Public Comment Sought For CWD Herd Certification Program and Interstate Movement

The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA, is giving notice of changes to the Program Standards for the chronic wasting disease (CWD) herd certification program. The CWD herd certification program is a voluntary, cooperative program that establishes minimum requirements for the interstate movement of farmed or captive cervids, provisions for participating States to administer Approved State CWD Herd Certification Programs, and provisions for participating herds to become certified as having a low risk of being infected with CWD.

The Program Standards provide optional guidance, explanation, and clarification on how to meet the requirements for interstate movement and for the Herd Certification Programs. Recently, a group of State, laboratory, and industry representatives discussed possible changes to the current Program Standards. The revised Program Standards reflect these discussions, and they believe the revised version will improve understanding of the program among State and industry cooperators. The revised version of the Program Standards are available for review and comment.

Supporting documents and any comments received on this docket may be viewed at http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2006-0118 They will consider all comments on or before March 31, 2014. Full text can be read at http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2013-12-31/html/2013-31143.html