The American Sheep Industry Association (ASI) worked with the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) and other stakeholders to develop movement decision criteria guidance addressing unique scenarios that would arise for federal lands grazers in the event of a foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreak.
A five-minute video describes the project and resources and can be viewed on the Secure Sheep and Wool Supply (SSWS) and Secure Beef Supply (SBS) websites under the Public Land Grazing pages at securesheepwool.org. This has resulted from a multi-year cooperative project funded by a grant from the USDA National Animal Disease Preparedness and Response Program.
“ASI appreciates the time and effort put in by the advisory group as well as Dr. Danelle Bickett-Weddle, consultant with Preventalytics, in the creation of materials. This effort had multiple groups contribute to unique resources for sheep and cattle producers to prepare for, respond to, and enhance their resiliency for an FMD event,” said ASI Executive Director Peter Orwick. “This collaboration across the sheep and cattle industries with state and federal partners demonstrates impactful results for business continuity and a secure food supply.”
“An FMD outbreak on U.S. soil is expected it would cost the U.S. economy hundreds of millions of dollars. For years, the resources we have prepared have focused on mitigating losses on private land. Now, with the help of a wide spectrum of organizations including USDA, the Public Lands Council, state animal health officials, and many more, we have comprehensive resources to help public lands ranchers whose livestock may be far from any infected herd have predictability for their operations in the event of an FMD outbreak,” said NCBA Executive Director of Government Affairs Kaitlynn Glover. “Livestock producers in the West are now more prepared than ever to work with federal lands agencies and animal health officials to make movement decisions with the development of this collaborative guidance.”
These resources are in addition to the enhanced biosecurity plans found on the SSWS and SBS websites. Industry input and participation was critical to identifying gaps for federal lands grazers and establishing the need for these specialized documents. The sheep and beef industries continue to work together to provide educational resources to best prepare producers, veterinarians, and other industry stakeholders before an FMD outbreak occurs.
Background
The U.S. is currently free of the FMD virus. The SSWS Plan and SBS Plan for continuity of business provides opportunities for industry partners to voluntarily prepare before an FMD outbreak. If FMD were found in U.S. livestock, regulatory officials will limit the movement of animals and animal products to try and control the spread of this very contagious animal disease. Control areas will be established around infected premises and movement restrictions will be implemented.
Given the nature of federal lands grazing, containment of livestock and mitigation of risk will require different strategies than private land containment measures. When the control areas encompass part or all of a public land grazing allotment, in one or more states, there are unique challenges for sheep and cattle producers to mitigate disease exposure risks. FMD is not a threat to public health or food safety. — NCBA and ASI
