Ms Klein is absolutely correct. PLEASE stop NAIS!

NAIS is the taking of our freedom. It will wipe out the family farm put costs on the small family farm that they can't afford Its an intrusion into our privacy and our way of life. There is already a way to trace disease. Micro chips have been known to cause cancer in horses. Ms. Klien is correct STOP NAIS

This is just another attempt by the factory farms and industrial food processors to squeeze out small family farms who dare to practice crop diversity and sustainable agriculture.
Anyone who is tired of seeing future generations of kids growing obese and developing Type II dibaetes due to diets consisting of fast food, commodity corn, and petroleum products must say "NO!" to NAIS!

This just isn't a reasonable requirement.  How much will it cost of our taxpayer dollars to manage and enforce this?  How much will it cost in the goodwill and support of the American people towards the government that is supposed to be "for the people"?  What really IS the goal of the factory farms and industrial food producers, who have loaded us up with high fructose corn syrup in nearly everything we eat?  Surely it's not to support diversity and individual freedom! 

To all, I totally agree with Pamela.  I am trying to retire and live a back to nature existence and this will hamper my attemps to be self sufficient.  STOP  NAIS and do not pass the cow flaulence law either. 

At a time when we need to be encouraged and supported in becoming self sufficient and returning to our local communities to meet our needs, this program will do just the opposite by placing a burden on small farmers.  It also restricts the liberties of those of us who enjoy the companionship of animals as part of our family.  I agree with all of the above points.  Please say NO to NAIS. 

 Nais stomps all over the constitution it violates peoples civil rights.
 it stips away peoples right to choose.
  it is a form of dictatorship on every animal owner even owners of pets who don't sell to the food market.
 even pet owners who have pet birds and parrots and parakeets all pet birds.
 in time they will require all 4 legged pets to be registered.
 NAIS is a spy program to watch over the private lives of many people.
 it DOES NOT prevent ANY diseases from spreading
 it does NOT secure our security
 It does not prevent sick animals from entering the food chain.
 it does not keep sick animals from being shipped any where.
 It Does NOT protect out food supply.

 it only makes money for those who get fees and fines for getting involved in it.
 it is a money maker for a select few.
 IT will ruin the small back yard hobby farmer.
IT will keep people from rescuing animals from horrific conditions.
  Animal rescues and animal havens will not be able to do their job.
   We must do away with NAIS it will kill the back bone of this cournty.
  NAIS is BUSHES dream OWNERSHIP of the countries people.
  We are not an emperlism NAIS is a step toward Emperilism.
 
  

I love my horses like children, but, I would give them up before I would submit to government monitoring of the sort proposed by NAIS. It is an outrage. The American people must be allowed to produce food for themselves if they want to. The federal government has no right to tell us we have to have permission to own livestock. No to NAIS!!

NAIS is corporate welfare and will be another government boondoggle like Prohibition was. Mandatory animal ID in Australia is an abysmal failure.  Only the businesses promoting it are happy with it. The former president of the Australian Beef Assn warned Americans to "fight this to the last cowboy" .  He also said that this system "couldn't track a bleeding elephant through a snowfield". http://www.cattlenetwork.com/content.asp?contentid=202624
And on top of these reasons,  NAIS also violates the 1st, 4th, 5th, 13th and 14th Amendments. 
NAIS must be stopped, or this country will continue its decline away from our founding principles.

i think you should stop NAIS i dont like the idea of it my self it's crusome and i really would and other people would love it and aprchate it only if you stop please it isant doing no good only harm can come to this im so but i do not aprrove of this so please stop emediatly

