Court orders Sandusky farm to pay $10K fine, restore wetlands

SANDUSKY — A family-run Sanilac County farm will have to pay $10,000 in fines and restore 69 acres of wetlands under an order issued in an Ingham County court late last month.

The state first filed a lawsuit against Weaverland Farms in October 2022, alleging the illegal destruction of a regulated wetland at the Sandusky area property in violation of the Natural Resources and Environment Protection Act.

In a July 26 order granting motions for summary disposition, Circuit Court Judge Wanda Stokes agreed that Nelson and Connie Weaver, proprietors of a large dairy farm, as well as other family members working cooperatively, “benefited from the extra crop space created with the alleged disturbance of wetlands” in an area referred to as Berden Field.

According to the court and state, the area was incorporated in Weaverland Farms’ state-required comprehensive nutrient management plan for animal feed operations, reportedly detailing how the farm would handle, store, and dispose of animal manure and waste with crops grown in the area used to feed cattle.

In response to the court’s claims, Weaverland Farms initially asked the state’s case be dismissed for failing to follow enforcement procedures before filing a lawsuit.

The Ingham County court, however, identified an offer to the farm to meet with the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy to discuss the wetland issues.

As of Wednesday, Weaverland Farms appeared to be listed as closed, and social media pages were not active for the site.

The family or farm could not be immediately reached for comment on the court’s decision.

The state attorney general’s office publicized the local court’s ruling on Tuesday, recalling the destruction of wetlands coming to light amid an EGLE investigation into a separate violation at the farm’s concentrated animal feeding operation permit.

At the time, the state alleges EGLE discovered the farm had doubled in size with use of the field to rid of waste.

“Wetlands are crucial for preserving our water quality and supporting wildlife,” Attorney General Dana Nessel said in a statement Tuesday. “My department will continue to protect these vital and valuable ecosystems. I commend the tireless work of our partners at EGLE and attorneys in my department for securing the restoration of this important wetland in Sanilac County that will benefit both the community and the environment.”

Contact reporter Jackie Smith at (810) 989-6270 or jssmith@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Port Huron Times Herald: Court orders Sandusky farm to pay $10K fine, restore wetlands