by Darol Dickinson, 6/25/10
The USDA program, NAIS was officially ended on Feb. 5, 2010. There was a great deal of jubilance when Sec. Vilsack made this long-awaited announcement. Over 90% of livestock owners attending USDA listening sessions did not want to surrender to this “potentially mandatory” surveillance plan. On Feb. 5, many people were led to believe the NAIS dragon was dead.
NAIS was extremely easy to enroll, but almost required a court order to get un-enrolled. The dastardly revealing of NAIS enforcements caused many who enrolled early to want to opt out. Many who tried getting out went through months of government forms, multiple filings, and governmental harassment before being released. Many tried hard, yet gave up the battle part way through the maze.
Sec. Vilsack indicates that NAIS data will remain under the control of the government. The reason is, it costs something around $150,000,000 (that’s government numbers) to coerce these property enrollments. Congress may not be happy to just throw all this wasted effort under the tractor. And, at some future date the states, or federales may want to resurrect this batch of enrollees and build a new program with them as a starting base, perhaps with new and more dastardly enforcements.
In fact, a new near identical program called Animal Disease Traceability (ADT) is now gearing up with listening sessions, Animal Advisory Committees, and the future “transparent” public comment periods. Previous public comments in harsh opposition to NAIS somewhat evaporated.
The new ADT promoters are the exact same USDA names and faces as the NAIS staff — no difference.
NAIS is officially ended. The name NAIS is no more. The 840 tags required on enrollee’s livestock that were “unlawful to remove” when NAIS was in full-growl — one is also led to believe that is over. With no NAIS there would be no need for enforcements of copious NAIS regulations.
Most people are removing the 840 pins, which have no value because no program is in effect. No mandatory federal computer scans the numbers. No accessible data base provides any feedback. They are attached in livestock ears waiting to be ripped out by brush, semi punch sides or hay feeders. One can walk out back at a major cattle auction and see buckets of removed 840s. The less ear tags the “fresher” cattle appear and assuredly are proven to sell better in the ring.
To get out of future USDA ADT programs, which old NAIS enrollees could likely be immersed into, with or without their knowledge, now is the time to get totally out. Across the fruited plain there is a stampede away from all NAIS ear or computer chip devices!
This is a detailed link on how to escape. Do it now before the new enforcements are resurrected with ADT. This Opt Out info is provided compliments of Liberty Ark. http://www.libertyark.net/opt_out.html