Here is what the OP was on that thread on the other forum...put on your foil hats before reading!
The attached draft of the NAIS Business Plan is provided by the American Horse
Council [AHC] and provides insight into the recommended involvement of horses in an
involuntary identification program. In summary, Equine groups that require an EIA or
a certificate of veterinary inspection [CVI] are categorized in the medium priority
along with swine, poultry and goats . Equine that are transported across state lines
or that co-mingle at any public activity are required to have a negative EIA test
within 12 months . Horses that are not shipped across state lines or do not
participate in public events are not required to have a negative EIA test and as
such are included in the low priority category and NOT the medium category .
Happy reading . Bob [Mowrey]
MEMORANDUM
To: AHC Member Organizations
From: American Horse Council
Date: December 21, 2007
Re: USDA Releases Draft NAIS Business Plan
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has released a new business plan
for the National Animal Identification System (NAIS) titled A Business Plan to
Advance Animal Disease Traceability.
The NAIS is a voluntary program intended to standardize the identification of
premises and livestock, and to record certain livestock movements for the purpose of
disease management and control. The programs goal is to protect the health of U.S.
livestock, as well as our ability to move and market animals, through a
State-Federal-Industry partnership.
This new draft USDA business plan details their recommended strategies and plans to
facilitate progress towards achieving optimal disease tracing capabilities. It was
developed to explain how USDA plans to continue the development and implementation
of a voluntary ID system. It focuses on harmonizing existing animal health programs
(both state and Federal regulated and voluntary programs), industry health and
marketing programs, and various animal identification techniques. It gives a
comprehensive overview of the country?€?s current traceability status and discusses
seven major strategies that USDA will be focusing on to enhance the current level of
traceability.
Strategy 1 Prioritize Species
The first strategy within the NAIS draft business plan is to prioritize species and
sector participation. The prioritization is broken down into three categories of
high, medium and low with additional subcategories within each. The category of
high consists of cattle. The medium category includes swine, poultry, goats and
certain equine sectors. The low category includes sheep and aquatics.
The equine industry is broken down into two categories for the prioritization
levels. The sector that is within the medium category of tier one are horses that
require a CVI or EIA test. Horses that do not require a CVI or EIA test are in the
low priority section.
This prioritization follows the recommendation which the Equine Species Working
Group (ESWG) made to USDA in August 2006, which proposed that horses which move to a
premises where a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (CVI), Brand Inspection,
VS-127 permit or International CVI are required should be identified. The records
maintained through the currently existing and utilized movement permits capture the
high risk movements of horses that pose the largest threat of spreading disease in
the horse industry.
Strategy 2 - Harmonize Animal ID Systems
This second strategy focuses on harmonizing both State/Federal government regulated
and industry animal identification programs by creating common and compatible
processes and data standards. This will allow all systems to communicate with each
other when certain information is needed during a disease outbreak. Standardizing
some of the key items within these programs will save time, money and effort by
working with systems already in place while allowing each of the entities to
continue using animal identification for multiple purposes as needed.
Strategy 3 - Converge Animal ID Standards with Disease Programs
The third strategy of the business plan addresses standardizing certain data
elements within existing disease programs to ensure compatibility and enhance
traceability and response capabilities in the event of an emergency. One example
would be the use of the premises identification number (PIN) with official disease
programs, import and export, and certificates of veterinary inspection (CVI).
Strategy 4 - Integrate automated technologies
Within strategy four, plans to integrate NAIS-complaint identification devices and
automated data capture with animal disease programs are detailed. The switch to
automated data capture will increase the volume and quality of data, minimize errors
and will speed the entry of data into the databases, all allowing for quicker access
to important information during the response to an animal health emergency.
Electronic CVIs and EIA tests are examples of how USDA plans to utilize automated
technology within the equine industry.
Strategy 5 - State Partnerships
The fifth strategy discusses USDAs efforts and plans to partner with States, Tribes
and Territories to facilitate the continued development of their individual animal
disease traceability infrastructures with localized plans which reflect the animal
health priorities of the particular region.
Strategy 6 - Collaborate with Industry
The sixth strategy details the collaborations of USDA with industry organizations
and animal health officials to facilitate the implementation of certain parts of the
animal disease traceability programs. Currently USDA has entered into cooperative
agreements with certain non-profit industry organizations to help promote premises
registration and continues to work with and build these collaborations.
Additionally, the plan discusses accredited veterinarians working with USDA to adopt
NAIS data standards in everyday animal health management and disease programs.
Strategy 7 - Advance ID Technologies
The seventh and final detailed strategy within the business plan discusses
establishing performance standards for identification devices and evaluating
emerging technologies for use in the NAIS and animal disease programs.
Available for Comment
The business plan is available on the USDAs NAIS website www. usda.gov.nais. The
plan is currently in draft form and is available for public comment. Comments can
be submitted by sending an email to animalidcomments@ aphis.usda.gov or by writing to
the National Animal Identification System program staff, USDA, APHIS, VS, 4700 River
Road, Unit 200, Riverdale, MD 20737. The business plan is a living document with no
deadline for comments. The plan will be periodically reviewed and updated as
needed.
Additional Documents
USDA has also posted a fact sheet titled The Facts About Traceabilityon the NAIS
website which gives an overview of the importance and current status of traceability
and briefly details the draft business plan.
Additionally USDA released the official version of the NAIS User Guide which
replaces the November 2006 draft version. The User Guide has been revised
incorporating some comments that were received. USDA hopes these changes will make
the guide easier to use and understand. The guide provides producers with the most
up-to-date information on what the program is, how it works, how it can be put to
use and why participation would be beneficial.
