Last November, the USDA released its latest NAIS document in draft form at
http://animalid.aphis.usda.gov/nais/naislibrary/userguide.shtml . I
encourage you to also read some insightful comments made at
http://www.libertyark.net/articles/response2.htm and at
http://farmandranchfreedom.org/content/latest-Nov-06
You can comment via e-mail through January 22nd. I encourage all of
you to do so. This may be your last chance to voice your opinion. The
outcry from the public has done some good and caused the USDA to back
off a bit. But time to comment is running out.
Here is some information copied from a recent Farm and Ranch Freedom
Alliance email that will make it easier for you to write that letter.
Now that the new Congress has been seated, there is a new opportunity
to fight the National Animal Identification System. Many of the
incumbents and the newcomers remain unaware of the issues surrounding
the NAIS. Now is a great time to educate them, before the crunch of
the new session begins in January!
We must put a human face on this issue. The legislators need to
understand how the NAIS will affect real people within their states
and districts. They also need to understand how the USDA and state
agriculture departments have been abusing the current so-called
"voluntary" programs. Below is a sample letter that provides a
framework for you to write your own letter.
Be sure to personalize this letter with your own story. Have you been
signed up for premises registration without your consent? Told you
had to sign up to go to a show or enroll in some farm program? Tell
your legislator what is happening in their state!
To find out who your U.S. Representative and Senators are, go to
www.congress.org/congressorg/home/ and enter your zip code in the box
on the left-hand side. Send your letter to your Representative and to
both Senators from your state.
Please also send copies to the chair and ranking minority members of
the Senate and House Agriculture Committees. If sending by mail, just
address it to "Chairman" or "Minority Leader" and send to the
addresses below. If faxing or emailing, specify the Members' name:
Representative Collin Peterson, Representative Bob Goodlatte, Senator
Tom Harkin, or Senator Saxby Chambliss.
Agriculture Committee contact information:
House Agriculture Committee (majority) House Committee on Agriculture
1301 Longworth House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 Phone:
202-225-2171 Fax: 202-225-0917 Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
House Agriculture Committee (minority) Committee on Agriculture 1305
Longworth House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 Phone: (202) 225-0317
Senate Agriculture Committee (majority and minority - please specify
in envelope address) Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition &
Forestry Room SR-328A Russell Senate Office Building Washington, DC.
20510-6000 Phone: 202-224-2035
Sample letter
Dear Representative (or Senator) ______:
I am a _________ (farmer, consumer, horse owner, etc. Tell them just
a couple of sentences about yourself). I am writing to ask you to
stop the US Department of Agriculture from continuing to implement
the National Animal Identification System ("NAIS").
Agriculture Secretary Johanns recently described the NAIS as "one of
the largest systemic changes ever faced by the livestock industry."
But the Senate has held only one hearing, in 2004, on the topic, and
the House of Representatives has yet to hold a single hearing. At the
Senate hearing, many questions were raised about both the principle
and feasibility of the program, yet the USDA has failed to address
many of the concerns raised by the Senators. Despite the lack of
Congressional oversight and unanswered questions, USDA has spent over
$84 million implementing this program, which will have a significant
impact on millions of Americans as well as our food supply. To add
insult to injury, the Congress has yet to pass any legislation
specifically authorizing NAIS. And the USDA has not issued nor does
it plan to issue any regulations on the program.
The USDA's plan for NAIS would require the following: 1. Premises
Registration: Every person who owns or manages locations where
livestock and poultry are handled will have to register in a
government database, or a private database that the government can
access. This includes people who own even one horse, chicken, goat,
sheep, cow, pig, deer, or elk.
2. Animal Identification: Every animal will be assigned a unique
15-digit number by the government when they are moved from their herd
of origin or are commingled with other animals. Each animal will need
to be permanently identified. For several species, the proposal is to
require radio frequency identification tags or microchips, rather
than the less expensive, traditional forms of physical tagging. While
the USDA claims that poultry and swine will get "group numbers," most
small farmers and companion-animal owners do not keep animals in ways
that would qualify.
3. Animal Tracking: The owner must report, within 24 hours, every
time an animal is tagged or a tag is lost; every death or slaughter;
every missing animal; and "commingling" events, including public and
private sales, shows, and exhibitions.
While the USDA has announced that the program is voluntary at the
federal level, it is continuing to provide grants to the states to
implement NAIS. Specifically, USDA is funding mandatory
implementation in several states. Further, the USDA's stated goal is
to have 100% participation by 2009. In other words, the agency
intends to require every person who owns animals to comply with this
burdensome program, acting indirectly through state programs.
{Discuss your experience with NAIS in your state, and your concerns
about your life under NAIS. If you have seen or heard of abuses of
the NAIS program, especially fraud or coercion in signing people up
for premises registration, be sure to mention that.}
The NAIS represents an unprecedented expansion of the government
bureaucracy into people's private lives and infringes on our property
and privacy rights. The program will impose heavy monetary and
logistical burdens on livestock owners, driving many small and
medium-size farmers and ranchers out of business. These burdens will
also discourage people from owning livestock, such as horses, as
companion animals. The economic effects will be wide-reaching. Cost
estimates for NAIS range into the hundreds of millions of dollars
that the livestock owner will have to pay, either out-of-pocket or by
the taxpayer. At the same time, the NAIS will not protect animal
health or food safety.
Congress needs to stop the USDA from continuing to implement the
NAIS. I ask that you call for hearings into this issue, one of the
"largest systemic changes" to ever face agriculture in the United States.
I look forward to your written response.
Sincerely,
Name Address City, State Zip Code Phone Number E-mail address if you have one
_______________________________________________
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