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LIFE AFTER N.A.I.S.
Wednesday, February 10th, 2010 -- 2:14 pm
Posted by Riley Hebert-News Director
The National Animal Identification System (NAIS) was controversial to say the least.
The USDA plan was to assign a number to all livestock in the hopes of thwarting major disease outbreaks.
But many passionate farmers, ranchers and property rights activists railed against the idea. Of course, many believed it was the beginning of the Mark of the Beast, referred to in the Bible.
After 15 noisy listening sessions around the country over the summer, the USDA very quietly announced last week they are scrapping the plan.
Instead, they’re trying to develop "a new, flexible framework for animal disease traceability” and undertake several other actions to further strengthen disease prevention and response capabilities.
This framework will apparently only require animal ID for livestock moved in interstate commerce.
It will be administered by the states and Tribal Nations, not the federal government.
The announcement may – or may not – impact a court case involving an area Amish farmer.
Emanuel Miller Jr., and many other Old Order Amish farmers, have refused to comply with Wisconsin premise registration requirements. Premise registration was included in a three-step process to implement the animal identification system.
Miller says the mandatory law infringes on his religious beliefs.
Clark County DA Darwin Zwieg is aware of the USDA’s recent decision, but isn’t sure how it will impact the state’s rule, or Judge Jon Counsell’s pending decision.
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