I did a HUGE research project evaluating NAIS for a livestock diseases class I took in undergrad (I am now a 2nd year vet school). What I found is that there are a LOT of myths out there about what NAIS entails and what its purpose is. First of all they are not going to require ANYONE to participate--it's totally voluntary. It's also not there so the government can play "big brother." The government will not even access the records except in the case of a disease outbreak where they need to try to determine the source and what animals may have been exposed. In fact, the records are not even KEPT by the federal government, but by private companies (or in some cases, the states). The purpose of the system is to ensure the safety of our food supply, and also thus ensure the health of an industry that contributes billions of dollars to our economy each year. Please know what you're talking about before condemning it.
Here's a short and sweet document outlining the myths of NAIS: http://animalid.aphis.usda.gov/nais/naislibrary/documents/factsheets_brochures/Facts_Myths-color.pdf
Here's the USDA website where you can learn much more about the program:
http://animalid.aphis.usda.gov/nais/about/nais_components.shtml

Sorry, forgot this one the first time around. "Benefit or Burden":
http://animalid.aphis.usda.gov/nais/naislibrary/documents/factsheets_brochures/Benefit_Burden-color.pdf
and if you want a REALLY extensive overview of the program, here's the user guide:
http://animalid.aphis.usda.gov/nais/naislibrary/documents/guidelines/NAIS-UserGuide.pdf

I am against NAIS and the underhanded way we are assigned premesis numbers against our will.

The theoretical idea of NAIS might have been a good one .
Alone the execution and management of it  in such a vast country that we live in will not be feasible and much much too expensive for the animal owner and the government ( which is again paid by the animal owner ) .
For the producers of beef for export to Japan and other countries who demand  particular health records  I suggest that they keep the animals destined to be shipped there in  quarantine on their own premises.
Irina Weese , practicing veterinarian

If you take the whole of the picture, mandating a not so voluntary NAIS, the moving of Plum Island to the middle of Kansas, the way FDA kowtows to the Chinese and it's special product, melamine, COOL, the cooperative agreements and memorandums of understanding between USDA and the States, mandating that accredited vets issue premises registrations and flag the numbers from non-compliers, and a whole litany of other stupidity, it adds up to this; USDA and FDA considers their business partners more important than a wholesome food system.

to Sara Pettis: you show your colors. If you had read and understood the documents you posted as proof that NAIS is a good thing, you'd be ashamed of yourself. The only 'myths and misinformation' coming out about NAIS is from USDA themselves. That the recent APHIS memo about vets assigning premises registration numbers...we read it, we understood it, but we were told, by APHIS and Area Vets in Charge, that we misunderstood their intent.

Under NAIS, USDA means to tag and track every livestock animal in this country, EXCEPT if the animal is housed on a CAFO, where one id number per in/out lot of, what? 10,000 animals? But me and my 8 chickens, 2 pigs, one horse, seasonal 20 meat birds, I'd have to tag each one of them.

NAIS is a bad idea, compared to a blueprint for a finely crafted concrete blimp.

And look what it has done to Australia's beef industry.

Is this what we can a democracy?  Granted, freedom isn't free, but I should be able to live on my small farm with my dog and my horses and my neighbor with theirs and not have to worry about the government keeping and eye on where and when I choose to ride.  If they do this, will there come a time when each animal I have is taxed?  Where will this whole idea go in the future?  I'm all for keeping us disease free, but aren't we going too far?  Let's take a second look at this....PLEASE!!!

Big brother is watching you and your animals!  Aren't there better ways to use taxpayer money!

NAIS is a bad idea. I think it will lead to the doom of small producers, which will leave us at the mercy (HA) of corporate producers who don't give a fig about "food wholesomeness". A backdoor way to tax, a boon to the chip industry, and a total invasion of privacy.

This punishes anyone who has livestock but is NOT part of the huge Agri-business mindset. Our small organic garden uses compost made from horse manure. I ride recreationally, and have been a 4H mom when my boys had chickens and bunnies. That, too, is included in this monstrous bill! Stop NAIS now!

I am a small horse breeder, not a cattle rancher with hundred of cows or a poultry farmer with thousands of chickens.  It is a good idea to police our food chain, but not those with non-food animals or livestock or hobby breeders.  Please reconsider NAIS, you are going to kill an American way of life and squeeze out the small farm.  There MUST be a better way of doing this!

