[Federal Register: February 18, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 32)]
[Notices]
[Page 7762]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr18fe03-20]
[[Page 7762]]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
[Docket No. 03-010-1]
Big Cat Symposia; Animal Care
AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of public meeting.
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SUMMARY: This is a notice to animal exhibitors, dealers, transporters,
researchers, animal protection groups, industry groups, and other
interested persons that we are holding a series of educational symposia
to present current information on the care and maintenance of exotic
big cats. This notice provides the agenda for the symposia, information
on the location and dates of the first two symposia, and general
information on subsequent symposia.
DATES: The first symposium will be held in Fort Worth, TX, on
Wednesday, March 26, 2003. The second symposium will be held in Las
Vegas, NV, on Wednesday, April 30, 2003. Each symposium will be held
from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Preregistration is requested for both symposia.
Parties wishing to attend may preregister by e-mailing
ACE@aphis.usda.gov or by calling the Animal Care headquarters office at
(301) 734-7833. The preregistration deadline for the Fort Worth meeting
is March 1, 2003; for the Las Vegas meeting, the deadline is April 1,
2003.
On-site registration will take place from 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. on
the day of each symposium.
ADDRESSES: The symposia will be held at the following locations:
1. Fort Worth, TX: Ramada Plaza Hotel, 1701 Commerce Street, Fort
Worth, TX 76102, (817) 335-7000.
2. Las Vegas, NV: Sam's Town Hotel, 5111 Boulder Highway, Las Vegas, NV
89122, (800) 897-8696.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information on the agenda
of the symposia, contact Dr. Barbara Kohn, Senior Staff Veterinarian,
Animal Care, 4700 River Road Unit 84, Riverdale, MD 20737-1234; (301)
734-7833. Dr. Kohn may be contacted by e-mail at ACE@aphis.usda.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Animal and Plant Health Inspection
Service (APHIS) is announcing a series of educational symposia on the
care and maintenance of exotic big cats. The symposia will give Animal
Care an opportunity to disseminate information on various topics that
are key to the successful management and handling of exotic big cats.
The symposia will be held in various geographical locations to
facilitate attendance by regulated parties that maintain these animals.
The first symposium will be held on Wednesday, March 26, 2003, at
the Ramada Plaza Hotel, Fort Worth, TX, and the second symposium will
be at Sam's Town Hotel, Las Vegas, NV, on April 30, 2003. We plan to
hold similar symposia at some time between October 2003 and January
2004 in the Midwest, Washington, DC, and Florida.
The symposia have been developed to provide current information and
ideas on a variety of topics. Each symposium will follow the same
agenda, with possible minor modifications. The symposia will start with
general sessions, followed by breakout sessions allowing more
interaction between speakers and attendees. The agenda for these
symposia is:
7:30 a.m.-8:30 a.m.--Registration.
8:00 a.m.-11:30 a.m.--General Session.
Welcome.
Nutrition.
Veterinary Care and Tranquilization.
Transportation.
New Training Methods.
11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.--Lunch Break.
1:00 p.m.-2:30 p.m.--Concurrent Breakout Session 1.
Explaining APHIS Regulations.
Nutrition/Zootrition.
Heat Budgets and Shade (avoiding overheating and overcooling).
2:45 p.m.-4:15 p.m.--Concurrent Breakout Session 2.
Training.
Transportation Issues.
Fixed Exhibit Enclosure Design.
4:15 p.m.-5:00 p.m.--Questions and Answers; Closing.
Notices of these symposia are being sent to current Animal Welfare
Act licensees with exotic big cats. This notice is also available on
the Internet at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ac, the Animal Care web site.
Copies of a brochure containing the information in this announcement
can also be requested by calling the Animal Care headquarters office at
(301) 734-7833 or by e-mailing a request to ACE@aphis.usda.gov.
Please note that these symposia are being held to provide and
disseminate information on the care and maintenance of big exotic cats
under the Animal Welfare Act. There will be no opportunity at these
symposia to submit formal comments on proposed rules or other
regulatory initiatives.
Preregistration
Preregistration is requested by calling the Animal Care
headquarters office at (301) 734-7833 or by e-mailing Animal Care at
ACE@aphis.usda.gov and providing your name, number of attendees, phone
number, and e-mail address or other contact address. This information
is needed so we may inform registrants in a timely manner if any
changes are made to the schedules of the symposia. Please preregister
for the Fort Worth symposium by March 1, 2003, and for the Las Vegas
symposium by April 1, 2003.
Travel and Lodging Information
All attendees are responsible for their own travel and lodging. No
rooms have been reserved for attendees at the symposium hotels or any
other hotels.
Done in Washington, DC, this 11th day of February, 2003.
Peter Fernandez,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 03-3837 Filed 2-14-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P