to ease agriculture permitting and allow informal farm help

John Wybel, who identified himself as representing Moon Hill Dairy, used the meetingpublic-comment period on July 1 to urge Routt County officials to reduce permitting burdens for agricultural activity and farm-related hospitality.

"It's flabbergasting that you can'tyou just talked about outdoor recreation being a key factor in this community," Wybel said, criticizing rules that he said require permits for people to stay with a farmer or help on the farm. He said the permit process and regulatory requirements make it difficult to farm and to host visitors who would help with work or pay for experiences.

Wybel recounted past difficulties obtaining a dairy permit more than 10 years ago and said county permitting requirements are creating barriers: "I worked a double time job last summer and made less than poverty," he said, describing financial strain and urging the county to conduct outreach to see what would help local agricultural businesses.

His remarks were part of the public-comment period and did not prompt action by the board during the meeting. Commissioners and staff acknowledged receipt of public-comment items and asked that relevant staff follow up as needed.