Our country is one based upon freedom.  NAIS is not freedom.  NAIS is being spread using fear and it is about control.  Not unlike the War on Terror.

While it is true that NAIS is now said to be voluntary, the income tax is also voluntary.  The income tax once was supposed to apply only to a small portion of the people of this country, namely the very rich, but it now affects virtually everyone.

To those who believe that NAIS will remain limited to its narrowly defined use and will not be expanded or used for dubious purposes, I can only say that you should look to other government programs.

Take a look at Social Security.  These numbers were originally to be used only for Social Security.  They were private information for use only by the individual and the Social Security Administration.  They are now required for much more than that.

How about campaign finance reform?  Any political contributions you make are public information.  If you support, or oppose, abortion and make a donation in support of your position it opens you up to attack by those on the opposing side of the issue.  Same thing with gay marriage.  Same thing with drug legalization.  At the very least people have been forced from their jobs as a result of disclosure of political contributions.

Will NAIS open you up to being targeted by competitors in the market?  Will it make you a target for bio-terrorism?  The information for NAIS is supposed to be protected, but there are quite a few examples, over just the past few years, of databases containing Social Security information being compromised.

Sometimes a government program may seem a like a good idea to some, but there are certain to be unintended consequences.

My grandmother once told me that the road to hell is paved with good intentions.  I believe her.

It looks like Big Brother to me! I can't imagine what it will do to the trail riding industry. My trail riding buddies always go on the spur of the moment. Looks nice out and we jump on phone and see who can be there in a hour. We  ride 3 or 4 times a week, I can't imagine having to get permission everytime I pull out of my driveway with my horse. Most people will just give up and get rid of their animals. The cost alone will force people out.
Keep Big Brother out of the US!

I agree with the above comments against NAIS in its proposed form.  Way too much costly regulation, especially on the small farmer, without any appropriate level of benefit.

Peter H. Pache, PhD

Please stop this ridiculus attempt to destroy our way of life raising our own food and sharing in 4-H and other type family shows.
we cant stand to be taxed and paperworked anymore.
what happened to the right to be free in american which inclueds our beloved animals from dogs, cats, horses, cattle and on and on?  Please just STOP this controllingness!!  american was made to be the home of the free.
is this really being free if this bill is passed?
I would say not.
TL wyoming!

STOP NAIS NOW!

Farmers do not need the government involved in our business any more than they are.
You all ready can't sale any livestock in KY & TN without a Premise ID and that is the start of agreeing to NAIS,even thought it WAS suppose to be on a voluntary basis,but became impossible to sell any livestock without the tag & Premise ID

NAIS is the taking of our freedom. It will wipe out the family farm put costs on the small family farm that they can't afford Its an intrusion into our privacy and our way of life. There is already a way to trace disease. Micro chips have been known to cause cancer in horses. Ms. Klien is correct STOP NAIS

Please do not allow more of our rights to be taken away from us. The governement is already to invovle with out lifes. It will cause people who want to raise their own animals for food to stop.  The big corporations, does not wat us to have control over our food and where we get it from. I want my food to be from american not other counties. It will force people to get rid of their animals.
Ms. Klien is correct STOP NAIS for the people.

Stop this movement before it gains any more momentum!
I for one will not comply!

This is not the kind of change America wants!  Our rights are slowly being stripped away.  Who's going to pay for this. . . the US taxpayers, naturally!  Trail riding and horse showing is my lifeline.  Don't strip away my rights!

