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Liberty Ark Coalition Forms
to Fight Animal ID
Contact: Karin Bergener
Bergener@config.com
FREEDOM, OHIO - A broad-based coalition has been formed to oppose
the National Animal Identification System (NAIS) as it is presently
proposed. "We're calling the project The Liberty Ark Coalition," says
Karin Bergener, an Ohio attorney who helped form the coalition. "We
hope the Liberty Ark will save our animals, and our farms from
unnecessary government intrusion."
The USDA sponsored program would require every premises which
houses even a single chicken, duck, turkey, cow, pig, goat, horse, or
any other animal considered to be livestock, to be registered in a
government database, and assigned a seven-digit number and GPS
coordinates. The premises owner may be required to pay a fee for the
privilege.
The next phase would require every animal to be tagged with a radio
frequency identification device or microchipped, also paid for by the
owner. Finally, the movement of any animal from the registered
premises would have to be reported within 24 hours. The program would
be enforced, possibly with fines and even criminal penalties. The USDA
has said that the program is currently voluntary, but if 100% of all
farmers don't volunteer to participate, USDA will make it
mandatory.
"The program is designed to track the source of a sick
animal," says Meritt Lamb, a Tennessee magazine editor who also
helped form the coalition. "But it will do nothing to prevent
diseased animals from entering the food supply chain, nor will it
address the problem of identifying imported meat products that enter
the food supply chain." Lamb is typical of thousands of small
land owners who keep a few chickens, an occasional steer or pig or
goat for their own use, who will be severely impacted by the USDA
program.
"This program will devastate county fairs, and 4H and Future
Farmers of America projects, through which children learn how to care
for, and show, their animals," says Randy Givens, a retired army
colonel and coalition founder who resides in Texas. "It will kill
the rodeo circuit. These programs have been successful for
generations; the NAIS will wipe them out because it is simply not
worth the effort, or cost, to register, tag, and report every animal
that moves to a show or a county fair, or to a rodeo."
Judith McGeary, an attorney in Texas and founder of the Farm and
Ranch Freedom Alliance http://www.farmandranchfreedom.org/,
says "We believe the Liberty Ark Coalition will bring together
thousands of organizations and individuals from diverse backgrounds
and beliefs who can make a difference. But it will take everyone,
working together."
The Liberty Ark Coalition website is http://libertyark.net.
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