R657-3-3. Cooperative Agreements with Department of Health and Department of Agriculture and Food -- Agency Responsibilities

(1) The division, the Department of Agriculture and Food, and the Department of Health work cooperatively through memorandums of understanding to:

(a) protect the health, welfare, and safety of the public;

(b) protect the health, welfare, safety, and genetic integrity of wildlife, including environmental and ecological impacts; and

(c) protect the health, welfare, safety, and genetic integrity of domestic livestock, poultry, and other animals.

(2) The division is responsible for:

(a) issuing certificates of registration for the collection, possession, importation, and transportation of animals;

(b) maintaining the integrity of wild and free-ranging protected wildlife;

(c) determining the species of animals that may be imported, possessed, and transported within the state;

(d) preventing the outbreak and controlling the spread of disease-causing pathogens among aquatic animals in public aquaculture facilities;

(e) preventing the spread of disease-causing pathogens from aquatic animals in, to be deposited in, or harvested from public aquaculture facilities and private ponds to aquatic wildlife, other animals, and humans;

(f) preventing the spread of disease-causing pathogens from aquatic animals to other aquatic animals transferred from one site to another in the wild;

(g) investigating and preventing the outbreak and controlling the spread of disease-causing pathogens in terrestrial wildlife;

(h) preventing the spread of disease-causing pathogens from terrestrial animals to other terrestrial animals transferred from one site to another; and

(i) enforcing laws and rules made by the Wildlife Board governing the collection, importation, transportation, and possession of animals.

(3)(a) The Utah Department of Agriculture and Food is responsible for eliminating, reducing, and preventing the spread of diseases among livestock, fish, poultry, wildlife, and other animals by providing standards for:

(i) the importation of livestock, fish, poultry, and other animals, including wildlife, as provided in Section R58-1-4;

(ii) the control of predators and depredating animals as provided in Title 4, Chapter 23, Agriculture and Wildlife Damage Prevention Act;

(iii) enforcing laws and rules made by the Wildlife Board governing species of animals which may be imported into the state or possessed or transported within the state that are applicable to aquaculture or fee fishing facilities;

(iv) preventing the outbreak and controlling the spread of disease-causing pathogens among aquatic animals in aquaculture and fee fishing facilities; and

(v) preventing the spread of disease-causing pathogens from aquatic animals in, to be deposited in, or harvested from aquaculture or fee fishing facilities to aquatic wildlife, or other animals, and humans.

(b) The Department of Agriculture and Food may quarantine any infected domestic animal or area within the state to prevent the spread of infectious or contagious disease as provided in Title 4, Chapter 31, Section 17.

(c) In addition to the authority and responsibilities listed in Subsection (3)(a) and (b), the Department of Agriculture and Food may make recommendations to the division concerning the collection, importation, transportation, and possession of animals if a disease is suspected of endangering livestock, fish, poultry, or other domestic animals.

(4) The Utah Department of Health is responsible for promoting and protecting public health and welfare and may make recommendations to the division concerning the collection, importation, transportation, and possession of animals if a disease or animal is suspected of endangering public health or welfare.