Protesters plan to target Morgan mink farms

MORGAN -- The quiet agricultural county of Morgan may not be so quiet come November, when as many as 100 animal-rights activists plan to stage a protest.
The Salt Lake Animal Advocacy Movement sent a letter notifying the Morgan City Council of its intent to conduct two political demonstrations in or around the city Nov. 28 "to protest the inhumane treatment of animals on fur farms."
Not only does this date coincide with the nationally recognized "Fur Free Friday" weekend, it is also prime pelting season on area mink farms, said Mayor Dean Pace.
"We realize people have the freedom of speech," he said.
And that is exactly why the protesters sent the notice four months in advance, "to ensure that our free speech activities are conducted in a lawful and peaceful manner," the letter reads.
The protesters plan to hold a vigil outside of a fur farm in Morgan County. The county is home to an estimated 15 active mink ranches.
The news so far is not well received in the county, which has housed mink farms for at least four generations.
"As a mink rancher, it's my livelihood and I'm concerned," L. Scott Francis said. "I'm sure the rest of them are, too."
Lynn Boyce, another Morgan mink rancher, is also concerned.
"I have a freedom, and they are trying to take mine away," Boyce said.
"We employ a lot of people who live in the county. Morgan mink are known all over the world. We raise some of the best mink in the world."
Boyce is taking comfort in the fact that the protesters are not from the immediate area.
"The community has opened their arms to us," Boyce said. "We get along with everyone here."
But even locally, Francis has been noticing some suspicious activity: People have been seen taking pictures of mink ranches; others inquire about work on the ranches, then take pictures on the job.
He said he fears any inside information could lead to protests that harm specific mink ranches in Morgan.
Francis is also worried the protest may lead to the release of mink and the demolition of pens and sheds, similar to other protests in past years in West Haven and West Jordan.
"There was a lot of damage to ranches and livelihoods, so it's something we can't take lightly," he said.
Nationwide, mink pelt production in 2008 totaled 2.79 million pelts, according to the National Agricultural Statistics Service.
Utah is one of the largest mink-producing states, second only to Wisconsin. In 2008, almost 550,000 pelts came from Utah.
City Attorney Gary Crane said of the protesters: "They can congregate in public places to the extent that they don't become a nuisance."