WHEREAS, traditional breeds of livestock are an essential part of the American agricultural inheritance, evoking our past and are an important resource for our future; and

WHEREAS, many traditional breeds of livestock are becoming rare because of the destruction of the native habitats of livestock breeds and due to the development of genetically uniform livestock breeds that meet the preferences of consumers for food production; and

WHEREAS, many breeds which are reaching extinction are part of our national heritage and represent a unique piece of the earth’s bio-diversity; and

WHEREAS, throughout agricultural history, each generation has taken its turn as stewards of America’s livestock, as we meet the challenge to keep a balance between conservation of genetic diversity and commercial interests, such as the technological development of breeds that generate growth performance, are disease resistance, exhibit ease of handling in regards to marketable production; and

WHEREAS, over 30% of global mammalian and avian livestock breeds (i.e., 1,200 to 1,500 breeds) are currently at risk of being lost and cannot be replaced; and

WHEREAS, conserving and using diversity in farming systems to maintain local livestock breeds can be balanced with the need for breeding programs that produce genetically improved breeds for consumer production; and

WHEREAS, the State of Nevada recognizes the importance of the diversity of livestock breeds and their wild relatives and the necessity of ancestral lines being preserved for future needs;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, JIM GIBBONS, GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, do hereby proclaim July 1, 2008, as