more legislation that will undoubtedly affect our community...

[dundadundun]

i just received this email from USARK (united states association of reptile keepers)...

USARK & Reptile Nation Save 5 of 9 species from FWS Constrictor Rule!

This morning a joint press conference was held by Senator Bill Nelson of Florida, Interior Dept Director, Ken Salazar; and US Fish & Wildlife Service Director Dan Ashe at Everglades National Park (ENP) to make an Everglades conservation and preservation announcement. It was made public that a final rule would be enacted by FWS potentially restricting trade in 9 constricting snakes. Although there had been no word from FWS or White House oversight officials prior to the press conference, Andrew Wyatt CEO USARK, learned of a “rumor” on the “HILL” that there would be an announcement regarding the Constrictor Listing; a listing of 9 constricting snakes to the Injurious Wildlife list of the Lacey Act. This is an action that could destroy $104 million per year in small business while potentially making more than 1 million Americans into Lacey Act felons. This action has now come to pass; albeit in a more limited fashion than was pushed by FWS and the powerful environmental and animal rights lobby.


As of now the Constrictor Rule, when enacted, will BAN the IMPORT and INTERSTATE TRANSPORT of the following 4 species: Burmese python, Northern African python, Southern African python and yellow anaconda.

USARK will be making further announcements regarding potential legal remedy to the flagrant disregard for “science”, due process, or information quality standards by FWS and the Obama Administration. This is a clear example of policy being based on staff preference combined with political considerations, rather than clear science and due process. The FWS failed at every level to make a solid case for justifying a Lacey Act listing. How the White House can justify this train wreck of a rule to pass is a mystery. In the opinion of USARK the actions of FWS are arbitrary, capricious and unlawful. That is not a charge that is unfamiliar to FWS. In 2010 FWS scientists were found guilty of falsifying information to manufacture science to support a rule on the Delta Smelt in the Central Valley of California. FWS was found guilty of being “arbitrary, capricious and unlawful" in their effort to add the controversial fish to the Endangered Species Act. USARK will pursue available legal remedy to this travesty of justice and blatant misuse of the Lacey Act. The Lacey Act was the wrong tool for the wrong reason.

 

[petluvr]

Only the most experienced of keepers should have those snakes anyway. With the python invasion that Florida is currently having I don't think this is a bad idea. BTW I own a 10 foot boa so I am too am a reptile keeper, but I must think of the ecological effects these giants have the potential for.

 

[dundadundun]

your boa constrictor constrictor is on that list, too. this is the first mention of it not being on the list that i've encountered. the point of this email was (IMO) to let us know that legislation is moving forward despite the outcry of the reptile nation and skewed science and due process and the amount of revenue it's going to rape out of our already failing economy. i've been sending letters to my officials for two years due to this legislation, because my boa constrictor constrictor is in danger of being illegal for me to keep when i move out of state.

pet... you and i both know you can't exactly just get rid of one of these guys. there's nowhere to take them. unless it's dieing or in danger of hurting someone, a boa constrictor constrictor without a home is dead unless it's in one of the southern states, especially near the everglades. this is a problem that should be taken on by individual states.

i've seen the legislation change to be a forced pass. your snake is in jeopardy as well.

 

[Khemul]

I'm all for the banning of most the larger snakes in the state of Florida.

A federal ban is a bit excessive though.

 

[dundadundun]

usark emails i've received recently and still have...

RED ALERT: Stop Python BAN NOW!

Many have NOT sent their letters to President Obama and Congress Opposing the PYTHON BAN! If you care anything about this industry and hobby you will take action NOW! It is rumored that Interior Secretary Salazar will be grandstanding down in the Everglades next week in order to try and gain momentum for his beleaguered Constrictor Rule. HSUS and Defenders of Wildlife have spent countless thousands of dollars to lobby on behalf of the rule. USARK does not have the money to buy the kind of influence that these powerful special interests do. What we do have is Science, The Truth, and thousands of passionate members. A recent poll by the Palm Beach Post indicated that 86% of respondents were against the Python Ban. We need an unprecedented groundswell of grass roots letter writing. Obama needs to understand that there are millions of us representing a $1.4 billion industry with more than $103 million at stake with the Constrictor Rule. SEND YOUR LETTERS NOW!!!

US Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS) has a proposed rule being considered by the White House Office of Management & Budget (OMB). This is the final stage of the rule making process. This rule, if enacted, would ban the import and interstate transport of nine constricting snakes; Burmese python, Northern & Southern African pythons, Reticulated python, all four Anacondas, and Boa constrictor. This rule has been called the "Constrictor Rule". All of these constrictors would be added to the Injurious Wildlife list of the Lacey Act. If this were to happen more than 1 million American citizens could be subject to felony prosecution under the Lacey Act. It is the job of OMB to weigh the purported benefits of the rule against the economic impacts. It is also their duty to assure the rule has been given due process under the Administrative Procedures Act, Information Quality Act and all pertinent Executive Orders. USARK has created a clear public record that FWS has failed at every level to make their case for this rule. According to emails obtained by USARK it appears that staff at FWS colluded with staff at the US Geological Survey (USGS) to manufacture "science" to support this rule making after the decision had already been made to pursue a Lacey Act listing. Further, FWS grossly underestimated the economic impact. USGS has justified their flawed "science" by saying they were not required to adhere to information quality standards for science used to support the rule because the rule did not meet the standard for a major rule making ($100 million). An economic assessment of the Modern Reptile Industry commissioned by USARK, and done by Georgetown Economic Services, has since debunked USGS claims by asserting that the rule could have impact in excess of $103 million. USARK believes the actions of FWS and USGS in regards to the Constrictor Rule are arbitrary, capricious and potentially unlawful.

