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Federal invasive bill is back HR669
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by tigers9 on January 27, 2009
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Waiting for the text, I ASSume it will be similar to last years HR 6311, which would/could ban import of domestic cats as invasive species, not to mention wipe out exotic industry
Z
http://www.rexano.org/HR6311_Wildlife_Invasion_Frame.htm
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H.R.669
Title: To prevent the introduction and establishment of nonnative wildlife species that negatively impact the economy, environment, or other animal species' or human health, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Bordallo, Madeleine Z. [GU] (introduced 1/26/2009) Cosponsors (9)
Latest Major Action: 1/26/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
________________________________________
All Information (except text) Text of Legislation
Summary Major Congressional Actions
All Congressional Actions
All Congressional Actions with Amendments
With links to Congressional Record pages, votes,reports
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RE: Federal invasive bill is back HR669
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by tigers9 on January 27, 2009
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Here is HSU$ press on it
Z
http://www.hsus.org/press_and_publications/press_releases/bill_to_address_exotic_animal_importation_introduced_012709.html
Congresswoman Bordallo Introduces Bill to Protect People and Native Wildlife by Addressing Exotic Animal Importation
January 27, 2009
The Humane Society of the United States and Humane Society International welcomed the introduction yesterday of the Nonnative Wildlife Invasion Prevention Act (H.R. 669) in the U.S. House of Representatives by Congresswoman Madeleine Z. Bordallo (D-Guam).
The bill is designed to prevent the introduction and establishment in the United States of nonnative wildlife species that may harm the economy, the environment, human health or native wildlife. H.R. 669 would require the federal government to assess the risk of nonnative wildlife species proposed for importation and, with public input, decide if the importation of these animals should be allowed or prohibited.
"Each year, millions of wild animals are captured overseas and imported into the United States," said Michael Markarian, executive vice president of The HSUS. "This trade results in the suffering and death of large numbers of animals, poses unnecessary risks to public health and jeopardizes native wildlife populations here and abroad. We are grateful to Congresswoman Bordallo for working to address this global problem."
Imported wild animals may escape or may be let loose by owners who cannot properly care for them. These animals sometimes die from starvation, predation or exposure. Sometimes, however, they thrive putting people, domestic pets and native wildlife at risk.
Facts
Under current regulations, the Fish and Wildlife Service can declare species "injurious," making it illegal to import these animals or sell them over state lines as pets. However, this process typically takes years to complete and occurs after species are established, when eradicating them can be expensive, inhumane and nearly impossible.
Congresswoman Bordallo represents the island of Guam, where brown tree snakes accidentally introduced after World War II have decimated native bird and lizard populations.
According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, in 2005 the United States imported the following numbers of live, wild animals: nearly 88,000 mammals; 259,000 birds; more than 1 million reptiles; more than 5 million amphibians and more than 200 million fish.
The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora aims to ensure sustainability and humane treatment in the international wildlife trade, but many species are not covered and even covered species may be harmed by trade.
-30-
The Humane Society of the United States is the nation's largest animal protection organization backed by 10.5 million Americans, or one of every 30. For more than a half-century, The HSUS has been fighting for the protection of all animals through advocacy, education and hands-on programs. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty On the web at humanesociety.org.
Humane Society International is the international arm of The Humane Society of the United States, one of the world's largest animal protection organizations backed by 10.5 million people. HSI is creating a better future for animals and people through advocacy, education, and hands-on programs. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty worldwide On the web at hsi.org.
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RE: Federal invasive bill is back HR669
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by Cro on January 27, 2009
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I wonder if we will see an effort from USARK to fight against this proposed Federal Ban ?
Best Regards
John Z
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RE: Federal invasive bill is back HR669
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by tigers9 on January 27, 2009
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Bill sponsors intro crap
INTRODUCTION OF THE NONNATIVE WILDLIFE INVASION PREVENTION ACT -- (Extensions of Remarks - January 26, 2009)
[Page: E142]
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SPEECH OF
HON. MADELEINE Z. BORDALLO
OF GUAM
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MONDAY, JANUARY 26, 2009
Ms. BORDALLO. Madam Speaker, today I have reintroduced a bill to protect the United States from harm caused by invasive species. In the 110th Congress, I introduced H.R. 6311, the Nonnative Wildlife Invasion Prevention Act, in response to the increasing economic, environmental, and human health threats posed by invasive wildlife species. I am reintroducing this legislation as a proactive approach to combating invasive wildlife species by prohibiting their importation.
