Take Action on NAIS

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Action Alert: Contact Your Representatives to Support SD 2166 and HD 1324

News:
Legislation filed by Massachusetts state senator Steve Brewer and representative Anne Gobi at the request of the Northeast Organic Farming Association (language copied below) would stop the state's Department of Agricultural Resources from receiving any further funding from USDA for implementing the National Animal Identification System (NAIS).

The bill, "HD 1324: AN ACT RELATIVE TO THE PROTECTION OF SUSTAINABLE FARMING" (filed by Rep. Anne Gobi) has received the co-sponsorship of 14 Massachusetts state representatives, including: Guyer, Smola, Canavan, Alicea, Provost, Canessa, Rice, Evangelidis, L'Italien, Eldridge, Grant, Story, and deMacedo.

The companion bill, "SD 2166: AN ACT RELATIVE TO SUSTAINABLE FARMING PROTECTION" (filed by Sen. Steve Brewer) has received the co-sponsorship of 3 Massachusetts State Senators, including: Fargo and Downing. In addition, Rep. Evangelidis has also signed on to the Senate bill. Although the deadline for signing on to House bills passed on January 22, no deadline for the Senate has been set, so there is an opportunity for both Representatives and Senators to sign on to Senate bills.

Significance:
Co-sponsorship is important because bills that have greater support among representatives and senators have a better chance of being actively moved throughout the legislative process. We have already built a lot of support for this bill, and we have an opportunity now to educate many more state legislators and help push this bill to a place where it would more likely become law.

This bill is simple and direct. By taking away funding for NAIS in Massachusetts the goal is to stop NAIS in any form and support sustainable and local agriculture as the alternative to industrial factory farming and as the real solution to animal disease threats.

Action:
For Massachusetts residents, consider asking your senator and representative to co-sponsor this important piece of legislation as outlined in Steps 1 and 2 below. If your senator or representative already signed onto the bill, consider thanking him or her.

For those out of state, ask your local representatives to request your state department of agriculture to follow Vermont (see: under "Previous Action Alerts": Tell MDAR to Refuse NAIS Money ) and soon, hopefully, Massachusetts, and drop out of NAIS.

Step 1:
Copy and paste, the sample letter below into whatever available medium you prefer (e.g., a mailed letter or e-mail). Feel free to edit, and personalize your message so that it represents who you are and why you are concerned with sustaining agriculture.

Sample Letter
SUBJECT: Please co-sponsor: "AN ACT RELATIVE TO SUSTAINABLE FARMING PROTECTION," filed by Senator Brewer -------------------------------
To:
From:
I am requesting that you co-sponsor legislation filed in the Senate by Senator Steve Brewer titled, "AN ACT RELATIVE TO SUSTAINABLE FARMING PROTECTION." (SD2166)

This legislation would protect farmers and homesteaders in Massachusetts by ending the Commonwealth's participation in the National Animal Identification System (NAIS), which purports to track animals for disease management purposes. NAIS will be ineffective for protecting public health because it only tracks disease outbreaks after the fact and does nothing to assist producers with disease prevention through sustainable husbandry practices.

NAIS favors large scale confined animal feeding operations and imposes extra burdens and higher expenses on small pasture-based farms, where the animals are raised in the healthiest way. NAIS would harm Massachusetts' thriving local food economy through unnecessary regulation, only benefiting big agribusiness companies seeking to secure international markets.

No further tax-payer funds should be allocated to promoting or implementing NAIS. Similar bills are being filed in states all over the country. By supporting this important legislation, you will be protecting small agriculture and helping to focus attention on the "factory farms" where large numbers of animals are crowded in confinement. These are the real breeding grounds for diseases of animal origin like Avian Flu or Mad Cow.

Sincerely,

Name
Address
Town, State Zip
Email (if you have one)
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Step 2:
A. Send your requests for co-sponsorship to your Massachusetts State Senator and/or Representative. For contact info, search for your city or town at: www.mass.gov/legis/citytown.htm

B. Follow up your message with a personal phone call to the number provided above.

Text of the Bill (SD2166) Filed by Massachusetts State Senator Steve Brewer:
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AN ACT RELATIVE TO SUSTAINABLE FARMING PROTECTION Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, And by the authority of the same, as follows:

SECTION 1. (A) This Commonwealth has entered into agreements with the federal government of the United States, and otherwise may have participated in establishing a National Animal Identification System (hereinafter “NAIS”).

(B) Neither the United States Department of Agriculture nor the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (hereinafter “MDAR”) has demonstrated any scientific findings that the NAIS will prevent the spread of diseases of animal origin to humans or to other animals, or will benefit animal or public health.

(C) Sustainable animal husbandry practices, which include adequate space, appropriate feed, and access to pasture, fresh air and sunlight are important in promoting animal health and thus preventing the spread of diseases of animal origin.

(D) The establishment of NAIS is detrimental to small and sustainable animal husbandry farming operations.

SECTION 2. : Cooperative Agreement Termination

MDAR shall withdraw any pending application for USDA NAIS Cooperative Agreement funding for FY 2007; or, in the event that the USDA already has granted funding and a Cooperative Agreement for FY 2007 already has been executed, MDAR shall return any FY 2007 funding to the USDA and rescind any existing Cooperative Agreement for FY 2007.

SECTION 3. : Citizens Data Upload Termination
MDAR shall immediately cease sending data on the Commonwealth’s citizens and animal premises to the USDA National Premises Information Repository.

SECTION 4. : Notification and Data Removal
MDAR shall: (a) immediately notify all citizens whose premises information previously has been submitted to the USDA National Premises Information Repository without their specific authorization; and (b) develop a procedure with the USDA whereby such Massachusetts data will be expunged from the USDA National Premises Information Repository.

Contacting Officials in Massachusetts about NAIS

General Info Sites:

A. Find Massachusetts State Senators and Representatives by City and Town
www.mass.gov/legis/citytown.htm

B. Find Your Federal Representative or Senator
www.vote-smart.org/index.htm

Sample Letters:

Sample Letter on NAIS: SENATORS AND CONGRESSPERSONS
Sample Letter on NAIS: STATE REPRESENTATIVES AND SENATORS

Contact Lists for Massachusetts Representatives:
You can use these as 1-page hand-outs to encourage your neighbors, friends, family, and colleagues to contact their representatives to stop NAIS
Concord area - Middlesex County: click here
Middleboro area- Plymouth, Bristol, and Barstable Counties: click here 
Rowe to Great Barrington Area - Berkshire County: click here 
Southwick area- Hampden County: click here
Westport area- Bristol and Plymouth Counties: click here
Whately area- Hampshire and Franklin Counties: click here

-Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance (FARFA)
Citizen Action Center
www.farmandranchfreedom.org/action.html

-Liberty Ark Coalition
Citizen Action Tools
www.libertyark.net/tools.shtml

-Downsize DC
Agriculture Department Imposing New Program to Drive Family Farms Out of Business
action.downsizedc.org/wyc.php?cid=46

-American Poultry Association:
Preserve Your Rights as a Poultry Fancier
www.amerpoultryassn.com/savehobby.htm

This page was last modified on January 21, 2008 at 5:34:19 PM.