NAIS is supposedly voluntary yet day before yesterday I noticed a space for premises ID # when I got a brand inspection done on a horse I was selling.  It now appears that if I have a vet here or take one of my horses to a vet I will have to provide info to him in either an already registered ID # or the info for him to report to have one assigned....this does not sound voluntary to me.  I understand the need to track disease in feed animals in a timely manner but believe that there are procedures already in place to do so.  In addition, the majority of contaminated meat is due to lack of proper handling in the slaughter/butcher facilities....which are seriously under staffed in terms of USDA inspectors at this point.  I am darkly amused that USDA uses bovine spongiform encephalitis ("mad cow") as an example of a reason to have this program....it is not contagious from cow to cow so tracking every animal a sick cow has been in contact with would be a serious waste of time and money.  I believe that it is potentially very damaging to the small farmstead, the self sufficient people who sell no livestock for feed, the horse industry as all movements of every horse would have to be reported, and for a number of other groups.  I think it will make criminals in essence out of a large number of people without any reason.  I see it as being impossible to enforce (one example of this would be ranches in the western states that use BLM grazing permits with the result that cattle from several ranches may mingle in a grazing area.....and horses used to round them up and sort them out.....something that can be done no other way....will also be in contact with numerous animals in the process, both cattle and other horses.  How to report all these various contacts within a 48 hour period of occurance?).  As for tracking disease.....what of the vet that does 7-8 ranch calls in a day walking through animal areas on one farm and then going to the next?  What of brand inspectors who do the same thing?  What of potential horse buyers going from ranch to ranch to see potential purchases?  These people can all track disease from one location to another on their vehicles or even their shoes.  Another concern would be the privacy and security of info gathered....at what point would the IRS demand info on horses/cattle/pigs/sheep/goats etc traded or sold.  Barter is an integral part of the farm economy....produce or livestock are often used in payment for services for some things....would the IRS be involved in putting value on these trades and then assessing taxes/penalties/interest?  How would this be prevented (assuming that one wants to prevent the spread of information of this nature)? 

For the love of our animals and our small farmers, please do not let this continue.  We need our farms for safe food, our farmers need to be able to work and feed themselves.  Our animals shouldn't be subjected to something that causes cancer.

United States is suppose to be a free country. If NAIS passes, we loss our freedom as simple as that it will be gone. It needs to be stopped.