Nonnative plants and animals are known by scientists to have been introduced into ecosystems in all 50 States, the District of Columbia, and the territories. Invasive, nonnative species can harm the economy, environment, other animal species' health and human health. Such harm ranges, for example, from depreciating farmland property values and loss of irrigation water to increasing spread of disease. Additionally, collapse of buildings, competition with native animals, sport, game, and endangered species losses, habitat alteration, and other ecosystem disturbances, have all resulted from the introduction of certain invasive species.
Scientists and economists generally estimate the cost of damages caused by invasive species in the United States to amount to over $123 billion annually. The risks associated with the introduction and establishment of invasive species, and the costs of mitigation, will continue to rise concomitantly with the expansion of trade and increased speed and frequency of travel around the world and within the United States. The volume of cargo shipped and exchanged worldwide continues to increase and many communities across the United States are experiencing growth in tourism. These factors are reason alone to develop protocols and a system for assessing the risk of all nonnative wildlife species that could be imported or introduced into the United States.
Preventing the introduction of invasive species is a significant challenge and priority for many communities across the country, including my district, Guam. Invasive species, for example, threaten the biodiversity and the ecology of the Florida Everglades, the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, and the Great Lakes, among other national environmental treasures. On Guam, the brown tree snake has caused the extirpation of many endemic forest birds and lizards. The coqui tree frog and the coconut rhinoceros beetle are the latest species to have entered Guam. Although these species were 1 accidentally introduced, intentional introduction of invasive species is something that can and should be controlled. The bill reintroduced today would protect citizens, the economy, and the environment from imported wildlife species that have the known potential to and that would likely harm our interests in the United States.
Absent a comprehensive federal law addressing the importation of nonnative species, the only protection is provided by the Lacey Act Amendments of 1981. This law authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to designate wildlife species considered ``injurious'' to humans and prohibits importation of such species into the country. The process, however, to designate a species as injurious can take up to four years, at which point harm has already been done.
The Nonnative Wildlife Invasion Prevention Act authorizes the establishment by regulation of a risk assessment process to control the importation of wildlife species. The bill adopts a preventative approach by requiring the Secretary of the Interior to develop with public notice and public input a ``green list'' of species allowed to be imported and a ``black list'' preventing invasive species from entering the country. Prior to approving a species to be imported, the Secretary must evaluate its potential risk to human, other animal species, and environmental health. Any imports of species, which are not on the ``green list,'' will be subject to penalties under the Lacey Act Amendments of 1981. The Secretary, however, may permit importation of an animal of such other prohibited species for educational, scientific research, or accredited zoological or aquarium display purposes. Finally, import fees will be collected to cover the costs of the risk assessment process.
I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to advance this legislation and to strengthen the abilities of the federal government to more effectively manage and prevent the introduction and establishment of nonnative wildlife species.
END
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by tigers9 on January 27, 2009
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H.R.669
Sponsor: Rep Bordallo, Madeleine Z. [Democrat-GU] (introduced 1/26/2009) Cosponsors (9)
Cosponsors:
Democrats: Napolitano Grace [CA-38], George Miller [CA-7], McGovern James P.[MA-3], Klein Ron [FL-22], Kind Ron [WI-3], Kildee Dale [MI-5], Hastings Alcee [FL-23], Grijalva Raul M. [AZ-7], Abercrombie Neil [HI-1]
Republicans: NONE so Far
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RE: Federal invasive bill is back HR669
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by tigers9 on January 28, 2009
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text
H.R.669
Nonnative Wildlife Invasion Prevention Act (Introduced in House)
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January 26, 2009
Ms. BORDALLO (for herself, Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California, Mr. ABERCROMBIE, Mr. HASTINGS of Florida, Mr. KIND, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mrs. NAPOLITANO, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. KLEIN of Florida, and Mr. KILDEE) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources
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A BILL
To prevent the introduction and establishment of nonnative wildlife species that negatively impact the economy, environment, or other animal species' or human health, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the `Nonnative Wildlife Invasion Prevention Act'.
SEC. 2. PURPOSE.
The purpose of this Act is to establish a risk assessment process to prevent the introduction into, and establishment in, the United States of nonnative wildlife species that will cause or are likely to cause economic or environmental harm or harm to other animal species' health or human health.
