Let’s Clear Things Up About Vermont’s Enforcement of NAIS

Henwhisperer raises a question on yesterday’s posting that I’ve found myself wondering about as I research NAIS. She’s asking why Vermont hasn’t gone public with its refusal to join in making NAIS mandatory. To me, though, the question is more about the difficulty of getting straightforward answers about NAIS from individual states.

Vermont is a case in point. It is murky in what it posts on its site about NAIS.

The page says, “Premises Registration is not Animal Identification. Animal ID is a proposed U.S. Department of Agriculture program; one that Vermont officials do not feel is necessary."

That sounds…sort of emphatic. Then in the next paragraph, Agriculture Secretary Steve Kerr is quoted as saying: “Many people believe Animal ID and Premises Registration are one and the same – nothing could be further from the truth. Our goal is to be as unobtrusive as possible, while ensuring the safety of Vermont’s citizens and it’s livestock. Premises Registration allows us to do that.”

Then, if you click on a link to complete the premises registration, you are taken to a page that says in bright red text:

"Confidentiality:
Part of the data voluntarily submitted during the voluntary livestock premises registration process will be sent to a federal premises registration repository. The United States Department of Agriculture has reassured us that they intend to keep this information confidential. Regrettably, there is no statutory language passed yet that will ensure the data withstand a court challenge from denying public release of information."

I think what’s going on here is that the states are being careful not to alienate Uncle Sam. The USDA dispenses grants and other largesse to state agriculture departments, and no one wants to rock the boat and jeopardize the gravy train ongoing. So even if you aren’t cooperating with NAIS, you dance around the issue.

I was speaking earlier today with Mary Zanoni, who has written extensively about NAIS, and she sent me an article she wrote early last year pointing out that USDA in its April 2005 strategic plan for NAIS stated that it would be mandatory by 2008. USDA subsequently backed off in the face of opposition and said it is voluntary.

Everything clear now?