April
7 , 2006
Topics in today's issue of Extension Update:
NATIONAL ANIMAL IDENTIFICATION SYSTEM
IMPLEMENTATION PLAN
Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns announced the release
of an implementation plan that outlines timelines and benchmarks
for the establishment of the National Animal Identification System
(NAIS), along with a plan for the initial integration of private
and state animal tracking databases with NAIS.
"Developing an effective animal identification system has
been a high priority for USDA and we've made significant strides
toward achieving a comprehensive U.S. system," said Johanns.
"We recognize that this represents one of the largest systematic
changes ever faced by the livestock industry and we have welcomed
suggestions from stakeholders to ensure that we continue to gain
momentum. The plan we are releasing today will guide our efforts
as we continue to work with our State and industry partners to implement
a nationwide system."
The implementation plan continues to set an aggressive timeline
for ensuring full implementation of the NAIS by 2009. It establishes
benchmarks for incrementally accomplishing the remaining implementation
goals to enable the NAIS to be operational by 2007, and to achieve
full producer participation by 2009. Several important components
have already been accomplished. These include the development of
premises registration systems in each State and the issuance of
guidelines for the manufacture and distribution of animal identification
numbers. More than 235,000 premises are currently registered.
USDA is also releasing today the general technical standards for
animal tracking databases that will enable integration of private
systems with the NAIS. Private database owners are invited to submit
applications for system evaluation to USDA and offer feedback as
the final technical requirements are established. USDA will then
enter into cooperative agreements with owners of databases that
meet the standards. The application for system evaluation and a
draft cooperative agreement are available on the NAIS web site at
http://www.usda.gov/nais.
By early 2007, USDA expects to have the technology in place, called
the Animal Trace Processing System or commonly known as the metadata
system, that will allow state and federal animal health officials
to query the NAIS and private databases during a disease investigation.
The animal tracking databases will record and store animal movement
tracking information for livestock that state and federal animal
health officials will query for animals of interest in a disease
investigation.
Training sessions will be offered to organizations interested in
distributing animal identification number (AIN) tags as either a
tag manager or tag reseller. Two USDA-sponsored web conferences
about the administration of AIN tags and a demonstration of the
AIN Management System are scheduled for Thursday, April 13 at 1
p.m., and Wednesday, April 26 at 1 p.m., Eastern Time. Details of
the web conferences are available on the NAIS web site.
USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is also
finalizing $3 million in funds that will be awarded to a number
of States and Tribes to conduct field trials to analyze information
pertaining to animal identification. Field trials will focus on
the evaluation of new technologies for animal identification and
automated data collection. APHIS will also fund an economic study
focusing on the cost of NAIS implementation within a state; the
development of procedures to measure the performance of identification
devices and a bi-state study to develop recommendations regarding
livestock exhibitions to achieve compatibility with the NAIS.
APHIS has awarded approximately $27 million in funds to States
and Tribes to advance the national animal identification initiative.
This funding has been used primarily for premises identification
and registration. APHIS is updating a summary report detailing what
has been accomplished through previously funded field trials and
pilot projects. This report will be made public upon completion.
Throughout the establishment and implementation of the NAIS, USDA
has engaged in extensive dialogue with producers and industry organizations
across the country to gauge their views on animal identification.
In April, 2005, USDA published a draft strategic plan and draft
program standards for the NAIS and invited public comments on those
documents. Industry-specific working groups have also been studying
the issue of animal identification and will be making recommendations
to USDA through an established advisory committee on how best to
tailor the program to meet their industry-specific needs.
Additionally, USDA hosted a public meeting in Kansas City, Missouri,
in November, 2005, to receive comments from cooperators and stakeholders
on the animal movement tracking component of the NAIS. In total,
these efforts have ensured that momentum continues to build around
this important effort. USDA believes that it is critically important
to develop the appropriate framework for the system to ensure successful
implementation and wide-scale support.
The NAIS implementation plan, along with more information about
the program, is available at www.usda.gov/nais.
Source: Ed Adams, Extension Agricultural Programs Director
NW WA AGRICULTURE BUSINESS CENTER
DIRECTOR NAMED
Effective April 3, 2006, David Bauermeister is the Executive
Director of the NW Agriculture Business Center.