SEC. 3. RISK ASSESSMENT PROCESS FOR IMPORTATION OF NONNATIVE WILDLIFE SPECIES.
(a) In General- The Secretary of the Interior, acting through the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, shall promulgate regulations that establish a process for assessing the risk of all nonnative wildlife species proposed for importation into the United States, other than nonnative wildlife species that are included in the list of approved species issued under section 4.
(b) Factors To Be Considered- The regulations promulgated under subsection (a) shall include consideration of--
(1) the identity of the organism to the species level, including to the extent possible specific information on its subspecies and genetic identity;
(2) the native range of the species;
(3) whether the species has established or spread, or caused harm to the economy, the environment, or other animal species or human health in ecosystems in or ecosystems that are similar to those in the United States;
(4) the likelihood that environmental conditions suitable for the establishment or spread of the species exist in the United States;
(5) the likelihood of establishment of the species in the United States;
(6) the likelihood of spread of the species in the United States;
(7) the likelihood that the species would harm wildlife resources in the United States;
(8) the likelihood that the species would harm native species that are rare or native species that have been listed as threatened species or endangered species in the United States under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.);
(9) the likelihood that the species would harm habitats or ecosystems in the United States;
(10) the likelihood that pathogenic species or parasitic species may accompany the species proposed for importation; and
(11) other factors important to assessing the risks associated with the species, consistent with the purpose under section 2.
(c) Notice- In promulgating the regulations under subsection (a), the Secretary shall provide notice to States, Indian tribes, other stakeholders concerned with environmental, humane, public health, economic, trade, and other relevant issues, the Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force, the National Invasive Species Council, the Department of Agriculture, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
(d) Transparency- The Secretary shall ensure that the risk assessment process established by the regulations under subsection (a) is based on sound science and is consistent with sections 4 and 5.
(e) Deadlines- The Secretary shall--
(1) publish in the Federal Register proposed regulations under subsection (a) and a proposed preliminary list of approved species under section 4(b), by not later than 2 years after the date of the enactment of this Act;
(2) publish in the Federal Register final regulations under subsection (a), a final preliminary list of approved species under section 4(b), and a notice of the prohibitions under this Act, by not later than 30 days before the date on which the Secretary begins assessing risk under the regulations; and
(3) begin assessing risk with respect to nonnative wildlife species under the final regulations promulgated under subsection (a), and publish notice thereof, by not later than 37 months after the date of the enactment of this Act.
(f) Animals Owned Lawfully Prior to Prohibition of Importation- This Act and regulations issued under this Act shall not interfere with the ability of any person to possess an individual animal of any species if such individual animal was legally owned by the person before the risk assessment is begun pursuant to subsection (e)(3), even if such species is later prohibited from being imported under the regulations issued under this Act.
SEC. 4. LIST OF APPROVED SPECIES.
(a) Requirement To Issue List of Approved Species-
(1) IN GENERAL- Not later than 36 months after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall publish in the Federal Register a list of nonnative wildlife species approved for importation into the United States.
(2) EXCLUSION OF CERTAIN SPECIES- The Secretary shall not include in the list--
(A) any species included in the list of prohibited species under section 5; or
(B) any species, the importation of which is prohibited by any other Federal law or regulation of the United States due to the likelihood of causing harm to the economy, the environment, or other animal species or human health.
(3) REVISION- The Secretary may revise the list issued under this section based on available scientific and commercial information.
(b) Preliminary List-
(1) IN GENERAL- The Secretary shall include in the preliminary list under this section nonnative wildlife species that the Secretary finds, consistent with the factors described in section 3(b) and based on scientific and commercial information that is provided in a proposal under paragraph (2) or otherwise available to the Secretary--
(A) are not harmful to the United States' economy, the environment, or other animal species' or human health; or
(B) may be harmful to the United States' economy, the environment, or other animal species' or human health, but already are so widespread in the United States that it is clear to the Secretary that any import prohibitions or restrictions would have no practical utility for the United States.
(2) PROPOSALS FOR INCLUSION IN PRELIMINARY LIST- The Secretary--
(A) shall, by not later than 60 days after the date of enactment of this Act, publish in the Federal Register, and make available on a publically available Federal Internet site, a request for submission, by any interested persons (including persons that import or that intend to import nonnative wildlife species), of proposals of nonnative wildlife species to be included in the preliminary list under this subsection and supporting documentation for such proposals;
(B) shall accept such proposals for 10 months after the date the Secretary publishes the request for submissions; and
(C) may propose a nonnative wildlife species for inclusion in the preliminary list.
