VALENTINE, Neb. - Cherry County is updating its Comprehensive Plan, a key document that guides development, land use, and growth across the county. The Cherry County Planning Commission has been working on the new plan for nearly five years, replacing the existing plan adopted in 1997, with zoning regulations last updated in 2008.

The new 134-page draft addresses several contentious issues, including wind farms and livestock confinements, that have sparked debate in recent years.

On wind energy, the plan states, “While Cherry County encourages the use of technological advances to improve and support the agriculture industry, this is done while carefully considering the long-term impact such systems may have on the unique Sandhills landscape. Large-scale wind and solar farms in particular have a significant footprint on the landscape, requiring substantial infrastructure for roads, turbine and panel sitting, and the required transmission lines.”

The plan also touches on the ongoing controversy over hog confinements. Danielski Farms recently opened a hog confinement in the county, and TK Angus is in a legal battle with the Cherry County Board of Commissioners after the board voted down a conditional use permit for a swine finishing facility near Valentine with a capacity of 4,999 head of swine.

“After trial, TK Angus requests the Court determine whether the Application satisfied all requirements of the Cherry County Zoning Regulations, 3 and in particular, those requirements set forth in the Cherry County Zoning Regulations, section 501.05(15), for a Confined Animal Feeding Use,” court documents read.

The new draft plan mentions livestock confinements in several areas, including attempting to protect the groundwater and environment.

“New confined feeding operations should meet specific requirements since this type of livestock production is not part of the overall culture of Cherry County,” the draft plan reads.

A public hearing to discuss the new plan is scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 29, at 4:30 p.m. CT at the Cherry County Fairgrounds in Valentine. Final draft copies of the plan are available online, as well as at the Valentine Public Library and the Clerk’s Office in the Cherry County Courthouse.