Notice2023-14689
Chronic Wasting Disease Herd Certification Program Standards; Virtual Public Meetings
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
July 12, 2023
Issuing agencies
Agriculture DepartmentAnimal and Plant Health Inspection Service
Abstract
We are notifying the public that the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service will hold five virtual listening sessions to receive public input on topics related to updates and improvements to the Chronic Wasting Disease Herd Certification Program Standards.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 132 (Wednesday, July 12, 2023)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 132 (Wednesday, July 12, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44252-44253]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-14689]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
[Docket No. APHIS-2023-0042]
Chronic Wasting Disease Herd Certification Program Standards;
Virtual Public Meetings
AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Department of
Agriculture (USDA).
ACTION: Notice of public meetings.
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SUMMARY: We are notifying the public that the Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service will hold five virtual listening sessions to receive
public input on topics related to updates and improvements to the
Chronic Wasting Disease Herd Certification Program Standards.
DATES: The virtual listening sessions will be held via webinar on July
27, 2023, at 12 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT); August 10, 2023, at 3
p.m. EDT; August 17, 2023, at 2 p.m. EDT; August 24, 2023, at 1 p.m.
EDT; and September 14, 2023, at 3 p.m. EDT.
ADDRESSES: These will be virtual listening sessions. Participants will
be required to register in advance to participate in the listening
sessions. For more information about registration, providing comments,
and accessibility for the meetings, see the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION
section of this notice.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Hillary A. McManama, Veterinary
Medical Officer, Cervid Health Staff, Strategy and Policy, Veterinary
Services, APHIS; c/o Ms. Melanie Rouse, 4700 River Road, Unit 43,
Riverdale, MD 20737; email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#db988c9f9baea8bfbaf5bcb4ad"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="2360746763565047420d444c55">[email protected]</span></a>; phone: (608) 381-2529.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a transmissible spongiform
encephalopathy of cervids (members of Cervidae, the deer family).
Species currently known to be susceptible to CWD include elk, mule
deer, moose, white-tailed deer, sika deer, muntjac, reindeer, and
black-tailed deer.
In 2014, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)
implemented the National CWD Herd Certification Program (HCP), a
voluntary Federal-State-industry cooperative program administered by
APHIS and implemented by participating States. States and herd owners
choosing to participate must comply with the provisions of 9 CFR parts
55 and 81 (referred to below as the regulations),
[[Page 44253]]
which include requirements for animal identification, interstate
movement, fencing, recordkeeping, herd inspections and inventories,
animal mortality testing, and response to any findings of CWD-exposed,
-suspect, or -positive herds. APHIS monitors the approved State HCPs to
ensure consistency with Federal standards by means of annual State
reporting and onsite and/or virtual program reviews as needed. With
each year of successful surveillance, participating herds will advance
in status. After 5 years of compliance with the program requirements
with no evidence of CWD, APHIS will certify the herd as being low risk
for CWD. Only captive cervids (deer, elk, and moose) from enrolled
herds certified as low risk for CWD may move interstate. APHIS has
issued a CWD Program Standards document \1\ to provide detailed
guidance on how to meet the requirements of the regulations referred to
above.
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\1\ <a href="https://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_health/animal_diseases/cwd/downloads/cwd-program-standards.pdf">https://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_health/animal_diseases/cwd/downloads/cwd-program-standards.pdf</a>.
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Section 603 of the Fiscal Year 2023 Omnibus Appropriations Bill
enacted the Chronic Wasting Disease Research and Management Act (H.R.
5608, the CWD Research and Management Act). Under the terms of the CWD
Research and Management Act, APHIS must ``solicit public feedback on
potential updates and improvements'' to the Chronic Wasting Disease
Herd Certification Program Standards.
Pursuant to the CWD Research and Management Act, APHIS is
publishing this notice soliciting public feedback on potential updates
and improvements to the CWD Program Standards. Specifically, we are
scheduling a series of virtual listening sessions to gather information
that will help us in evaluating and potentially amending the program
standards consistent with the CWD Research and Management Act. The
listening sessions will be conducted virtually, by webinar.
Registration: The listening sessions will be held on July 27, 2023,
at 12 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT); August 10, 2023, at 3 p.m. EDT;
August 17, 2023, at 2 p.m. EDT; August 24, 2023, at 1 p.m. EDT; and
September 14, 2023, at 3 p.m. EDT.
Topics for discussion on July 27th, at 12 p.m. EDT will be:
<bullet> The overall direction of the program.
<bullet> Increasing herd certification program participation.
<bullet> Biosecurity.
<bullet> Prevention of contact between farmed and wild cervids.
<bullet> Prevention of CWD not including genetics.
Topics for discussion on August 10th, at 3 p.m. EDT will be:
<bullet> Inspection and inventory, including:
[cir] animal identification (ID);
[cir] electronic ID; and
[cir] annual and physical inspections.
Topics for discussion on August 17th, at 2 p.m. EDT will be:
<bullet> Surveillance.
<bullet> Use of ante-mortem tests.
<bullet> Postmortem sampling.
<bullet> Penalties for HCP non-compliance.
Topic for discussion on August 24th, at 1 p.m. EDT will be:
<bullet> Disease response, including use of predictive genetics to
manage CWD positive, suspect and exposed herds.
Topics for discussion on September 14th, at 3 p.m. EDT will be:
<bullet> Indemnity approach, including role of indemnity in
predictive genetics herd management; and
<bullet> Use of predictive genetics to prevent CWD within the HCP.
Topics needing additional discussion may be added to a listening
session and will be announced at least 2 weeks prior to the session on
the Cervid Health Program website at <a href="https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/animalhealth/animal-disease-information/cervid/cervids-cwd/cervids-voluntary-hcp">https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/animalhealth/animal-disease-information/cervid/cervids-cwd/cervids-voluntary-hcp</a>.
Participants will need to register in advance to participate in the
listening sessions. The deadline to register to speak at the first
listening session is July 20, 2023. The deadline to register for the
remaining sessions will be one week prior to each session. Comments
will be limited to a maximum of 3 to 5 minutes depending on the number
of requests to speak. Registration instructions and updated session
information can be accessed on the Cervid Health Program website.
Public comment: You may provide written comments at the meetings by
using the meeting chat function or file written comments before,
during, or after the meetings by emailing or mailing to the Agency
contact listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. Written comments
by attendees or other interested stakeholders will be welcomed for the
public record up to close of business Monday, November 13, 2023. Please
refer to Docket No. APHIS-2023-0042 when submitting your comments. We
also encourage interested persons to subscribe to APHIS' Stakeholder
Registry \2\ to receive updated information by email about the upcoming
listening sessions.
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\2\ To subscribe to the APHIS Stakeholder Registry, go to
<a href="https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDAAPHIS/subscriber/new">https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDAAPHIS/subscriber/new</a>.
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Accessibility: If you require special accommodations, such as a
sign language interpreter, please contact <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#0447534044717760652a636b72"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="77342033370204131659101801">[email protected]</span></a>.
Done in Washington, DC, this 5th day of July 2023.
Michael Watson,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2023-14689 Filed 7-11-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P
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