(3) PUBLIC NOTICE AND COMMENT- Before issuing the final preliminary list of approved species under this subsection, the Secretary shall--
(A) publish in the Federal Register and make available on a publicly available Federal Internet site, the proposed preliminary list; and
(B) provide for, a period of not less than 60 days, an opportunity to submit public comments on the proposed preliminary list.
(4) PUBLICATION OF LIST- The Secretary shall publish in the Federal Register and make available on a publicly available Federal Internet site, the final preliminary list under this subsection.
(c) Proposal for Inclusion on the Approved List-
(1) SUBMISSION OF PROPOSALS-
(A) IN GENERAL- After publication of the final preliminary list under subsection (b)--
(i) any interested person may submit to the Secretary in accordance with subparagraph (B) a proposal to include a nonnative wildlife species in the approved list under this section (including a request to import such a species that is not in the list published under this section and section 5, respectively); and
(ii) upon receipt of a complete proposal under clause (i), the Secretary shall publish notice of the proposal in the Federal Register and provide an opportunity for 30 days of public comment on the proposal.
(B) INFORMATION REQUIRED- Any proposal under this paragraph must include sufficient scientific and commercial information to allow the Secretary to evaluate whether the proposed nonnative wildlife species is likely to cause economic or environmental harm or harm to other animal species' or human health.
(2) DETERMINATION- Based on scientific and commercial information provided in a proposal under paragraph (1) or otherwise available to the Secretary, the Secretary shall make one of the following determinations regarding such a proposal in a reasonable period of time and in accordance with the regulations issued under section 3:
(A) The nonnative wildlife species is approved for importation, and is added to the list of approved species under this section.
(B) The nonnative wildlife species is not approved for importation, unless permitted under section 7.
(C) The Secretary has insufficient scientific and commercial information to make a determination under subparagraph (A) or (B).
(3) TREATMENT OF UNAPPROVED SPECIES- If the Secretary makes a determination under paragraph (2)(B) that a nonnative wildlife species is not approved for importation, the Secretary shall include the nonnative wildlife species in the list of unapproved species under section 5.
(4) NOTICE OF DETERMINATION- The Secretary shall publish in the Federal Register notice of the determination made under paragraph (2) and make available on a publicly available Federal Internet site or through other appropriate means, the basis for the determination.
SEC. 5. LIST OF UNAPPROVED SPECIES.
(a) Requirement To Issue List of Unapproved Species-
(1) IN GENERAL- The Secretary shall publish in the Federal Register a list of nonnative wildlife species that are prohibited from importation into the United States except as provided in section 7.
(2) INCLUDED SPECIES- The list under this subsection shall include--
(A) those species listed as injurious wildlife under section 42 of title 18, United States Code, or under regulations under that section, as of the date of enactment of this Act; and
(B) any other species the Secretary determines under section 4(c)(2)(B) is not approved for importation.
(b) Proposal for Inclusion on the List of Unapproved Species-
(1) PROPOSAL-
(A) IN GENERAL- Any person may submit to the Secretary a proposal to add to the list under this section any nonnative wildlife species.
(B) INFORMATION REQUIRED- Any proposal under this subsection must include sufficient scientific and commercial information to allow the Secretary to evaluate whether the proposed nonnative wildlife species is likely to cause economic or environmental harm or harm to other animal species' or human health.
(2) NOTICE- The Secretary shall publish notice of a complete proposal in the Federal Register and provide an opportunity for 30 days of public comment on the proposal.
(3) DETERMINATION- Based on scientific and commercial information provided in a proposal under paragraph (1) or otherwise available to the Secretary, the Secretary shall make one of the following determinations regarding such a proposal in a reasonable period of time and in accordance with regulations issued under section 3:
(A) The nonnative wildlife species is not approved for importation except as provided in section 7, and is added to the list of unapproved species under this section.
(B) The nonnative wildlife species is approved for importation.
(C) The Secretary has insufficient scientific and commercial information to make a determination under subparagraph (A) or (B).
(4) TREATMENT OF APPROVED SPECIES- If the Secretary makes a determination under paragraph (3)(B) that a nonnative wildlife species is approved for importation, the Secretary shall include the nonnative wildlife species in the list of approved species under section 4.
