Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.
Notice of public meeting.
This is a notice to inform the public of an addition to the schedule of upcoming meetings to discuss stakeholder concerns related to the implementation of the National Animal Identification System. The additional meeting is being organized by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
The meeting will be held on June 30, 2009, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The public meeting will be held at the Embassy Suites Omaha—La Vista Hotel & Conference Center, 12520 Westport Parkway, La Vista, NE.
Dr. Adam Grow, Director, Surveillance and Identification Programs, National Center for Animal Health Programs, VS, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 200, Riverdale, MD 20737; (301) 734–3752.
As part of its ongoing efforts to safeguard animal health, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) initiated implementation of a National Animal Identification System (NAIS) in 2004. The NAIS is a cooperative State-Federal-industry program administered by USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). The purpose of the NAIS is to provide a streamlined information system that will help producers and animal health officials respond quickly and effectively to animal disease events in the United States.
The ultimate long-term goal of the NAIS is to provide State and Federal officials with the capability to identify all animals and premises that have had direct contact with a disease of concern within 48 hours after discovery. Meeting that goal requires a comprehensive animal-disease traceability infrastructure. An NAIS User Guide and a Business Plan, both available on our Web site at
Despite concerted efforts, APHIS has not been able to fully implement the NAIS. Many of the same issues that producers originally had with the system, such as the cost and impact on small farmers, privacy and confidentiality, and liability, continue to cause concern.
In order to provide individuals and organizations an opportunity to discuss their concerns regarding the NAIS and offer potential solutions, we have held several public meetings and plan to hold several more, and we are soliciting comments via our Web site. This notice is to inform the public that we are
Our goal is to gather feedback and input from a wide range of stakeholders to assist us in making an informed decision regarding both the future of the NAIS and the objectives and direction for animal identification and traceability. We would particularly welcome feedback on the following topics:
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The meeting schedule is tentative as of the date of this publication. Please check our Web site at
Although preregistration is not required, participants are asked to preregister by sending APHIS an e-mail at