03/15/05 Meat association appeal on border

American Rancher March 15, 2005 The National Meat Association, which represents meat packers and processors, is trying to intervene in the legal case that resulted in a preliminary injunction stopping the reopening of the U.S. border to young Canadian live cattle. The association wants the border open. Shae Dodson, communications director of R-CALF, which won the preliminary injunction, had this reaction to the action by the National Meat Association, or NMA. Dodson: "It is obviously something to be concerned about because the case has such magnitude and it is a big landmark case. However, Judge Cebull denied NMA's request to be an intervenor in our case before the preliminary injunction every took place on March 2nd. And then the fact NMA has filed an appeal against the March 2nd decision itself kind of makes us wonder because they were not a direct party to the case. So we don't know if they would be successful in that endeavor or not. But you never know once you have reached that level of a court system, that 9th Circuit, you don't know how they are going to respond. So we are just going to have to wait and see." The NMA"S appeal says its members have significant protectable interests supporting intervention and asks the Court to require R-CALF to post bond sufficient to protect NMA members from the devastating impact of the preliminary injunction as long as it remains in effect. I'm Bob Hoff.