The attached draft of the NAIS Business Plan is provided by the American Horse
Council [AHC] and provides insight into the recommended involvement of horses in an
involuntary identification program. In summary, Equine groups that require an EIA or
a certificate of veterinary inspection [CVI] are categorized in the medium priority
along with swine, poultry and goats . Equine that are transported across state lines
or that co-mingle at any public activity are required to have a negative EIA test
within 12 months . Horses that are not shipped across state lines or do not
participate in public events are not required to have a negative EIA test and as
such are included in the low priority category and NOT the medium category .
Happy reading . Bob [Mowrey]
MEMORANDUM
To: AHC Member Organizations
From: American Horse Council
Date: December 21, 2007
Re: USDA Releases Draft NAIS Business Plan
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has released a new business plan
for the National Animal Identification System (NAIS) titled A Business Plan to
Advance Animal Disease Traceability.
The NAIS is a voluntary program intended to standardize the identification of
premises and livestock, and to record certain livestock movements for the purpose of
disease management and control. The programs goal is to protect the health of U.S.
livestock, as well as our ability to move and market animals, through a
State-Federal-Industry partnership.
This new draft USDA business plan details their recommended strategies and plans to
facilitate progress towards achieving optimal disease tracing capabilities. It was
developed to explain how USDA plans to continue the development and implementation
of a voluntary ID system. It focuses on harmonizing existing animal health programs
(both state and Federal regulated and voluntary programs), industry health and
marketing programs, and various animal identification techniques. It gives a
comprehensive overview of the country?€?s current traceability status and discusses
seven major strategies that USDA will be focusing on to enhance the current level of
traceability.
Strategy 1 Prioritize Species
The first strategy within the NAIS draft business plan is to prioritize species and
sector participation. The prioritization is broken down into three categories of
high, medium and low with additional subcategories within each. The category of
high consists of cattle. The medium category includes swine, poultry, goats and
certain equine sectors. The low category includes sheep and aquatics.
The equine industry is broken down into two categories for the prioritization
levels. The sector that is within the medium category of tier one are horses that
require a CVI or EIA test. Horses that do not require a CVI or EIA test are in the
low priority section.
This prioritization follows the recommendation which the Equine Species Working
Group (ESWG) made to USDA in August 2006, which proposed that horses which move to a
premises where a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (CVI), Brand Inspection,
VS-127 permit or International CVI are required should be identified. The records
maintained through the currently existing and utilized movement permits capture the
high risk movements of horses that pose the largest threat of spreading disease in
the horse industry.
Strategy 2 - Harmonize Animal ID Systems
This second strategy focuses on harmonizing both State/Federal government regulated
and industry animal identification programs by creating common and compatible
processes and data standards. This will allow all systems to communicate with each
other when certain information is needed during a disease outbreak. Standardizing
some of the key items within these programs will save time, money and effort by
working with systems already in place while allowing each of the entities to
continue using animal identification for multiple purposes as needed.
Strategy 3 - Converge Animal ID Standards with Disease Programs
The third strategy of the business plan addresses standardizing certain data
elements within existing disease programs to ensure compatibility and enhance
traceability and response capabilities in the event of an emergency. One example
would be the use of the premises identification number (PIN) with official disease
programs, import and export, and certificates of veterinary inspection (CVI).
Strategy 4 - Integrate automated technologies
Within strategy four, plans to integrate NAIS-complaint identification devices and
automated data capture with animal disease programs are detailed. The switch to
automated data capture will increase the volume and quality of data, minimize errors
and will speed the entry of data into the databases, all allowing for quicker access
to important information during the response to an animal health emergency.
Electronic CVIs and EIA tests are examples of how USDA plans to utilize automated
technology within the equine industry.
Strategy 5 - State Partnerships
The fifth strategy discusses USDAs efforts and plans to partner with States, Tribes
and Territories to facilitate the continued development of their individual animal
disease traceability infrastructures with localized plans which reflect the animal
health priorities of the particular region.
Strategy 6 - Collaborate with Industry
The sixth strategy details the collaborations of USDA with industry organizations
and animal health officials to facilitate the implementation of certain parts of the
animal disease traceability programs. Currently USDA has entered into cooperative
agreements with certain non-profit industry organizations to help promote premises
registration and continues to work with and build these collaborations.
Additionally, the plan discusses accredited veterinarians working with USDA to adopt
NAIS data standards in everyday animal health management and disease programs.
Strategy 7 - Advance ID Technologies
The seventh and final detailed strategy within the business plan discusses
establishing performance standards for identification devices and evaluating
emerging technologies for use in the NAIS and animal disease programs.
Available for Comment
The business plan is available on the USDAs NAIS website www. usda.gov.nais. The
plan is currently in draft form and is available for public comment. Comments can
be submitted by sending an email to animalidcomments@ aphis.usda.gov or by writing to
the National Animal Identification System program staff, USDA, APHIS, VS, 4700 River
Road, Unit 200, Riverdale, MD 20737. The business plan is a living document with no
deadline for comments. The plan will be periodically reviewed and updated as
needed.
Additional Documents
USDA has also posted a fact sheet titled The Facts About Traceabilityon the NAIS
website which gives an overview of the importance and current status of traceability
and briefly details the draft business plan.
Additionally USDA released the official version of the NAIS User Guide which
replaces the November 2006 draft version. The User Guide has been revised
incorporating some comments that were received. USDA hopes these changes will make
the guide easier to use and understand. The guide provides producers with the most
up-to-date information on what the program is, how it works, how it can be put to
use and why participation would be beneficial.
Comment