The umbrella cooperative agreement has 5 components including cattle, avian, one health, sheep-goats-cervids-equine and swine, all of which focus on surveillance for animal diseases both domestic…

The Department of Livestock Montana received a $702,498 Cooperative Agreement award effective April 1, 2025 through March 31, 2026 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) under the Plant and Animal Disease, Pest Control, and Animal Care program (CFDA 10.025). This umbrella cooperative agreement comprises five components focused on animal disease surveillance and mitigation across multiple species. The award supports surveillance activities for cattle (brucellosis, tuberculosis, bovine spongiform encephalopathy, and foreign animal diseases), avian species (avian influenza and Newcastle disease), swine (classical swine fever, African swine fever, pseudorabies, and swine brucellosis), and sheep, goats, cervids, and equines (scrapie, chronic wasting disease, tuberculosis, and foreign animal diseases including vesicular stomatitis).

Beyond surveillance operations, the cooperative agreement funds One Health education and outreach initiatives targeting producers and the general public regarding zoonotic disease risks and mitigation strategies, including training on Incident Command System protocols. Deliverables and outcomes are designed to maintain the economic viability of Montana's animal industries by meeting established sampling minimums for specific species and diseases, enabling rapid response to disease incursions, and supporting early mitigation efforts. These activities collectively work to preserve animal and human life while protecting the national food supply and sustaining agricultural jobs across the state.

Intended beneficiaries

Will be the animal producers/processors in montana but also the public. Sub-awards: montana fish wildlife and parks will be a sub-awardee as they will accomplish the surveillance of ELK and bison for brucellosis within and around the designated surveillance area which is a key indicator of what commercial cattle or bison ranches are at risk for exposure to brucellosis.