USDA Drops Final Plan for Fighting Bird Flu in U.S. Poultry
Published Date: 4/18/2025
Notice
Summary
The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service just released a final plan to handle bird flu outbreaks in U.S. poultry farms and backyards. This plan looks at different ways to respond and protect birds while considering environmental impacts. Everyone involved in poultry farming should check it out before the 30-day review ends on May 19, 2025.
Analyzed Economic Effects
4 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 2 costs, 1 mixed.
Indemnity Tied to Biosecurity Audits
Under the preferred alternative, poultry producers must demonstrate compliance with their site-specific written biosecurity plan and pass required biosecurity audits to be eligible for indemnity or compensation. Producers that wish to restock previously infected premises must pass one audit to get indemnity for restocked poultry, and premises in a buffer zone (typically 3 to 10 kilometers / 1.9 to 6.2 miles from an infected site) must pass a separate audit before moved poultry are eligible for indemnity.
Federal Operational Assistance Available on Request
If requested by State, local, or Tribal authorities, USDA APHIS Veterinary Services would provide operational assistance during an HPAI outbreak, including managing depopulation and carcass disposal and providing tools such as machinery and contracted operators. APHIS assistance is intended to help affected poultry owners and producers resume business more rapidly than if no Federal assistance were provided.
No Federal Assistance Leaves Cost on Producers
Under the No Federal Operational Assistance alternative, State and local authorities, Tribes, and poultry owners and producers would be responsible for depopulating infected flocks, disposing of carcasses, transportation, cleanup, and disinfection. APHIS would not manage or implement these operational activities, though it may provide technical guidance and may provide indemnity and/or financial compensation upon request.
Cleaning and Disinfection Remain Producer Responsibility
Even when USDA APHIS VS provides operational assistance, cleaning and disinfection would remain the responsibility of States, Tribes, and poultry owners and producers because APHIS does not perform those activities. Producers must manage sanitation themselves as part of outbreak response.
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Key Dates
Department and Agencies
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