NAIS - read the fine print

Member Commentary by Margaret Nachtingal, Dakota Rural Action

Printed with permission of the South Dakota Stockgrowers Association.

Well it looks like the hot, hot days of this summer are finally past and we are able to enjoy some cooler days and in some areas there has already been a killing frost.
Seems everyone is really busy working calves and preparing for some good fall sales.
I miss that fall work – the cool morning rides with a good horse under you and a chance to work through this year’s calf crop. It is work and not always easy work, but it’s the life we all love, or we wouldn’t be here.

But I have something on my mind today that is not nearly as enjoyable as fall work, and that is the National Animal Identification System (NAIS) and premises registration.
You and I have always been taught, since we were old enough to sign a legal document that we NEVER sign unless we have read the fine print. Well, with NAIS and premises registration there may be print that is so small that it is invisible. There are many unanswered questions on premises registration.

For instance, why is the federal government asking us to request a number when we are already loaded down with numbers issued by them—land description numbers, 911 mail address numbers, brucellosis numbers, and the list goes on. So why do they want us to REQUEST a premises number from them?
I have been told by folks that know a lot more about this than I do, that as we are right now, we are within state jurisdiction, and when we REQUEST a premises registration number from the federal government, then that gives them jurisdiction over our property rather than the state having it.

 

Take Action The USDA and state animal health agencies are trying to convince people that they must participate in the NAIS program. Currently the federal program is voluntary. WORC encourages ranchers and animal owners to postpone signing up for premise identification numbers or participate in the NAIS program until a complete plan for the system is published as a Notice for Proposed Rulemaking in the Federal Register for comment. Because USDA is giving states money to implement the program, some states may begin to require premise registration. If you have questions, contact your state Board of Animal Health for more information.

If the federal government simply wanted an animal disease trace back system wouldn’t they use something as simple as issuing another number or improving upon one that is already in place, such as the brucellosis tag?
Another thing that gnaws at my stomach regarding premises registration is the fact that USDA has dumped 35 million dollars into various organizations, state ag departments etc., to provide incentives for them to push for premises registration which is supposed to be “voluntary”!
When the Colorado State Fair requires kids to have a premises registration number before they can sell their calves, and when another state requires its brand inspectors to include a remises registration number on the inspection papers, then how can they call it voluntary?

Folks, all I can say is if you hold dear that right that you have to step out your door, saddle up and ride across a few hundred or a few thousand acres that you can call your own, then you must do whatever you can to protect that right and the rights of your kids and grandkids. And be darned sure you know what the fine print says.