* If you own farm animals of ANY type - even just chickens etc - please educate yourself on the animal ID issues - www.NoNAIS.com is a great site but google for yourself and LEARN, Please. Happy farming! Liberty Ark Action Alert: USDA Anounces Two More Public Meetings on Animal Identification Date: June 10, 2010 USDA has announced two more public meeting on its animal traceability framework: Thursday, June 24 Sheraton Salt Lake City Hotel 150 West 500 South Salt Lake City, UT 84101 Thursday, July 1 Holiday Inn DFW Airport South 14320 Center Station Drive Ft. Worth, TX 76155 The meetings will take place between 8 am and 4 pm, and the meeting agenda is posted at: http://www.aphis.usda.gov/traceability/downloads/public_meeting_agenda.pdf The meeting agenda appears to be the same as the previous public meetings. The morning will consist of presentations by government officials, followed by breakout sessions at tables based on species groups. After the small groups have reported back to the full audience, a USDA official will respond to written questions, and there may be an opportunity at the very end for oral questions or comments. If youÂre within traveling distance, please come and make your voice heard! 1) After the initial presentations, the participants will break out into tables based on species groups. Be prepared to be an advocate for your views and to politely disagree with the facilitator(s). If they claim that a "consensus" has been reached with an answer that you donÂt agree with, say so! At the end, when the table reports back to the whole group, speak up if the person doing the report doesnÂt cover all of the issues that were raised. 2) Plan a few written questions ahead of time. When the USDA official goes through the questions in the afternoon, if he doesnÂt actually answer your question, stand up and politely insist on an answer.

* If you own farm animals of ANY type - even just chickens, rabbits etc - please educate yourself on the animal ID issues - www.NoNAIS.com is a great site but google for yourself and LEARN, Please. Big Ag loves these ideas for their own liability & international meat sales but it'll be difficult for small producer/growers to comply... If you have a chance, watch "Fresh, The Movie!" Happy farming! Liberty Ark Action Alert: USDA Anounces Two More Public Meetings on Animal Identification Date: June 10, 2010 USDA has announced two more public meeting on its animal traceability framework: Thursday, June 24 Sheraton Salt Lake City Hotel 150 West 500 South Salt Lake City, UT 84101 Thursday, July 1 Holiday Inn DFW Airport South 14320 Center Station Drive Ft. Worth, TX 76155 The meetings will take place between 8 am and 4 pm, and the meeting agenda is posted at: http://www.aphis.usda.gov/traceability/downloads/public_meeting_agenda.pdf The meeting agenda appears to be the same as the previous public meetings. The morning will consist of presentations by government officials, followed by breakout sessions at tables based on species groups. After the small groups have reported back to the full audience, a USDA official will respond to written questions, and there may be an opportunity at the very end for oral questions or comments. If youÂre within traveling distance, please come and make your voice heard! 1) After the initial presentations, the participants will break out into tables based on species groups. Be prepared to be an advocate for your views and to politely disagree with the facilitator(s). If they claim that a "consensus" has been reached with an answer that you donÂt agree with, say so! At the end, when the table reports back to the whole group, speak up if the person doing the report doesnÂt cover all of the issues that were raised. 2) Plan a few written questions ahead of time. When the USDA official goes through the questions in the afternoon, if he doesnÂt actually answer your question, stand up and politely insist on an answer.

Lipwak, It could very well be a bear (cub - under 200lbs), we occasionally get them here in Rockland. The turkeys are doing well, add in the red tailed hawks, turkey vultures, osprey, horned owls, and eagles (crows are coming back from encephalitis outbreak); mammals you might not have seen include red/gray foxes, coyotes, opossums, skunks, and flying squirrels (yup - Rocky is here). If you want to have more fun, go up into Harriman State Park (get a map and a compass), follow some of the trails (preferably from an older map), you might see more than you get from your backyard). Critters I've listed are in my backyard, If you go the to park, be prepared to hike, for about 200 yards, after that, you'll probably see/hear much more, if you're quiet! Many other critters are there, you just have to be patient/quiet/part of the landscape. If serpentine creatures bother you, avoid Green Meadow Pond and Island Pond (special permit needed). Dad

Thanks, Tucker. They were quite a few on the mountains, quite far from the road to get a nice pic. We thought they were mountain goats at first but now I know. I am fortunate to have seen the fastest land mammal (next only to cheetah).