The mission and scope of the NAIS has increased steadily since it's inception. At first it was to be a tracability system to control disease outbreaks. Then it was promoted as a way to market and keep prodiction records on livestock as well as it's primary purpose. Then it was used in a severe weather event in Colorado a few years ago to locate livestock owners - the premises registration database. The state department of ag could have used other records and left the NAIS database alone, but they couldn't keep their hands off of it. After Katrina, various groups decried the lack of a mandatory NAIS as it could have been used to track down lost livestock, especially horses. USDA and other non governmental organizations have long touted the potential bennifits of NAIS in tracking down stolen livestock. And now it's being used to aid in origin verification for implementation of Country of Origin Labeling (COOL), through the use of USDA NAIS compliant 840 visual and RFID tags. While not mandatory for COOL comlpiance, it is accepted by USDA to show proof of origin on livestock and of the commercial producer organizations, most favor USDA continuing to use NAIS in this fashion. In addition to all of that, USDA has launched its '840, one number many uses' campaign to promote NAIS participation.Sarah Pettis is right in her annalysis, if all you read is the documents she posted links to. However, if you read USDA's current plan to advance animal tracability, available for download on the NAIS main page - http://animalid.aphis.usda.gov/nais/index.shtml you'll see that USDA does not intend for NAIS to be or remain voluntary at the federal or state levels, unless you do not own any covered animals, do not use veterinary services having anything to do with a federally regulated, administered or funded disease control program, don't have to move an animal across state lines, or in some cases within a state, don't have to buy an animal, don't have to sell an animal. If you don't plan on doing any of those things, then you're absolutely right. NAIS will remain voluntary at both the state and federal levels for you forever more. For people who doubt me, please go to USDA's website, download their business plan, read it, the strategies, the schedule for the various phases of implementation and you tell me what you think. Now, as to the viability of a fully functional 48 hour traceback system - It'll work fine if it's only applied to farms, feedlots, etc. that are registered as businesses, and the businesses are required to register and comply in order to keep their business licenses, tax status, etc. The reason is that unless you have at least USDA's estimated critical mass of participation, that is 70%-90% depending on the species/activity you're looking at. USDA understands this, which is why they have participation benchmarks set in not only the current business plan, but in many other, previous documents, such as the draft strategic plan. If you look at the participation levels in the various states, and in the various industry segments in animal agriculture you'll see that the states that have made premises registration mandatory, either for all livestock and poultry owners as Wisconsin has done, or made it manditory for specific segments of the livestock industry, such as BTB testing in cattle in Michigan, you'll see that those states where a mandatory approach has been implemented, participation levels are high, in states, such as my own home state of Oregon, where participation really isn't pushed, participation levels are very low. Without a high level of participation, USDA's much sought after 48 hour traceback is unatainable, and NAIS is mostly just a big waste of money.But when you try to apply this type of regulation and surveillance to private citizens you get a lot of pushback, which is exactly what's been happening for the last 3 years. And it's also where a large part of the pushback has been coming from, although, in all fairness, producer organizations such as R-CALF have been insturmental in the fight to keep NAIS voluntary. That is, voluntary in the classic sense of the word, not voluntary as USDA and many states seem to define it anymore.NAIS is not needed in disease traceback in a situation such as the small producer who sells locally or the person keeping livestock and poultry for their own use. It would be handy to know of a disease outbreak in one's area, but unfortunately, USDA hasn't come up with a suitable plan to notify people other than the County Animal Saftey and Health (CASHN) pilot project, which, I think with a bit of tweaking, could serve that function very well without having to register people's property or animals. At least with CASHN, USDA appears to be getting the message that perhaps NAIS isn't such a good idea for the very small independants and hobbyists after all, but I'm not going to hold my breath.Having been studying NAIS and it's implementation across the USA, and having almost 2 years ago, formed a working group with members across the USA who's sole task is to study NAIS implementation across the USA, I would advise USDA and the Obama administration to not try to force NAIS on the small independant producers selling direct into their community, engaging in farmgate sales to end buyers of livestock and poultry and their products, or on private animal owners keeping livestock and poultry for their own use. If USDA and the states are really intetrested in notifying non commercial livestock and poultry owners (NPLO) of a disease outbreak they should implement a CASHN type emergency notification system. Personally I'l like to see a list serve similar to what ProMed, an international disease reporting/monitoring network, or FMD News, also international and run out of UC Davis, primarilly concentrating on news articles published that are related to foot and mouth disease. A component like that would allow people to subscribe/unsubscribe at will, and would help those NPLO who may not get to a feed store very often. CASHN's mission is to disseminate information about animal disese outbreaks to livestock and poultry owners via the feed stores. You can read more about CASHN here - http://fazd.tamu.edu/publications/CASHN

Stop the madness!!  NAIS is an example of government out of control! This nation has millions of illegal aliens that are destroying our economy and someone in Washington is worried about tracking farm animals and pets?  Our founding fathers (and mothers) would not recognize this proposal as belonging to a freedom loving country.

NAIS is yet another ax hack at our freedoms that we are slowly loosing. I can't understand how "city people" & those that have absolutely no clue about livestock can keep enacting all of these ridiculous laws & policies on the livestock industries. It shouldn't be allowed! The failing horse industry is a prime example of the result of these idiotic legislations - when they shut down the slaughter plants instead of correcting the practices in all aspects to be conducted as humane procedures instead. I say let the livestock owners/producers/assoc's weigh in on any ideas that would affect our industries & be of guidance on any laws, policies & guidelines.

Pleases stop big business from putting the squeeze on small farmers and kinda people who own livestock for pets. this is unfair and uncalled for by the public. Just Say No!!

