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Planning commission approves CAFO expansion, adds 55.812 acres and raises animal units to 777
Summary
Gooding County Planning & Zoning Commission unanimously approved a modification to CAFO G18-126 increasing the site by 55.812 acres and permitting animal units to rise from 498 to 777, conditional on verified continuous water supply reported by the Idaho Department of Water Resources.
The Gooding County Planning & Zoning Commission voted unanimously to approve a modification to concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFO) G18-126 on Feb. 17, 2026, authorizing an additional 55.812 acres and an increase in permitted animal units from 498 to 777. Kathleen Goicoechea moved for approval and Terry Behunin seconded; the motion passed 4–0.
Before the final vote commissioners reviewed the CAFO ordinance criteria (Ordinance 90) in detail and found the A, B, C and D criteria met after sequential motions on each item. Commissioners attached a condition requiring that “adequate water is obtained and continuous; verified and reported by the Idaho Department of Water Resources to the Planning & Zoning Administrator,” language incorporated into the approval. Johnscott Cutler had specifically framed approval of water-related criteria around that verification requirement.
The modification was described in the staff materials and discussed under the county’s CAFO review standards; the record shows agency comment letters were considered as part of the staff report. With the condition, the commission concluded the proposal met local regulatory standards and moved the permit into effect pending the Idaho Department of Water Resources verification.
Next steps: the permittee or their representative must secure and document the required water verification to the Planning & Zoning Administrator before the modification is treated as fully implemented.
