Hello and welcome to the Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance e-news alert.  Feel free to forward this email to your friends and acquaintances.  

State Updates and New Webpage   

Ten states have introduced anti-NAIS bills!  The substance of each bill differs and is based on the unique circumstances of each state.  It's a long road between introducing bills and getting them made into law: committee hearings, floor votes in both the House and Senate, and avoiding a Governor's veto.  Two bills (South Dakota and Virginia) have already died in committee.  The Arizona bill is the first to make it out of committee, being passed by a vote of 6-1 on Wednesday!
 
On the regulatory side, the Kentucky Department of Agriculture proposed regulations that would make premises registration and animal identification mandatory, and require a certificate of veterinary inspection for almost every movement.  Under public pressure, the Department has now withdrawn those proposed regulations!  In an email, the Department stated that it was withdrawing the proposed regulations, but would re-introduce them with changes in the future.  So we will keep a close eye on it.
 
We have created a new "Updates" page to keep people better informed.  Visit http://farmandranchfreedom.org/content/latest-updates to read about what is happening across the country.  Action alerts and more state-specific information for each state can be found on the State Activities section of the Liberty Ark website, www.libertyark.net.

USDA Opens Official Comment Period on User Guide

When the USDA released the User Guide on November 22, 2006, it stated that it was accepting comments until January 22.  In our last national action alert, we urged people to continue sending comments to the USDA and to their Congressmen because the "comment period" had not been published in the federal register.  Just two days later, the USDA finally published notice in the federal register and opened an official comment period!  They have not set a deadline for comments, but it would be a good idea to go ahead and get your comments in soon.  USDA has also released two technical documents: a Program Standards and Technical Reference document and a technical specification document for the animal tracking databases. Go to http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2007/E7-1719.htm for the USDA's announcement.  Comments to the USDA may be submitted by e-mail at animalidcomments@aphis.usda.gov or by mail to NAIS Program Staff, VS, APHIS, 4700 River Road, Unit 200, Riverdale, MD 20737.
 
Again, be sure to send your comments to your Congressman and Senators as well as to USDA.  If you do not know who your Congressman is, go to http://www.house.gov/writerep/.  To find your Senators, go to http://www.senate.gov/ 
 
You can find FARFA's comments on the USDA User Guide on our Articles page.  To make the greatest impact, write your elected officials a short, personalized letter telling them why this issue in important to you and what NAIS would do to your life.  Then enclose a copy of FARFA's comments as a detailed analysis of the flaws with the latest plan, and ask for hearings.  You can find a sample letter to Congress, which includes addresses for the House and Senate Ag Committees, on the Take Action page: http://farmandranchfreedom.org/content/files/Sample_letter_Congress.pdf
 
If you submitted comments to the USDA before January 30, we recommend that you re-submit your comments to make sure that they get into the official record.

Grassroots Issues

You may have heard that activists with the Liberty Ark Coalition and FARFA were criticized by Mary Zanoni in an open letter posted on the internet.  Our disagreements do not change the fundamental thing we have in common: We want to stop NAIS.  Attacking each other only weakens the anti-NAIS movement.  You can read the letter and our response at: http://www.libertyark.net/splinters.shtml.  We will also have the documents on the FARFA site in the future.  

March 2 Rally 

On Friday, March 2, FARFA and several other organizations will be holding a rally in Austin, Texas to protest both the NAIS and the Trans-Texas Corridor (the first leg of the NAFTA Superhighway).  This should be an exciting event, with tractors, cattle, and horses marching up the streets of Downtown Austin, and speakers on the steps of the Capitol!  Come join us!! 
 
If you're too far away to drive in, please help by spreading the word and encouraging others to come.  For more information, go to  http://farmandranchfreedom.org/content/dont-tag-texas 

Support our Work - Join FARFA

In December, we started a campaign to raise $5,000.  Many people generously gave, ranging from $10 to $500, and we've now raised $5,050!  Thank you!!!
 
Becoming a member of FARFA helps the fight against the NAIS. More members means the government pays more attention to what we have to say.  With the large industrial agricultural associations supporting NAIS, we need to be able to show that there are many people out there who support independent agriculture.
 
The money itself is also very important.  Just looking at printing, we have printed and distributed over 125,000 pages of educational and lobbying materials!  Visit our membership page to read about the many other things we have done and continue to do.  For just $10, you can support this work and receive an e-newsletter.  If you give $35 or more, you will receive our new hard-copy newsletter.
 
We are gaining momentum in this fight, but we have a long way to go.  Please help us to continue this important work by joining today at http://farmandranchfreedom.org/content/join-farfa. 
 
Working together, we can make our voices heard!
 
Sincerely,
 

Judith McGeary
Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance