The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) will hold the second of five virtual listening sessions on the Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) Herd Certification Program (HCP) Standards via zoom on August 10, 2023, at 3:00 p.m. EDT.  

Topics for input will include:  

·         Identification, inspection and inventory, including:  

·         Animal identification (ID) requirements 

·         Electronic ID (EID) 

·         Annual and physical herd inspection procedures 

Specific questions we are seeking input on: 

·         Should electronic ID (EID) be required and if so, should EID implants be required? 

For more information on this or other listening sessions or to register for them, please visit USDA’s CWD topic page. If you would like to speak on one or more of the session topics, please indicate this on the registration form. The deadline to register to speak at the second listening session is August 3, 2023. The deadline to register for the remaining sessions will be one week prior to each session. Registration instructions and updated session information can be accessed on the Cervid Health Program website at the bottom of the page. Comments will be limited to 3 to 5 minutes depending on the number of requests to speak. 

You may provide written comments at the sessions by using the meeting chat function or file written comments before, during, or after the meetings by emailing: [email protected]. Written comments by attendees or other interested stakeholders will be welcomed for the public record up to close of business Monday, November 13, 2023. Please refer to Docket No. APHIS-2023-0042 when submitting your comments. To receive announcements on upcoming listening sessions, please register for cervid stakeholder announcements through GovDelivery and select the “Deer and Elk (Captive/Farmed)” topic.