November 19, 2003

To:      All National, State, and County United States Cattle Associations

From:  Bill Bullard, CEO, R-CALF USA

Re:  Invitation to Participate in the Cattle Industry COOL Summit II on December 9, 2003

Dear Representatives of all U.S. Cattle Associations,

            Your association is cordially invited to participate in the upcoming Cattle Industry COOL Summit II to be held from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., MST, on December 9, 2003, at the Red Lion Hotel Denver Central, 4040 Quebec Street, Denver, Colorado.

Representatives from 15 U.S. cattle associations, representing the mid-section of the United States cattle industry, met in Denver, CO, on November 18, 2003, to develop a simplified, low-cost method of verifying the origins of live cattle.  The 28 participants at this meeting made significant progress both in identifying ways to improve USDA’s proposed COOL rules as well as ways to modify existing ideas for an even better origin identification system.

            Participants agreed that the U.S. live cattle industry needs to step to the plate to resolve the challenges associated with implementing the COOL law.  Further, the participants agreed that the industry needs to cooperate in the effort to develop implementation rules that impose the least burden and least cost on U.S. cattle producers.

            Please find the attached notes from the November 18, 2003, Cattle Industry COOL Summit.  A statement of purpose and an agenda for the December 9, 2003, COOL Summit II meeting will be distributed prior to the meeting.

            Each national, state, and county cattle association is invited to send no more than two representatives to represent their association.  If two representatives are sent, at least one of the representatives must also be a cattle producer.        

Please RSVP to Jenni Ries at jenniries@r-calfusa.com if your association is planning to attend.  This is important as seating will be limited to those who RSVP. 

You may make room reservations at the Red Lion Hotel Denver Central at 303-321-6666.  Room rates will be $59 plus tax and be sure to say you are with the Cattle Summit. 

Please contact me, Bill Bullard, at 406-252-2516 if you should have any questions or need any additional information.  We look forward to working with you to develop an industry-wide recommendation for USDA that addresses the concerns of U.S. cattle producers.