LANSING - MI Department of Agriculture Proposes Bovine TB Zonal ChangesMichigancattle and bison owners will be impacted by boundary changes
 
Lansing - Michigan's bovine Tuberculosis (TB) eradication project partners will host public meetings to provide information on the proposed zonal boundary changes in cities throughout Northern Lower Michigan's Modified Accredited Zone (MAZ) July 7 through 10, 2009.
 
After extensive disease testing surveillance, conducted since 1998, the Michigan Department of Agriculture (MDA) is proposing to shrink the MAZ to the high-risk northeastern Lower Peninsula counties of Alcona, Alpena, Montmorency, Oscoda, and Presque Isle and those portions of Ogemaw and Iosco counties within the MAZ (high risk area) where there have been 40 cattle herd infections and 614 bovine TB infected wild white-tailed deer since 1995.
 
"We are pleased to finally propose this change, it has been a long time in coming," said State Veterinarian Steven Halstead. "The industry deserves this, and no other state can match the kind of disease surveillance we have conducted to date."
 
Cattle, bison, and cervid producers will be impacted by a change in interzonal movement restrictions; changes in disease testing requirements in certain areas, and the majority of surveillance testing will be risk-based instead of random selection. Information on wildlife risk mitigation plans (WRMPs) designed to improve market access for producers will be provided.
 
The western counties of Antrim, Charlevoix, Cheboygan, Crawford, Emmet, and Otsego are low risk for bovine TB and MDA proposes to create a subzone inside of the Modified Accredited Advanced Zone (MAAZ) where farms will be required to undergo less stringent surveillance and movement testing if they adopt WRMPs.
 
"Since testing began, there have been five cattle herd infections and 12 TB infected wild white-tailed deer in this area, but none since 2006," Halstead said.
 
MDAis opening up a comment period and will accept comments on the proposal to change the MAZ zonal boundary until August 21, 2009.
 
Informational meetings on the proposal will be held in the following locations:

West Branch on Tuesday, July 7, 2009, from2:00 to 3:00 p.m. at the OgemawCountyExtension Office, 205 South Eighth.
 
Tawas City on Tuesday, July 7, 2009, from7:00 to 8:00 p.m. at theIosco County Annex Bldg, 420 West Lake Street. 
 
Alpena on Wednesday, July 8, 2009, from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. at the ThunderBay National Marine Sanctuary, Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center, 500 West Fletcher Street.
 
Atlanta/Hillman on Wednesday, July 8, 2009, from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. at MDA's Atlanta Field office, 16860 M-32 East. The MDA Field Office is 4-1/2 miles east of the post office in Atlanta.
 
Gaylord on Wednesday, July 8, 2009, from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the University Center, Room U111-112, 90 Livingston Boulevard.
         
Cheboygan on Thursday, July 9, 2009, from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. at Churchof ChristRestored, 1200 Sand Road.
 
Harbor Springs on Thursday, July 9, 2009, from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. at the JohnR. Watson Community Center, 3434 Harbor-Petoskey Road.
 
Traverse City on Friday, July 10, 2009, from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. at the StateOffice Building, 701 South Elmwood, 3rd Floor.

A public comment form will be available at the meetings and on the MDA website at www.michigan.gov/mda after the July 21 Commission on Agriculture meeting.
 
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For more information on Michigan's bovine TB eradication project, visit:  www.michigan.gov/emergingdiseases.