[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 185 (Tuesday, September 23, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54785-54786]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-22192]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
[Docket No. APHIS-2008-0106]
A Business Plan To Advance Animal Disease Traceability; Final
Version
AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
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SUMMARY: We are advising the public that we are making available a
final version of our Business Plan to Advance Animal Disease
Traceability. Based on comments that we received on our draft Business
Plan, which we made available to the public for review and comment
through a previous notice, we have amended the plan in order to provide
greater clarity regarding the points of integration between the
National Animal Identification System (NAIS) and existing State and
Federal animal health programs and brand programs. We have also added
more specificity regarding traceability strategies for several animal
industries, an explanation of how the NAIS can help producers meet
country of origin labeling requirements, and a detailed discussion of
future plans regarding radio frequency identification of animals
destined for import or export. We have also updated the plan to reflect
the current budget for the NAIS, to adjust the benchmarks and target
dates for implementation of animal traceability, and to make other,
nonsubstantive changes. The final Business Plan retains the seven core
strategies for harmonizing the NAIS with existing programs and methods
that we outlined in our draft plan.
ADDRESSES: The Business Plan is available on the Internet at http://animalid.aphis.usda.gov/nais/. The document may also be viewed in our
reading room. The reading room is located in room 1141 of the USDA
South Building, 14th Street and Independence Avenue SW., Washington,
DC. Normal reading room hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through
Friday, except holidays. To be sure someone is there to help you,
please call (202) 690-2817 before coming.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Neil Hammerschmidt, Coordinator,
National Animal Identification System, National Center for Animal
Health Programs, VS, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 200, Riverdale, MD
20737-1231; (301) 734-5571.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
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
[[Page 54786]]
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 its
discovery.
On December 19, 2007, we published in the Federal Register a notice
\1\ (Docket No. APHIS-2007-0148, 72 FR 71871-71873) in which we made
available for review and comment a draft Business Plan to Advance
Animal Disease Traceability. The Business Plan recommended seven
strategies and options to enable existing State and Federal regulated
and voluntary animal health programs, industry-administered management
and marketing programs, and various identification methods to work in
harmony with the NAIS, with the goal of creating a comprehensive
animal-disease traceability infrastructure in order to facilitate 48-
hour traceback.
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\1\ To view the notice, go to http://www.regulations.gov/fdmspublic/component/main?main=DocketDetail&d=APHIS-2007-0148.
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We solicited comments on the draft Business Plan through the NAIS
Web site (http://animalid.aphis.usda.gov/nais/) for 118 days, through
April 15, 2008. We received 183 comments by that date, from national,
regional, and State industry groups, State departments of agriculture,
national veterinary organizations, the operator of a horse racetrack,
manufacturers and distributors of animal identification devices,
veterinarians, extension agents, university professors, producers, and
private citizens. In response to the comments we received, we have
modified the draft plan in several places:
We now specify throughout the Business Plan that the long-
term focus of the NAIS is full traceability within the cattle
industries (both beef and dairy), based on the consistent recording of
all animal movements. The draft Business Plan focused on implementing a
``book-end'' approach, based on knowledge of the premises of origin and
the most recent premises for the animal, with fewer references to the
recording of animal movements.
We now specify throughout the Business Plan that, while
all producers can benefit from choosing to participate in national
animal health safeguarding efforts, NAIS standards apply to the
administration of disease programs.
We now separate out implementation strategies for the
sheep industry from those for the goat industry to reflect that they
are separate and distinct industries and species.
We have added an explanation of how NAIS participation
provides producers with options for meeting forthcoming country of
origin labeling requirements.
We now explain future plans for requiring radio frequency
identification (commonly referred to as RFID) of animals destined for
import and export when such animals are subject to individual
identification.
We have added a formal acknowledgement of the importance
of official brands, and a clarification that the NAIS is not in
conflict with, or a replacement for, existing brand programs.
We have updated the budget for the NAIS to reflect the
allocation for fiscal year 2008, have adjusted the benchmarks and
timelines for implementation of animal traceability by species and for
registration of critical location points, and have made other,
nonsubstantive changes throughout the plan.
It is important to note, however, that the final version of the
Business Plan retains the seven core strategies for harmonizing the
NAIS with existing programs and methods that we outlined in our draft
Business Plan.
We are making the final version of the Business Plan available on
the NAIS Web site. Paper copies may be obtained by writing to the
following address: NAIS Program Staff, VS, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit
200, Riverdale, MD 20737.
Done in Washington, DC, this 17th day of September 2008.
Kevin Shea,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. E8-22192 Filed 9-22-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P