02/02/07 Animal health enforcement bill heard

Washington Ag February 2, 2007 The Washington State Department of Agriculture is asking the legislature for more tools to help it enforce existing animal health regulations on livestock coming into the Washington. The legislation, House Bill 1310 is supported by such organizations as the Washington State Dairy Federation and the Washington Cattlemen's Association. But several small operators testified against the measure at a House hearing Thursday charging that House Bill 1310 was just a back door way of imposing the National Livestock Identification System in Washington. Valerie Tinning of Castle Rock was one of several people who said small farmers will be driven out of business. Tinning: "This bill will do irreparable harm to the horse industry, rodeo, small producers and farmers as well as the ancillary businesses that support them. Please think about what this bill will do to your local communities and vote against HB1310. Do not open the back door to NAIS." On the other side, Jay Gordon of the Washington State Dairy Federation cited the outbreak of foot and mouth disease in Britain as an example why it is important to have the tools needed to enforce animal health laws. Gordon: "And the only way they were able to protect those, whether they were small farms or large farms, it didn't matter. They burned the an animals because they had foot and mouth disease. It didn't matter whether you had one or a thousand." I'm Bob Hoff.