Lansing – The Michigan Department of Agriculture (MDA) has proposed changes to Michigan’s zoning rules for bovine Tuberculosis (TB). The new rules will be discussed in three public meetings across Michigan and will become effective this summer, after the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) publishes an update on Michigan’s Status in the Code of Federal Regulations. The proposal shrinks the bovine TB affected area down to Alcona, Alpena, Montmorency, and Oscoda counties in the northeastern Lower Peninsula. These counties will remain in the Modified Accredited Zone, a federal designation the State of Michigan uses to identify areas of disease risk.

“After testing and tagging Michigan’s 1.2 million cattle, and continuously testing annually in the northern Lower Peninsula since 1999, we are happy to announce the bovine TB area is shrinking,” said Dr. James Averill, MDA’s bovine TB Eradication Program Coordinator. “MDA’s proposed zonal changes will allow producers in a majority of the Lower Peninsula to more freely move cattle across federal zones and to other states.”

The proposed changes are in part due to Michigan law that cattle have electronic ID before they move off a farm, which continues to be supported by the beef and diary industries. Electronic ID allows MDA to trace cattle movements during a disease outbreak and in some instances has improved marketability for producers.

The proposal will be discussed at public meetings to be held in Lansing, Prescott, and Hillman. Details are as follows:

1:00 p.m. February 28
Constitution Hall, Brake Conference Room,
South Tower, Atrium Level
525 West Allegan Street,
Lansing, MI

3:00 p.m. March 3
Logan Township Hall
4507 E M 55 Prescott,
Prescott, MI

11:00 a.m. March 4
Hillman Community Center
24220 Veterans Memorial Highway
Hillman, MI

The Modified Accredited Advanced Zone will shrink to Antrim, Charlevoix, Cheboygan, Crawford, Emmet, Otsego, and Presque Isle counties as they will remain the buffer zone around the bovine TB core area. Farms in these counties are at a low risk for disease, but will continue under disease surveillance testing until Michigan and USDA are assured that disease is not spreading from the core area. The use of Wildlife Risk Mitigation tools will be the eventual key to obtaining disease free status in the MAAZ.

Out of an abundance of caution, and at the request of the USDA, the proposal includes a requirement that beef and dairy cattle, and bison 18 months of age and older and all goats or privately owned cervids six months of age or older in contact with cattle herds within a 12-mile radius of the 2009 Iosco County TB positive deer, and within a 12-mile radius of the 2009 Oscoda County TB positive deer complete a whole herd bovine TB test. This test must be completed within 24 months of the most recent whole herd bovine TB test, but no later than December 31, 2012.

“One of the goals of the bovine TB eradication effort is to decrease the interaction between wildlife and domestic cattle,” said Averill. “Wildlife Risk Mitigation Plans go a long way in helping prevent any potential spread of the disease.”

Individuals purchasing, or receiving cattle, from a herd located in the Modified Accredited Zone or the Modified Accredited Advanced Zone without a verified Wildlife Risk Mitigation Action Plan shall complete a bovine TB test on the received cattle within 60 to120 days from the movement date listed on the movement certificate at their expense. This rule has been in place since 2010 for breeding cattle; and will be for all cattle by January 1, 2012.

MDA collaborates with USDA Wildlife Services, USDA Veterinary Services, and the Alpena Conservation District to help producers draft Wildlife Risk Mitigation Action Plans and walk them through the process of applying for cost-share funds from either MDA or USDA.

Since the Wildlife Risk Mitigation program began, 663 farms in the bovine TB MAZ and MAAZ have been verified to be following their plans. The program goal is to have 1,000 Michigan cattle farms in the northern Lower Peninsula actively using wildlife risk mitigation tools by the end of 2011.

To join the Animal Health Listserv for regulatory updates and for a copy of the Proposed Zoning Ordinance visit: www.michigan.gov/emergingdiseases.

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