permaculture

["Lawrence F. London, Jr." <lfl@intrex.net>]

Forest Garden wrote:

> Here is the full text of what I recieved - with a list of actions steps you
> can take.  Yes!  thank you everyone for whatever help you can give.  I am
> sure out-of-State responses would be helpful.  I don't know if this kind of
> thing can be stopped, given the other legislation we've seen ram-rodded
> through in the last few years, but it is certainly worth fighting for.

For starters have a look at the NCDA page on this topic:

This Q/A excerpt will be of interest to many:
   Q. If a Person Raises Animals for His or Her Own Use and the Animals Never Leave the Owner’s Property, Do They Need 
to be Identified?
    A. Under the current plan, animals that never leave a premises do not need to be identified. However, animal owners 
are encouraged to identify their animals and their premises, regardless of the number of animals present, since many 
animal diseases may be spread whether an animal leaves its home premises or not. Examples of such diseases include West 
Nile virus, foot–and–mouth disease, vesicular stomatitus, and equine infectious anemia.

http://www.ncagr.com/ncfarmid/about.htm
About NC Farm ID
    On January 18, 2005, the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services kicked off NCFarmID, a 
voluntary registration process for farms and animal premises in our state. NCFarmID is North Carolina’s portion of the 
National Animal Identification System (NAIS). Through premises registration, a unique national identification number 
will be assigned to locations in North Carolina where animals are born, managed, marketed or exhibited.
    Information gathered through registration will be used solely by NCDA&CS and USDA for animal health purposes. This 
critical data will provide state and national animal health officials with necessary contact information in case of a 
disease concern and help identify animals and premises that may have had direct contact with a foreign animal disease or 
a domestic disease of concern within 48 hours after discovery

Then look closely at the lengthy FAQ:
http://www.ncagr.com/ncfarmid/faq.htm
(paragraph headers:)
Frequently Asked Questions
    Q. What is the National Animal Identification System (NAIS)?
    A. The NAIS is a national program intended to identify all agricultural animals and track them as they come into 
contact with, or are inter–mixed with, animals other than herdmates from their premises of origin. Already, many species 
in U.S. animal industries can be identified through some sort of identification system, but these systems are not 
consistent across the country. Tracing an animal’s movements can therefore be a time–consuming endeavor during a disease 
investigation, especially if the animal has moved across State lines. <....>
    Q. What is the U.S. Animal Identification Plan (USAIP)?
    Q. What’s the Difference between the USAIP and the NAIS?
    Q. Why is a National Animal Identification System Needed?
    Q. Is the NAIS Related to the Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) 
initiative?
    Q. Why is 48–hour Traceback Capability Needed?
    Q. What are the Benefits for Producers to Participate in the NAIS?
    Q. How Much Will the Program Cost?
    Q. Who Will Pay for the Identification System?
    Q. Where Do Producers Get Premises Identification Numbers?
    Q. What Forms of Identification Will be Used?
    Q. Do Horse Owners Have to Eartag Their Horses?
    Q. Where Do Producers Get Official Animal Identification Numbers?
    Q. Will Animal Owners Need to Have a Radio Frequency Identification 
(RFID) Reader?
    Q. Who Will Pay for Electronic Identification Readers and Their Installation in Markets and Slaughter Plants? Who 

       Will Pay for the Electronic Identification Devices?
    Q. If a Producer Is Currently Using an Identification Program through a 
Private Service or Marketing Alliance, Will
       That Identification Be Usable in the NAIS?
    Q. Should Producers or Their Industry Associations Consider Options for 
Aligning Themselves with a Database
       Management Provider to Ensure They Remain in Compliance with the NAIS?
    Q. Who Will be Responsible for Applying Identification to Animals?
    Q. What is a Tagging Station and Where Will Such Stations be Located?
    Q. If a Person Raises Animals for His or Her Own Use and the Animals 
Never Leave the Owner’s Property, Do They Need
       to be Identified?
    A. Under the current plan, animals that never leave a premises do not need to be identified. However, animal owners 
are encouraged to identify their animals and their premises, regardless of the number of animals present, since many 
animal diseases may be spread whether an animal leaves its home premises or not. Examples of such diseases include West 
Nile virus, foot–and–mouth disease, vesicular stomatitus, and equine infectious anemia.
    Q. If a Person Only Shows Animals or Only Takes Them to Trail Rides, Do 
They Need to be Identified?
    A. When people show or commingle their animals with animals from multiple premises, the possibility of spreading 
disease becomes a factor. Those animals will need to be identified.
    Q. What is “Commingling”?
    A. Commingling may be defined as an animal having contact with, or being inter–mixed with, animals other than 
herdmates from that animal’s premises of origin.
    Q. What Data Will USDA Require, Who Will It be Kept by, and in What Form 
Will It be Kept?
    Q. Who Will Have Access to Information in the National Animal 
Identification Databases?
    Q. What Species Will be Included in the NAIS?
    Q. Will Stakeholders Need More Than One Premises Identification Number if 
They Have More than One Species on Their
       Premises?
    Q. Will This be a Mandatory Program?
    A. USDA and its cooperators are working toward developing a national program that will allow us to rapidly track 
animals exposed to a disease concern and that will meet the needs of animal owners, animal industries, domestic and 
international markets, and consumers. The system needs to be tested to be sure it is effective and workable. While the 
NAIS is being developed and refined, producer participation will be voluntary. As the system continues to take shape and 
is tested for all livestock and food animals, USDA will reassess the need for making some or all aspects of the program 
mandatory. Some States, such as Wisconsin, have passed laws to make certain components of an animal identification 
program mandatory in areas under their purview. Eventually, USDA may move toward a requirement for mandatory premises 
and animal identification for all species included in the system. If USDA does decide to make all or parts of the NAIS 
mandatory, we will follow the normal rulemaking process. The public will have the opportunity to comment upon any 
proposed regulations.
    Q. Will Producers be Able to Sell Their Livestock if the Animals are not 
Officially Identified?
    Q. Can Animals be Identified as a Group?
    Q. What are the Penalties for not Using the Program?
    Q. What are the Liability Issues of This Program for Animal Owners?
    Q. What is the Timeline for Implementing This Program?
    Q. What Government Entities Will Have Oversight of This Plan?
    Q. What Will be the Identification Requirements for Animals Entering the 
United States from Other Countries?
    Q. With the Phase–out of Existing Official Animal Identification Devices, 
What Will Happen with Brucellosis
       Vaccination Tags? Will They Still be Used?
    Q. What Will Happen with the National Scrapie Eradication Program's 
Identification System?
    Q. What are You Doing to Ensure the Privacy of Ranchers’ and Farmers’ 
Records? Will Information Collected for the
       NAIS be Exempted from the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)?