United States Department of Agriculture

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

Program Aid No. 2123-1

APHIS:

Partnering Across Nations 

To Safeguard Native 

American Agriculture

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in 

all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, 

age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, 

parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political 

beliefs, reprisal, or because all or part of an individual’s income is derived 

from any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to 

all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for 

communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) 

should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD). 

To file a complaint of discrimination, write to USDA, Director, Office of Civil 

Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410, or 

call (800) 795-3272 (voice) or (202) 720-6382 (TDD). USDA is an equal 

opportunity provider and employer.

Issued September 2012

Where Can I Get 

More Information?

APHIS is eager to answer questions about the agency’s many 

programs and to discuss arrangements for assistance. 

For more information, please visit the APHIS Web site at 

www.aphis.usda.gov or contact:

Dr. Terry Clark

National Tribal Liaison

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

U.S. Department of Agriculture

PO Box 950

Fairmont, NC 28340

Phone: (301) 440-4388

Email: terry.w.clark@aphis.usda.gov

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and 

Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is an 

agency with many missions vital to the health 

and welfare of animals and plants in Indian 

Country. For many years, APHIS has worked with 

Native American communities to help safeguard 

agricultural livestock and crops from disease, 

pests, and wildlife damage.

APHIS partners with Native American 

communities on important projects through 

cooperative agreements, technical and emergency 

training, outreach activities, and consultations 

that ensure Native cultural heritage and values 

are respected. APHIS also reaches out to teach 

young Native Americans about agriculture 

and offers work experiences through summer 

internship and training programs.

What Is APHIS?
Protecting 

Livestock and Fisheries

APHIS’ Veterinary Services (VS) program offers a broad range 

of services to help ensure the health of Native American animals and aquatic life. VS works to:

s Survey and test for diseases that can affect animals and 

aquatic life on or near Native American lands, including 

brucellosis, tuberculosis, scrapie, and viral hemorrhagic 

septicemia 

s Prevent diseases and pests from harming livestock herds 

and fisheries by holding rabies vaccination clinics, restricting movement of potentially diseased animals in interstate 

or international transit, conducting collaborative disease 

investigations, and providing training on foreign animal 

diseases

s Prepare Native American communities to respond to 

animal disease and pest emergencies by developing emergency response plans, taking part in full-scale drills, participating in National Veterinary Stockpile activities, creating 

a database of community animals, and other measures

s Provide information on animal traceability and other 

animal disease program regulations dealing with chronic 

wasting disease, pseudorabies, scrapie, tuberculosis, and 

other diseases

Keeping 

Crops and 

Plants 

Healthy 

APHIS’ Plant Protection 

and Quarantine (PPQ) 

program protects crops, 

fields, forests, and other 

natural plant resources. 

Among its many services 

and programs in Indian 

Country, APHIS-PPQ can:

s Provide early detection of potentially 

damaging foreign 

weeds, plant diseases, 

mollusks, and insects 

s Suppress outbreaks 

of rangeland grasshoppers and Mormon crickets 

s Combat invasive pests that attack forests, including gypsy 

moths and exotic wood borers such as the emerald ash borer 

and Asian longhorned beetle

s Cooperatively use biological control organisms to control 

rangeland weeds

s Train tribal members to respond rapidly to plant disease and pest outbreaks 

by developing emergency-response 

plans and participating in full-scale 

Incident Command System exercises

s Facilitate exporting plants and 

plant products by issuing internationally recognized phytosanitary certificates 

for your products 

Controlling Wildlife Damage

APHIS’ Wildlife Services (WS) program provides assistance in controlling wildlife that prey on livestock, damage property, or carry 

diseases that may harm livestock or people. WS may be able to 

help you:

s Protect livestock from predators like wolves, coyotes, mountain lions, and certain birds

s Reduce damage to property, crops, and natural resources from 

feral swine, bears, beavers, and other wildlife 

s Offer technical guidance to help indigenous wildlife species 

important to Native American communities thrive on Native lands

s Work cooperatively with Native American communities to 

manage rabies in wildlife

s Monitor and test for diseases in wildlife that might be transmitted to livestock and people such as plague, tularemia, 

Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and brucellosis

Funding for 

Spay and Neuter Clinics

APHIS’ Animal Care program helps Native American communities control populations of dogs and cats by providing 

funding for spay and neuter clinics on their lands. 

Engaging on Biotechnology

APHIS’ Biotechnology Regulatory Services (BRS) program 

provides information about field trials and petitions for nonregulated status of genetically engineered (GE) organisms 

that may have an impact on Native American communities. 

BRS is committed to ensuring that these communities have 

the opportunity to provide input on how these GE products 

may affect them, their cultures, and their lands.