Please send the letter below to President Obama and your Senators and Congressmen to let them know you are aware of the actions of FWS and the negative impact on you, your family and business. Just follow the simple instructions.

Do it now and share with all your friends, family, social networks, forums and email lists! This is your chance to make a difference and help USARK set a positive precedent for our industry.



Click Here to send a letter to President Obama: http://united-states-association-of...-bad-american-small-business-families-alread/



Letter to President Obama & Congress:


The Honorable Barack Obama
President of the United States
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave, N.W.
Washington, DC 20515

Dear Mr. President,

My family and I represent a unique American Industry that has developed and grown exponentially over the past two decades—the Reptile Industry. I write to you today to describe how our hard work, job creation, and contribution to our national economy is about to be put in jeopardy. I very much want you to be aware of this dynamic because it strikes at the ability of Americans to maintain their jobs, family life, and their contributions to our American education and work ethic.

I suspect you have been approached by special interest groups that would like to end animal ownership and kill my industry by pushing enactment of the Constrictor Rule as proposed by US Fish & Wildlife Service. This rule making has failed at every turn to make the case that 9 constricting snakes should be added to the Injurious Wildlife list of the Lacey Act. The science is questionable and Fish & Wildlife has failed to do a cost benefit analysis. The rule has been pushed along by mid level bureaucrats with no regard for information quality or due process. If enacted this rule would put more than 1 million Americans in jeopardy of becoming Lacey Act felons.

The Constrictor Rule, if passed will be the beginning of the end of our industry. This rule will not solve the problem that is its purported purpose (protecting the Everglades from Invasive snakes). It will hurt American business and my family. The “science” being used to justify the rule has been called “not scientific” by scientists from around the country, including; University of Florida, Texas A&M and the National Geographic Society. The rule was so poorly constructed that it was recently the subject of a hearing conducted by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee examining this rule as an extreme example of government overreach negatively impacting a $1.4 billion cottage industry.

With your stated agenda of sound science combined with your keen awareness of the reality of the world today, I hope you will instantly identify with my problem and make certain that I and millions of Americans can get back to work free from fear of the consequences of the Constrictor Rule. I know that you will want to do the right thing to stop wasting government time and money so that our government can attend to more pressing national and international matters. This issue has clearly been demonstrated to be a localized problem in the very southern tip of Florida. It is not a situation that begs a federal Lacey Act listing.

President Obama please ask the Office of Management & Budget to turn back this rule due to the failure of Fish & Wildlife to adhere to mandated guidelines and procedures required for a rule making. Policy should be based on facts and science, not opinion or partiality. This rule is in violation of at least three of your own executive orders. This rule is inappropriate on many levels and if passed it will reflect badly on you and your administration.

The Constrictor Rule is a prejudicial, economically damaging, and ineffective rule.

Thank you for your consideration.





CC: US House of Representatives, US Senate

Take Action Today; Federal Python BAN

If you value your ability to keep reptiles please take action today! USARK is engaged in trying to motivate a MASSIVE letter writing campaign to defeat the Constrictor Rule that would add 9 constricting snakes to the Injurious Wildlife list of the Lacey Act. If this rule is enacted by US Fish & Wildlife Service over 1 million American citizens could be subject to felony prosecution under the Lacey Act. This is SERIOUS! Don't let this happen. A campaign to urge President Obama and Congressional Members to turn this fundamentally flawed Rule back was initiated by USARK last Thursday. Currently there have been a little over 11,000 letters generated by the Reptile Nation to President Obama to examine the arbitrary and capricious actions of some members of US Fish & Wildlife Service in their zeal to secure hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars to study pythons. We need more than 25,000 letters. This could destroy thousands of American families and small businesses to the tune of about $103 million a year. It is a matter of public record that FWS has avoided mandatory information quality standards and due process in their hunt for federal funding. DON'T LET THIS HAPPEN!

Send President Obama a letter voicing your opposition to the Python Ban Today! Then send this email to your family and friends! WE NEED MORE LETTERS!!!! 25,000 is the GOAL... DO IT NOW!!!

***Make sure you follow the instructions until you recieve a confirmation that your letters were sent. Don't stop until you have been prompted that you have completed the form and your letter has been sent.***

Click here to send your letters: http://united-states-association-of...-bad-american-small-business-families-alread/

RED ALERT: Stop Federal Python BAN!

