Sample Letter #2
In opposition to the National Animal Identification System
Date
(To a Representative...)
The Honorable (First Name, Last Name)
House of Representatives
Washington, D.C. 20515
Dear Mr./Mrs./Ms. (Last Name):
I am a _________ (small farmer, consumer of local foods, horse owner, property owner...)
I oppose the implementation of a national animal identification system (NAIS). The USDA's draft plan for NAIS would require the following:
- Premises Registration: Every person who owns or manages locations where livestock, exotic livestock, poultry, or exotic poultry are handled will have to register in a government database, or a private database that the government can access;
- Animal Identification: Every animal will be assigned a unique 15-digit number by the government when they are moved from their herd of origin or are commingled with other animals. Each animal will need to be microchipped, radio tagged, or otherwise physically identified. While the agencies claim that poultry and swine will get "group numbers," most small farmers and companion-animal owners do not keep animals in ways that would qualify.
- Animal Tracking: The owner must report, within 24 hours, every time an animal is tagged or a tag is lost, every death or slaughter; every missing animal; and every time an animal enters or leaves the property for any reason.
While the USDA recently announced that it will delay adopting federal regulations mandating this program, it is continuing to provide grants to the states to implement NAIS. Further, the USDA has stated that it will consider federal regulations unless 100% of premises are registered, 100% of animals under the age of 1 are identified, and 60% of the animals have full tracking records, by 2009. In other words, the agency still intends to require every person who owns animals to comply with this burdensome program.
Never before in the history of our country has a person had to report to the state simply because he or she owns animals. NAIS represent an unprecedented expansion of the government bureaucracy into people's private lives and infringe on our property and privacy rights. NAIS will impose heavy burdens on livestock owners, driving many small and medium-size farmers and ranchers out of business. These burdens will also discourage people from owning livestock, such as horses, as companion animals. The economic effects will be wide-reaching.
The stated reason for NAIS, disease tracking, is both insufficient and unfounded. Fears of disease cannot justify every possible intrusion into people's lives. Moreover, the government already has in place existing programs and systems that are sufficient to track disease. In addition, NAIS fails to address the significant differences among different types of premises, and the risks of creating a black market in livestock ownership. Disease must be addressed on a species-specific basis, with an understanding of the causes of the different diseases and the ways the diseases are transmitted. A one-size-fits-all program is useless. And tracking disease 48 hours after the fact will do nothing to prevent disease in the first place.
As far as concerns about terrorism, NAIS is counterproductive. The databases will provide easy targets for hackers, allowing them to find every single location where anyone owns animals. Terrorists could simply infect the radio frequency tags with viruses, or destroy the microchips, preventing any traceback on the infected animals. This program will only burden those who are law-abiding citizens.
Rather than protecting us from disease, NAIS will increase the consolidation of our food supply into the hands of large companies who are willing and able to accept the financial burdens, and the government intrusion of NAIS. This will make us more vulnerable, not less, to the spread of disease and disruptions in food supply, whether from natural disasters or terrorism. Our safety and security lie in a diversified, local food supply.
Sincerely,
Your Name
Your Town, USA