NAIS is not voluntary. The USDA has used cooperative agreements to the tune of millions of taxpayer dollars to incorporate NAIS into existing programs and fair requirements and require premise ID in some cases without the landowners consent or knowlege. A recent memo from APHIS to veterinarians requiring them to register without consent anyone asking gor vaccinations and other veterinary services. THis is a costly unjustified program that will spell the end for family farms. It is wrong on so many levels. In Australia the program is a mess. STOP NAIS NOW and stop the funding for cooperative agreements using  existing, working disease prevention programs.

This is not a good idea, and would cost us millions.  I have 2 horses on a small farm, that has vac. and shots, and only takes me on trail rides.  Needless tags and identifications are a waste of my money, and the government money to track my horses.

NAIS would be a huge mistake.  We do not need the government tracking our horses and checking for disease, that is why we have Coggins tests done.

STOP NAIS

I have heard all the no comments. But to track animals back to a place of birth can control disease. The problem i see is it is a reactive plan and puts the cost on mostly the smaller idependant farms/ranchers who sell some here and some there. The larger out fits sends them to one maybe 2 places so they know where these animals come from so they get away with a herd prefix. The smaller one has to tag each animal unless sent as a group to a slaughter facility. Now if they had a tax at the retail level on the meat to pay for the tracking and reporting it would be fairer. After all they claim it is to protect the end consumer. If the general public found out they will have to pay for it how fast do you think it will be before they are against it? I would be for a more proactive system. This is where they buy the animal from a seller they take it a porcess it run tests on it and give that place a clean bill for 6 months or wahtever is fair. This way if there is a diseases on this place they find it before anyone eats their animals. They pay a fair market price for the animals and dispose of them. Let the person clean up their place and start with clean with clean fresh animals.

This is a bad idea. We do not need more government interference into people's lives..THis is a costly unjustified program that will spell the end for family farms. It is wrong on so many levels. In Australia the program is a mess. STOP NAIS NOW and stop the funding for cooperative agreements using  existing, working disease prevention programs.NAIS is yet another ax hack at our freedoms that we are slowly loosing. I can't understand how "city people" & those that have absolutely no clue about livestock can keep enacting all of these ridiculous laws & policies on the livestock industries. It shouldn't be allowed! The failing horse industry is a prime example of the result of these idiotic legislations - when they shut down the slaughter plants instead of correcting the practices in all aspects to be conducted as humane procedures instead. I say let the livestock owners/producers/assoc's weigh in on any ideas that would affect our industries & be of guidance on any laws, policies & guidelines.

As a small farm owner, raising horses for my family  to ride and poultry for our own table, this is a nightmare.  I couldn't even take my horses off the property for a ride through the neighborhood without reporting in, let alone face the prospect of micro-chipping every chick I raised!  My animals pose a danger to no one else.
I can understand helping to protect our public food sources, but this is a gross inconvenience and expense as well as a massive invasion of privacy, subject to horrendous governmental abuse and incompetency.
If we are worried about the health and safety of our commercial food animals, then spend taxpayer money to improve the standards and inspections of processing plants.  This is a giant boondoogle, and has already been used to persecute some of those who oppose it.
And voluntary?  Who are they kidding!

  THis needs to be  stoppped. Stop NAIS.

I'm a disabled veteran, did I sacrifice so much, to have the government do this to me? Thias goes against everything I stand for, everything I've fought for. This is definitely anti-constitutional. Why should I be punished, so AGRI-business can profit? I have a few horses, I don't buy or breed to sell. Let the major corporations shoulder the burden they' ve lobbied for. Next, we'll see AGRI-business being bailed out, but small-scale livestock owners will still be stuck in a governmental nightmare.

What NAIS doesn't do:

Prevent animal disease (it won't stop it, only TRY to trace it once its here.)

Track in 48 hours (nothing is ever deleted from the system, so all the dead animals, all the sales, all the moves must be gone through individually each time there is an issue, and for each animal involved.)

Increase food safety (it won't stop importation of diseased animals, nor importation of contaminated foods, and it stops at the slaughterhouse, where the CDC says more than 95% of contamination (which causes food borne illness) occurs.)