This is the final push in the BIG FIGHT to stop the Boa and Python BAN! This BIG FIGHT has been 4 years in the making (since 2008) ... Help USARK put the Python Ban to rest in 2012! Please participate and help the Reptile Nation overcome the most devistating attack the Herp Community has ever faced!! Please read and follow the instructions to ensure your voice is heard by President Obama, the US Congress and the US Senate.

US Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS) has a proposed rule being considered by the White House Office of Management & Budget (OMB). This is the final stage of the rule making process. This rule, if enacted, would ban the import and interstate transport of nine constricting snakes; Burmese python, Northern & Southern African pythons, Reticulated python, all four Anacondas, and Boa constrictor. This rule has been called the "Constrictor Rule". All of these constrictors would be added to the Injurious Wildlife list of the Lacey Act. If this were to happen more than 1 million American citizens could be subject to felony prosecution under the Lacey Act. It is the job of OMB to weigh the purported benefits of the rule against the economic impacts. It is also their duty to assure the rule has been given due process under the Administrative Procedures Act, Information Quality Act and all pertinent Executive Orders. USARK has created a clear public record that FWS has failed at every level to make their case for this rule. According to emails obtained by USARK it appears that staff at FWS colluded with staff at the US Geological Survey (USGS) to manufacture "science" to support this rule making after the decision had already been made to pursue a Lacey Act listing. Further, FWS grossly underestimated the economic impact. USGS has justified their flawed "science" by saying they were not required to adhere to information quality standards for science used to support the rule because the rule did not meet the standard for a major rule making ($100 million). An economic assessment of the Modern Reptile Industry commissioned by USARK, and done by Georgetown Economic Services, has since debunked USGS claims by asserting that the rule could have impact in excess of $103 million. USARK believes the actions of FWS and USGS in regards to the Constrictor Rule are arbitrary, capricious and potentially unlawful.

Please send the letter below to President Obama and your Senators and Congressmen to let them know you are aware of the actions of FWS and the negative impact on you, your family and business. Just follow the simple instructions.

Do it now and share with all your friends, family, social networks, forums and email lists! This is your chance to make a difference and help USARK set a positive precedent for our industry.



Click Here to send a letter to President Obama: http://united-states-association-of...-bad-american-small-business-families-alread/

here's some useful information... http://www.usark.org/statelaws.php

oh, how time flies. sorry, but i need to correct myself... i've been involved since 2008. that's 4 years of letter writing, not 2.

 

[dundadundun]

I'm all for the banning of most the larger snakes in the state of Florida.

A federal ban is a bit excessive though.

:iagree:

 

[petluvr]

your boa constrictor constrictor is on that list, too. this is the first mention of it not being on the list that i've encountered. the point of this email was (IMO) to let us know that legislation is moving forward despite the outcry of the reptile nation and skewed science and due process and the amount of revenue it's going to rape out of our already failing economy. i've been sending letters to my officials for two years due to this legislation, because my boa constrictor constrictor is in danger of being illegal for me to keep when i move out of state.

pet... you and i both know you can't exactly just get rid of one of these guys. there's nowhere to take them. unless it's dieing or in danger of hurting someone, a boa constrictor constrictor without a home is dead unless it's in one of the southern states, especially near the everglades. this is a problem that should be taken on by individual states.

i've seen the legislation change to be a forced pass. your snake is in jeopardy as well.

I am talking about the state of Florida and other gulf coast states, federally banning all constrictors is a bit excessive I will agree.

 

[dundadundun]

Keep in mind snake owners are a niche group that has to stick together less the evils that be disband the reptile nation systematically from the bottom up.

Must i remind everyone that not too long ago this site was even sending out mass pms about legislation to ban all non indigenous pets including fish and overturn the lacey act?

We must know our allies less we make them allies of our enemies through ignorance of their needs and our common enemy becomes stronger while we weaken.

Sent from my A70H using MonsterAquariaNetwork App

 

[SubRosa]

At this point any ban is no more than a feel good measure. Those particular genies are out of the bottle and getiing them back in is a practical impossibility, unless mother nature gives a helping hand. But of course that would mean catastrophe from an agricultural standpoint so I wouldn't wish too hard for it. Our situation on this is pretty grim as outlined by Martin Niemoeller:

"When the Nazis came for the communists,
I remained silent;
I was not a communist.

When they locked up the social democrats,
I remained silent;
I was not a social democrat.

When they came for the trade unionists,
I did not speak out;
I was not a trade unionist.

When they came for the Jews,
I remained silent;
I wasn't a Jew.

When they came for me,
there was no one left to speak out.

This describes the average American to a "T". Most people don't want reptiles as pets and it takes little encouragement to make them think that nobody should have them. If the concept of "While I do not agree with what you do, I will defend your right to do it" is not reincorporated into the American pysche then it's just a matter of time until they come for the last of us.

 

[dundadundun]

:y220e: bravo, john... bravo!