David’s current contact information is:
225 E. Goerge Hopper Road
Burlington, WA 98233-3105
Phone 360-707-2021 or 888-707-2021 (toll free)
Cell 509-979-5148
Fax 360-707-2085
Email: dbauermeister@comcast.net
He will be getting a new email address and cell phone number in
the near future.
WSU FACULTY SENATE PREPARES TO VOTE
ON CEREO
It is proposed to form a Center for Environmental Research,
Education and Outreach (CEREO) at Washington State University. On
Thursday, April 13th the Faculty Senate will vote on the proposed
CEREO. The full proposal is on the Faculty Senate web site with
the Agenda http://facsen.wsu.edu/current_agenda/index.html
CEREO will provide an institutional structure for inter-campus,
inter-College and inter-Departmental programs involving faculty
performing environmental research, education, and outreach. Its
main mission is to promote system-wide interdisciplinary environmental
scholarship and engagement that are regional, national, and global
in scope. The interdisciplinary mission comprises three principal
goals:
to facilitate high quality environmental research, teaching and
collaboration across the WSU system, including all campuses, and
all research and extension centers and learning centers throughout
the state; to promote development of broad multi-investigator interdisciplinary
grant proposals for environmental research and outreach; to stimulate
productive relationships and coordination of both research and education
with diverse stakeholder communities to share information, provide
service, and promote collaboration to benefit the State of Washington.
For more information contact Emmett Fiske, Community and Rural
Sociology, or Keith Blatner, Dept. of Natural Resource Sciences,
College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences (CAHNRS)
KERR SELECTED TO eXtension EDEN
Congratulations! Susan Kerr, DVM, PhD, County Director
and Extension Educator, Klickitat County, has been selected to the
Agrosecurity Work Team on EDEN’s eXtension Pioneer Community
of Practice project. As an elite group of Land-Grant faculty and
staff experts in this subject area, she will be representing not
only our University on this national project, but she will be representing
the entire EDEN (Extension Disaster Education Network) system.
Source: David Filson, Emergency Preparedness & Response Coordinator
and Partnership Expansion Leader, Penn State
UPDATED NOTICE TO TRAVELERS –
HOLIDAY INN EXPRESS, PULLMAN
The Holiday Inn Express, Pullman has recently changed ownership
and has a new policy for granting government lodging rates to WSU
travelers. In order to receive the $60 government rate, travelers
MUST follow the policy below:
- Availability of rooms at the $60 government rate is limited.
For this reason, travelers must call the Holiday Inn in advance
of their travel date and request the $60 per day WSU/government
lodging rate at the time of their reservation.
- At the time of reservation, be sure to explicitly state you
are traveling for WSU. In the past, there have been problems at
checkout with travelers who have referenced “Cooperative
Extension” or “_______ County Extension” without
specifically naming WSU. This causes confusion with the staff
at the Holiday Inn, and may result in denial of the $60 rate.
- Travelers must present a valid WSU ID card at the time of checkout.
Failure to present a WSU ID will result in being charged a higher
rate for the room.
Travelers who stay at the Holiday Inn Express in Pullman and fail
to comply with this policy risk not being fully reimbursed for their
lodging expenses.
In order to claim lodging exception rule #2 while staying at the
Holiday Inn, Pullman, the traveler will need to supply a price quote
from another local motel that exceeds the rate charged by the Holiday
Inn.
Comparable motels in Pullman include the Quality Inn (509-332-0500),
and the Hawthorn Inn (509-332-0928).
If you have any questions about this policy, please contact Kasey
Schertenleib, CAHNRS/Extension Business and Finance Office (BFO)
at 509-335-2827 or kasey@wsu.edu.
SCHEDULE
Linda and John will both be in Walla Walla County on Thursday,
visiting the county Extension office and the Learning Center, and
in Pullman the rest of the week.
******************************
Linda Kirk Fox, PhD
Dean and Director
Washington State University Extension
PO Box 646230, 411 Hulbert Hall
Pullman WA 99164-6230
(509) 335-2933 Office
(509) 335-9223 Desk/Voicemail
FAX (509) 335-2926
lkfox@wsu.edu
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