February 21, 2001

Dear Secretary Art Brown,

I understand that the Department of Agriculture is currently working on setting new standards for the humane treatment of farm animals. These new standards stem from the statute enacted by the legislature, instructing the department to develop and implement standards for the "humane raising, keeping, care, treatment, marketing, and sale of domestic livestock."

New Jersey is in a position to play a key role in improving farm animal welfare and I hope the department will work to ensure that these new rules will provide meaningful and substantive new criterions of humane treatment. I believe we have an opportunity to prohibit inhumane practices that are already outlawed in other countries and should be banned here in the United States.

These new standards will not only have significant ramifications for animal welfare, but for jobs, our water supply, and the environment as a whole. I hope that you, as Secretary of Agriculture, and your department will work to establish positive and humane regulations that will become the standard for other states to follow.

Thank you for your time and consideration of my comments.

Very truly yours,
Christopher "Kip" Bateman