On Thursday, March 20th, the Virginia Department of Agriculture (VDACS) Board votes on proposed scrapie regulations–the regulations we opposed last December in the public hearing. Though officially “changed” by state vet Richard Wilkes to reflect our input, these regs are no different, substantially, from the ones we opposed last December. Please email and call the members of the VDACS Board immediately and ask them to vote against these regulations. Scrapie is not an animal or human health issue in Virginia, or anywhere in this country, and they are using this as a way to force NAIS on goat and sheep owners. If these regulations go into effect, goat and sheep owners forced into the scrapie database can be rolled into NAIS.
Statistically, there has been, nationwide, one case of scrapie every three years per state for the last 60 years. It is not an imminent disease threat. Stop NAIS in Virginia by contacting these Board members. Please go to the meeting also. Sample email to Board members below.
VDACS Board meeting
Where: 102 Governor St., Second Floor, Richmond
When: Thursday, March 20th, 9:00 a.m.
ACTION: Please email and call all members of the VDACS board and ask them to vote against the amended scrapie regulations on Thursday, March 20th, at the VDACS board meeting.
SAMPLE EMAIL: (Please personalize your email–it will have a greater impact)
Dear ________,
Please vote against 2VAC5-206, Regulation for Scrapie Eradication, at the March 20th VDACS Board meeting. These regulations are a detriment to small farmers and goat and sheep owners. The state vet’s recent amendments to this regulation make no substantial changes and, in fact, in several aspects make the regulation worse. Low risk animals should be excepted from this regulation, in accordance with federal law. These amended regulations do not do this and still require small farmers and people who own just a few goats to obtain a Premises ID, tag all animals, keep records for five years that are subject to inspection every time they buy, sell, or exhibit an animal, and be subject to a first class misdemeanor (one year in jail and/or a $2500 fine) for failure to comply. Statistically, there has been, nationwide, one case of scrapie every three years per state for the last 60 years. Scrapie is not a disease threat. In keeping with federal regulations, Virginia can still be a consistent state if the regulations are drawn only for high risk animals and infected and source flocks. Low risk animals do not have the disease. Please insist that the Department draw up the regulations in this manner. By recommendation of the Joint Commission of Administrative Rules, the General Assembly proposed and has carried over legislation to be heard in December addressing this very issue (HB1525). Members of the Courts of Justice Committee and Joint Commission are watching the promulgation of these regulations closely.
Thank you,
Your name
City, VA Zip
VDACS Board Members
Name Email address Phone number
Stephen Ellis
sellis1994 (at) msn.com , (804)443-4195
L. Bruce Holland
lbruce757 (at) msn.com , (757) 824-5297
Paul W. Rogers, Jr.
pgr (at) whro.net , (757) 899-2163
William *Billy* B. Bain 804.478.4832
Fax: (804) 478-5958
Traci Rickman Talley
ttalley (at) pure.net , (434) 454-9262
Andrea Lohr
alohraged (at) aol.com , (540) 896-8798
Edward S. Fleming
wdeflemi23 (at) aol.com , (804) 749-3734
Gregory *Greg* J. Galligan
greggalligan (at) hotmail.com , (703) 960-4441
Charles C. Clark, Jr.
cclark (at) smythcounty.org , (276) 624-3272
John D. Hardesty, Jr.
harvue (at) visuallink.com , (540) 955-4381
Melvin E. Murphy
mmurphy833 (at) aol.com (703) 216-3888
Many thanks,
Deborah Stockton, Editor
VICFA Voice
vicfavoice (at) earthlink.net
http://www.vicfa.net
Virginia Independent Consumers and Farmers Association
Our purpose is to promote and preserve unregulated direct farmer-to-consumer trade that fosters availability of locally grown or home-produced food products.
Hi, what is WAPFs position on this information?
https://thehighwire.com/videos/live-from-event-2021-in-dallas-tx/
Thanks!