[Federal Register: January 22, 1999 (Volume 64, Number 14)]
[Notices]               
[Page 3482]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr22ja99-34]

      
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Notices
                                                Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________

This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules 
or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings 
and investigations, committee meetings, agency decisions and rulings, 
delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency 
statements of organization and functions are examples of documents 
appearing in this section.

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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
[Docket No. 98-124-1]

 
Availability of a Supplement to the Horse Protection Strategic 
Plan

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: We are advising the public of the availability of a supplement 
to the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Horse Protection 
Strategic Plan and are inviting comments on it. The supplement concerns 
the Horse Protection Act operating plan for the 1999 show season for 
Tennessee Walking Horses and other gaited horses.

DATES: Consideration will be given only to comments received on or 
before January 29, 1999.

ADDRESSES: Please send an original and three copies of your comments to 
Docket No. 98-124-1, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, APHIS, 
suite 3C03, 4700 River Road Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737-1238. Please 
state that your comments refer to Docket No. 98-124-1. Copies of the 
supplement to the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Horse 
Protection Strategic Plan may be obtained either by contacting the 
person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT, or electronically 
at http://www.aphis.gov/ac. A copy of the supplement and comments 
received on the supplement are also available for public inspection at 
USDA, room 1141, South Building, 14th Street and Independence Avenue 
SW., Washington, DC, between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through 
Friday, except holidays. Persons wishing to inspect the supplement or 
comments are requested to call ahead on (202) 690-2817 to facilitate 
entry into the comment reading room.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Richard Watkins, Initiatives 
Coordinator, Animal Care, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 84, Riverdale, MD 
20737-1234, (301) 734-4981; or e-mail: richard.h.watkins@usda.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The practice known as ``soring'' is the 
causing of pain in Tennessee Walking Horses and other gaited horses, in 
order to affect their performance. The Horse Protection Act (HPA) (11 
U.S.C. et seq.) was enacted for the purpose of eliminating soring by 
prohibiting the showing, exhibition, transport or sale of sore horses. 
Exercising its rulemaking and enforcement authority under the HPA, the 
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) issues and enforces 
regulations regarding horse protection at title 9, chapter I, part 11, 
of the Code of Federal Regulations.
    In 1995, APHIS initiated development of a Horse Protection 
Strategic Plan, designed to achieve the elimination of soring by 
strengthening APHIS's relationship with the walking horse industry. A 
notice of the availability of the final Horse Protection Strategic Plan 
was published in the Federal Register on December 1, 1997 (62 FR 63510, 
Docket No. 97-105-1). Based on our experience using the Horse 
Protection Strategic Plan during the 1998 show season for Tennessee 
Walking Horses and other gaited horses, we determined that a supplement 
to the Horse Protection Strategic Plan, explaining and clarifying 
operating procedures, would be useful for the 1999 show season. This 
notice announces the availability of that supplement and invites 
comment from the horse industry and other interested members of the 
public.

    Done in Washington, DC, this 14th day of January 1999.
Craig A. Reed,
Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 99-1417 Filed 1-21-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P