[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 122 (Friday, June 25, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35575-35576]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-14433]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. 04-050-1]


National Animal Identification System; Public Meetings

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of public meetings.

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SUMMARY: We are advising the public that the Under Secretary for 
Marketing and Regulatory Programs, U.S. Department of Agriculture, will 
host a series of listening sessions to provide livestock producers and 
other stakeholders with the opportunity to offer their comments 
regarding the Department's implementation of a National Animal 
Identification System.

DATES: The public meetings will be held in Oregon on July 1, 2004; in 
California on July 10, 2004; in New Mexico on July 16, 2004; in 
Washington (State) on July 23, 2004; in Colorado on August 10, 2004; in 
Montana on August 13, 2004; in Florida on August 16, 2004; in Ohio on 
August 18, 2004; in Iowa on August 26, 2004; in Missouri on August 27, 
2004; in Wisconsin on August 30, 2004; and in Minnesota on August 31, 
2004. Information regarding the specific time of each session will be 
made available as soon as arrangements are finalized (see SUPPLEMENTARY 
INFORMATION).

ADDRESSES: The public meetings will be held in the following cities:
     Prineville, OR;
     Stockton, CA;
     Socorro, NM;
     Pasco, WA;
     Greeley, CO;
     Billings, MT;
     Kissimmee, FL;
     Columbus, OH;
     Ames, IA;
     Joplin, MO;

[[Page 35576]]

     Appleton, WI; and
     St. Cloud, MN.
    Information regarding the specific location of each session will be 
made available as soon as arrangements are finalized (see SUPPLEMENTARY 
INFORMATION).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Neil Hammerschmidt, Animal 
Identification Officer, National Center for Animal Health Programs, VS, 
APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 43, Riverdale, MD 20737-1231, (301) 734-
5571.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On December 30, 2003, the Secretary of 
Agriculture announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) 
would expedite the implementation of a national animal identification 
system for all species after the discovery of bovine spongiform 
encephalopathy in a cow in Washington State. On April 27, 2004, 
following several months of a USDA working group's efforts to develop 
an implementation framework for a U.S. animal identification plan, the 
Secretary announced the framework for implementation of a National 
Animal Identification System (NAIS) designed to identify any 
agricultural premises exposed to a foreign animal disease so that it 
can be more quickly contained and eradicated. The Secretary also 
announced that $18.8 million would be transferred from the Department's 
Commodity Credit Corporation to provide initial funding for the program 
during fiscal year (FY) 2004. The FY 2004 funding has been earmarked 
for the initial infrastructure development and implementation of the 
national system, but both private and public support will be required 
to make it fully operational. The Administration's proposed FY 2005 
budget includes another $33 million for the effort.
    The implementation of a NAIS will be conducted in three main 
phases. Under Phase I, USDA will evaluate current federally funded 
animal identification systems and determine which system(s) should be 
used for a NAIS, further the dialog with producers and other 
stakeholders on the operation of a NAIS, identify staffing needs, and 
develop any regulatory and legislative proposals needed for 
implementing the system.
    Phase II will involve the implementation of the animal 
identification system at regional levels for one or more species, 
continuation of the communication and education effort, addressing 
regulatory needs, and working with Congress on any needed legislation.
    In Phase III, the animal identification system(s) would be scaled 
up to the national level.
    The first step in the process is to select an interim data 
repository to handle incoming national premises data. USDA has 
commissioned an independent analysis of repositories that are currently 
part of various USDA-funded animal identification projects around the 
country. Once the system is identified that shows greatest potential 
for use on a national level, USDA will enter into cooperative 
agreements with States, Indian tribes, and other government entities to 
assist them in adapting their existing systems to the new system.
    USDA is committed to developing a program that is technology 
neutral, so as to provide producers, to the extent possible, the 
flexibility to use current and effective systems and technologies, as 
well as adopt new technologies as they are developed.
    As noted previously, one element of USDA's Phase I efforts is 
furthering the dialog with producers and other stakeholders on the 
operation of a NAIS. To provide an opportunity for such a dialog, the 
Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs, USDA, will host 
a series of listening sessions across the country to provide livestock 
producers and other stakeholders with the opportunity to offer their 
comments regarding the implementation of the NAIS.
    In order to provide interested persons with as much advance notice 
of the listening sessions as possible, we are publishing this notice 
before we have finalized the precise locations and times of each 
listening session. As soon as the arrangements for the listening 
session in each city are finalized, we will post information regarding 
the location and time of the session on the NAIS Web page (http://www.aphis.usda.gov/lpa/issues/nais/nais.html) maintained by the USDA's 
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). In addition, APHIS' 
Legislative and Public Affairs staff will issue press releases and 
undertake other outreach activities to ensure that this information is 
made as widely available as possible.
    The tentative agenda for each listening session is as follows:
     Opening remarks from the Under Secretary;
     Remarks from other officials who may be in attendance 
(e.g., Members of Congress, State agriculture secretaries or 
commissioners);
     An overview of the NAIS presented by APHIS' Veterinary 
Services program;
     Opportunity for remarks from livestock producers and other 
stakeholders in attendance. If the number of persons wishing to speak 
warrants it, USDA may limit the time for each presentation so that 
everyone wishing to speak has the opportunity to do so.
    A transcript will be made of each listening session, and the 
transcript will be placed on the NAIS Web page.

    Done in Washington, DC, this 21st day of June 2004.
W. Ron DeHaven,
Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 04-14433 Filed 6-24-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P