It will not benefit small farmers or those raising their own food, as they do not partake of international markets and will not profit from them.

It will not protect us from BSE, which can only be passed to humans through eating contaminated neural tissues. It can only pass between animals by the same method...

It will not increase exports, which (according to the USDA) are at an all time high - even without the program.

*********

What NAIS does:

"Harmonizes" our livestock and food industries with Europe and the other UN cronies. In our case, it means shortening quarantines designed to detect animal disease before it enters our market chains, fewer inspections, less regulation of imports, but more for exports, and in general is detrimental to the health and well-being of our citizens.

Concentrates food production into the hands of the factory and industrial farms by driving small farmers out of business.

Creates monopolies by eliminating competition, as well as individual's freedom to raise their own food. This will destroy local chains of food distribution nationwide.

Increases cost of food for consumers, as well as the costs of other animal-derived consumer goods. Costs to small farmers are estimated to at least double. This translates to a consumer increase of nearly triple current prices, if not more.

Effectively eliminates most people from entering any agricultural field concerning animals. Since grants are already available due to the astronomical costs of entering animal livestock agricultural pursuits, increasing the costs yet again creates a significant "barrier to entry" unless one is independently wealthy.

Eliminates most farm-to-school and local food programs, by driving out small farmers. Since most organic farms are also small farms (those that are truly organic, and not abusing the term), they will be replaced by those companies that most locovores and FTS programs are trying to avoid in the first place.

Farmers markets, coops and CSA programs will be eliminated - Tyson, Cargill and Smithfield don't work these venues.

NAIS would treat a factory farm herd as one animal, and burden the small farmer with identification of each individual animal. Those that (both historically as well as recently) cause the fewest problems bear the biggest burden with this program - both in terms of cost and of compliance.

Fines have only been estimated, however, TX came closest to instituting fines into law, and those would have been $1000 per animal per day. Now, if we are talking race horses, the horse might be worth a week or so, but if we are talking Granny's old laying hen - where is the justice or even the intelligence in that?? If you have ever seen a single chicken worth $1000 - I am Mother Theresa.

********

NAIS violates several Constitutional amendments for no sound reason. There is no religious exemption - still - I've yet to run across a massive recall of Amish beef, Amana pork, or Mennonite chicken... It violates search and seizure laws. It violates due process. Just one violation should be enough to turn the stomach of any REAL American.

The USDA has pursued this program in violation of the Administrative Procedures Act - it has only recently begun a cost analysis, though it admits a "large burden" on small farmers. It hasn't prepared an EPA study either, though all those tags and all the toxic chemicals in them need to be disposed of. It hasn't  done any of the required actions, yet has support in the highest places.

The USDA admits that existing programs have been so successful that many have no reason to exist anymore. Some diseases that are going to create "depopulation" (read KILL) zones with NAIS haven't been seen in this country in several decades.

Many diseases that will create these kill zones do not pose a threat to humans, are not fatal to the animal, and rarely cause debilitation to the point where murder is necessary.

Further, the USDA, under NAIS, can come in and confiscate or depopulate your entire herd (sometimes more than one species) on the basis of a SUSPECTED positive test - there is no proof of the disease required.

Most of the diseases NAIS is supposed to track can be vaccinated for. Several countries already do this. Why don't we? Well, the official reason is because the tests come back showing the antibodies against the disease. Because the rules state that it is the presence of antibodies in an animal that determines disease-free status or not, then if they have them, we lose our status in trade.

WHAT?! Doesn't it make a bit more sense to change the rules for disease free status to make it so that if an animal actually contracts the disease itself, that THAT would affect the "disease-free status" - instead of antibodies which are produced when the animal is given the vaccine????

Does that mean that we really have NOT eradicated small pox in humans? Anyone vaccinated against it would have antibodies. Somebody ought to tell parents, then!

