[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 67 (Friday, April 7, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17806-17807]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-5085]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. APHIS-2006-0052]


National Animal Identification System; Notice of Web Conference 
Training Sessions for Animal Identification Number Managers and 
Resellers

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: We are informing producers and other stakeholders who plan to 
participate in the distribution of animal identification number (AIN) 
tags of the availability of additional training, via Web conferences, 
so that they can prepare to participate in this component of the 
National Animal Identification System (NAIS) by becoming AIN managers 
or resellers. The Web conferences will provide more details about the 
administration of AIN tags, as well as provide a demonstration of the 
AIN Management System, the Web-based system for distributing and 
administering AINs in the NAIS.

DATES: The Web conferences will be conducted on April 13, 2006, and 
April 26, 2006. Details regarding each event are provided in the 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this notice.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Neil Hammerschmidt, NAIS 
Coordinator, Surveillance and Identification Team, National Center for 
Animal Health Programs, VS, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 200, Riverdale, 
MD 20737-1231; (301) 734-5571.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: As part of ongoing efforts to safeguard 
animal health, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) initiated 
implementation of the 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). Its long-term goal is to track all animal movements, from 
birth to harvest, as part of USDA's National Animal Health Monitoring 
and Surveillance Program.
    In order to facilitate the implementation of the NAIS, on November 
8, 2004, we published in the Federal Register (69 FR 64644-64651, 
Docket No. 04-052-1) an interim rule that, among other things, amended 
the regulations to recognize additional numbering systems for the 
identification of animals in interstate commerce and State/Federal/
industry cooperative disease control and eradication programs and to 
redefine the numbering system used to identify premises where animals 
are managed or held. Specifically, the interim rule recognized the 
animal identification number (AIN) as an official numbering system for 
the identification of individual animals, the group/lot identification 
number (GIN) for the identification of groups or lots of animals within 
the same production system, and the seven-character premises 
identification number (PIN) for the identification of premises in the 
NAIS. Use of the new numbering systems was not, however, required as a 
result of the interim rule. Finally, the interim rule amended the 
regulations to prohibit the removal of official identification devices 
and to eliminate potential regulatory obstacles to the recognition of 
emerging technologies that could offer viable alternatives to existing 
animal identification devices and methods.
    On March 3, 2006, we published a notice in the Federal Register (71 
FR 10951-10952, Docket No. APHIS-2005-0117) in which we announced the 
availability of a document entitled ``Administration of Official 
Identification Devices with the Animal Identification Number,'' which 
expands upon certain aspects of the NAIS that were presented in the 
Draft Program Standards. The document describes how an AIN may be used 
in conjunction with official identification devices in the NAIS; 
provides performance and

[[Page 17807]]

printing requirements for visual identification tags with AINs and an 
explanation of the process by which these AIN tags will be authorized 
for use in the NAIS; presents performance standards for radio frequency 
identification tags or devices that may be used on cattle or bison to 
supplement visual AIN tags; and describes the AIN Management System, a 
Web-based system for distributing and administering AINs in the NAIS, 
and discusses the roles and responsibilities of key participants in the 
system.
    The animal identification component utilizing the AIN in the 
voluntary phase of NAIS is now being implemented. Producers who elect 
to participate in the animal identification component using the AIN 
must first obtain a PIN.
    Under the AIN Management System, animal identification numbers are 
allocated to companies that manufacture official identification devices 
or technologies. Other individuals and organizations may perform roles 
that support the distribution of official identification devices to 
producers. The complete and accurate recording of the AINs distributed 
and assigned to each premises is imperative. The AIN Management System 
allows for many participants in various roles and provides the means to 
record AIN allocations to manufacturers and distribution to premises.
    The AIN Management System is now available to participants (pending 
authorization of AIN devices). In this notice, we are informing 
producers and other stakeholders who plan to participate in the 
distribution of AIN tags of the availability of additional training, 
via Web conferences, so that they can prepare to participate in this 
component of NAIS by becoming AIN managers or resellers. The Web 
conferences will provide more details about the administration of AIN 
tags, as well as provide a demonstration of the AIN Management System 
(the Web-based software application).
    Two training sessions have been scheduled for April 2006. The 
visual elements of the training will be presented on the Internet while 
the audio portion is provided over the telephone. Details for 
participation in each training session are as follows:
 Date/Time: Thursday, April 13, 2006, at 1 p.m. eastern 
standard time.
    Internet participation at: https://www.mymeetings.com/nc/join/.
    Web conference number: PG7717522.
    Phone (audio participation): 1-888-566-0007.
    Passcode for phone conference: INDUSTRY2.

    To access an Internet replay of the event, go to: https://www.mymeetings.com/nc/join.php?i=PG7717522&p=INDUSTRY2&t=r.
    The replay of the April 13 event will be available for 30 days, 
ending May 13, 2006.

 Date/Time: Wednesday, April 26, 2006, at 1 p.m. eastern 
standard time.
    Internet participation at: https://www.mymeetings.com/nc/join/.
    Web conference number: PG7717530.
    Phone (audio participation): 1-888-566-0007.
    Passcode for phone conference: INDUSTRY3.

    To access an Internet replay of the event, go to: https://www.mymeetings.com/nc/join.php?i=PG7717530&p=INDUSTRY3&t=r.
    The replay of the April 26 event will be available for 30 days, 
ending May 26, 2006.

    Done in Washington, DC, this 4th day of April 2006.
Elizabeth E. Gaston,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
 [FR Doc. E6-5085 Filed 4-6-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P