Comments on: USDA allows livestock producers to de-register premises http://appaloosablogspot.com/2007/02/06/usda-allows-livestock-producers-to-de-register-premises/ Fri, 21 Nov 2008 22:27:47 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 By: Barbara Steever http://appaloosablogspot.com/2007/02/06/usda-allows-livestock-producers-to-de-register-premises/#comment-393 Barbara Steever Sat, 10 Mar 2007 22:00:03 +0000 http://appaloosablogspot.com/2007/02/06/usda-allows-livestock-producers-to-de-register-premises/#comment-393 I've copied below the pertinent information for removing a premise ID. While this sounds promising, many of us opposed to NAIS are taking a wait and see approach. USDA has changed their rules before and there is no reason to believe their intention to register every animal in the country has changed - just their methods. ********************************************************************************** The Liberty Ark Coalition asked the USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to explain the procedure for removing a premises registration from the NAIS, or to provide a citation to the law and regulation that authorized the USDA to collect and retain this information from individuals without their knowledge. After four days of consideration, Ben Kaczmarski, a spokesman for APHIS, said that since the NAIS is now a voluntary program, the USDA had decided to provide an "OPT OUT" procedure for people who want to withdraw from the NAIS. These people should file a written request to be removed from the NAIS with their state NAIS coordinator, who can be located here: (http://animalid.aphis.usda.gov/nais/contact_us/directories.shtml). The state coordinator will validate the request, and forward it to the USDA. The USDA will then, presumably, remove the premises from the database. This change of policy by the USDA was met with enthusiasm, and skepticism, by ranchers and farmers across the country. Opponents of the NAIS expect the USDA to explore new ways to make the program mandatory, by either funding mandatory state-level programs, or by limiting services to ranchers and farmers who are not enrolled in the program. The Liberty Ark Coalition is carefully monitoring the USDA's implementation of the new "OPT OUT" policy. I’ve copied below the pertinent information for removing a premise ID. While this sounds promising, many of us opposed to NAIS are taking a wait and see approach. USDA has changed their rules before and there is no reason to believe their intention to register every animal in the country has changed - just their methods.
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The Liberty Ark Coalition asked the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to explain the procedure for removing a premises registration from the NAIS, or to provide a citation to the law and regulation that authorized the USDA to collect and retain this information from individuals without their knowledge.

After four days of consideration, Ben Kaczmarski, a spokesman for APHIS, said that since the NAIS is now a voluntary program, the USDA had decided to provide an “OPT OUT” procedure for people who want to withdraw from the NAIS.

These people should file a written request to be removed from the NAIS with their state NAIS coordinator, who can be located here: (http://animalid.aphis.usda.gov/nais/contact_us/directories.shtml). The state coordinator will validate the request, and forward it to the USDA. The USDA will then, presumably, remove the premises from the database.

This change of policy by the USDA was met with enthusiasm, and skepticism, by ranchers and farmers across the country. Opponents of the NAIS expect the USDA to explore new ways to make the program mandatory, by either funding mandatory state-level programs, or by limiting services to ranchers and farmers who are not enrolled in the program. The Liberty Ark Coalition is carefully monitoring the USDA’s implementation of the new “OPT OUT” policy.

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