The USDA has all but stopped testing for several diseases that are currently known in the United States. They cite a lack of funds for this. However, they have spent millions of dollars each year for the past 4 plus years in promoting NAIS at the state and tribal level - and to encourage states to make the program mandatory. Anyone can read the Cooperative Agreements.

As a matter of fact, Creekstone Farms took the USDA to court over testing for BSE (Mad Cow Disease). The USDA refused to allow them to test every animal - which was requested by Creekstone's customers. Creekstone wanted to purchase these tests, but the USDA said no. It went to court, and Creekstone won the right to BUY the test kits for every animal slaughtered. On appeal it was decided that the USDA was right.

Until recently, we tested about 10% of cattle for BSE. Now, that number is less than 1%. Yet, BSE is used as a reason for NAIS. How can this be, when a company wishes to pay for the ability to test all its animals, and the USDA blocks them through judicial action?

South Korea and Japan have both stated they want testing, not tracking. A company tries to comply, and the government shuts them down flat. Hmmm......

Further, if BSE is to be used as an excuse for NAIS, as it has been repeatedly, why on Earth are we still importing cattle from Canada, since they've sent us several with BSE?

Other diseases... Hoof and mouth - yet we increased imports from Mexico and Brazil... TB - Mexico again.

Why is it that still people spout praise for this program, when the USDA wants to track our animals at our expense and feed our people animals from countries that already HAVE the diseases that we are trying to be rid of and trace to the "enth" degree?

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Anyone can read the documents at the USDA website. Reading the speeches should be required, as well.

The USDA cites a difference in meaning (by continually using both terms in the same sentence to mean different things) and yet never gives a clear and concise formal definition for several terms.

Premise and farm are used as having two different meanings.

Farmers and stakeholders are implied to have two different meanings.

Farms are private property. What is a premise? If a premise is not private property, then the USDA is TELLING us that we sign away that right when we volunteer for the program.

Stakeholders are people that hold property for its rightful owner.

Since one register's their farm as a premise (see the APHIS/IDOA CA for 2007) and thereby becomes a stakeholder - these documents formally state that when someone volunteers for this program, they waive all private property rights and title.

Who in their right mind would do that for a blatant pack of lies to begin with? Is THAT why everyone wants it to be mandatory?

USDA just sent out a memorandum to all state vets that they must require premise registration for routine required treatments, tests and some vaccinations. There was no official "start date" attached to it. However, it was also stated in this document that those who refused to register their premise would still be given a premise ID number and be put into a different database.

Are we to take this to mean that those who refuse will be labelled as non-compliant, and therefore become targets?

People in this country had better wake up and start getting themselves educated as to just what is going on around them. Individuals need to realize that their responsibilities do not stop when they walk out of their local polling places every other November.

A very wise man once said something to the effect of:

"Those who would give up their freedom for safety deserve neither."

It is as true now as it was then. Maybe more.

We already have a trace-back system that is non-invasive, relatively quick, already in place, inexpensive, and constitutionally legal.

NAIS is very invasive, Very expensive, and unconstitutional! It needs to be stopped.    

I count 45 comments but only 32 votes. C'mon folks, comment to your heart's content, but DON'T FORGET TO VOTE!

No animals were microchipped during the composing of this comment.

There is absolutely no reason why NAIS should have anything to do with horses.  IN this country we don't eat horses, they pose zero threat to humans and the ONLY reason for the government to involve themselves in the lives of horse owners is to extract more money and have more control.  I don't want ANYONE other than me to know where my horses are at all times!  As said above, this is unconstitutional and a violation of basic civil rights.   I have the right to ride my horse up the street any time I please.  STOP NAIS!!!

As for poultry, birds that compete and travel are already required to be certified clear from diseases by NPIP.  That is enough.  Identification of birds through microchipping will kill so many of them.  And serves no purpose, again - just money and control!  STOP NAIS!!!

I am totally against it and so is everyone I know.  This is ridiculous & invasive-government as usual.  Our agricultural founders must be rolling in their graves.