(5) NOTICE OF DETERMINATION- The Secretary shall publish in the Federal Register notice of the determination made under paragraph (3) and make available on a publicly available Federal Internet site or through other appropriate means the basis for the determination.
(c) Revision- The Secretary may revise the list issued under this section based on any scientific and commercial information available to the Secretary.
(d) Emergency Authority and Temporary Prohibition-
(1) IN GENERAL- If the Secretary determines that an emergency exists because a nonnative wildlife species poses an imminent threat of harm to the United States economy, the environment, or human or animal species' health, the Secretary may temporarily include the nonnative wildlife species in the list of unapproved species under this section and, as appropriate, remove the species from the list of approved species under section 4.
(2) NOTICE OF TEMPORARY LISTING- The Secretary shall publish in the Federal Register notice of each temporary listing under this subsection and make available on a publicly available Federal Internet site or through other appropriate means the basis for the temporary listing.
(3) DETERMINATION- Within 180 days after temporarily including a nonnative wildlife species in the unapproved species list under this section, the Secretary shall make a final determination under subsection (b)(3) regarding the species, publish in the Federal Register notice of the final determination, and make available on a publicly available Federal Internet site or through other appropriate means the basis for the final determination.
(4) LIMITATION ON PROCEDURES- The procedures under section 4(c)(1)(A)(ii), subsection (b)(2) of this section, and section 553 of title 5, United States Code, shall not apply to determinations under this subsection.
SEC. 6. PROHIBITIONS AND PENALTIES.
(a) Prohibitions- Except as provided in this section or in section 7, it is unlawful for any person subject to the jurisdiction of the United States to--
(1) import into or export from the United States any nonnative wildlife species that is not included in the list of approved species issued under section 4;
(2) transport between any State by any means whatsoever any nonnative wildlife species that is not included in the list of approved species issued under section 4;
(3) violate any term or condition of a permit issued under section 7;
(4) possess (except as provided in section 3(f)), sell or offer to sell, purchase or offer to purchase, or barter for or offer to barter for, any nonnative wildlife species that is prohibited from being imported under paragraph (1);
(5) release into the wild any nonnative wildlife species that is prohibited from being imported under paragraph (1); or
(6) breed any nonnative wildlife species that is prohibited from being imported under paragraph (1), or provide any such species to another person for breeding purposes.
(b) Penalties and Enforcement- Any person who violates subsection (a) shall be subject to the civil penalties and criminal penalties described in section 4 of the Lacey Act Amendments of 1981 (16 U.S.C. 3373). Sections 4(b), 4(e), 5, and 6 of that Act shall apply to such a violation in the same manner as they apply to a violation of that Act.
(c) Limitation on Application-
(1) IN GENERAL- The prohibitions in subsection (a) shall not apply to--
(A) any action by Federal, State, tribal, or local law enforcement personnel to enforce this section; and
(B) any action by Federal or State officials to prevent the introduction or establishment of nonnative wildlife species.
(2) IMPORTATION AND TRANSPORTATION BY FEDERAL AGENCIES- Nothing in this Act shall restrict the import or transportation between any States of nonnative wildlife species by a Federal agency for its own use, if the nonnative wildlife species remains in the possession of a Federal agency.
(d) Effective Date- This section shall take effect upon the publication of notice under section 3(e)(3).
SEC. 7. PERMITS.
(a) In General- The Secretary may issue a permit authorizing importation otherwise prohibited under section 6(a)(1), for scientific research, medical, accredited zoological or aquarium display purposes, or for educational purposes that are specifically reviewed, approved, and verified by the Secretary, if the Secretary finds that there has been a proper showing by the permittee of responsibility for the specimen and continued protection of the public interest and health with respect to the specimen.
(b) Terms and Conditions- The Secretary may include in a permit under subsection (a) terms and conditions to minimize the risk of introduction or establishment of the nonnative wildlife species in the United States.
SEC. 8. FEES.
(a) Fee for Proposal To Include Species in List-
(1) IN GENERAL- The Secretary shall establish in the regulations under section 3, and collect, a fee from any person that after publication of the final preliminary list under section 4(b) submits to the Secretary--
(A) a proposal under section 4(c) to include a nonnative wildlife species to the list of approved species under section 4; or
(B) a proposal under section 5(b) to include a nonnative wildlife species to the list of unapproved species under section 5.
(2) PURPOSE- The fee shall be to recover costs of assessing risk of nonnative wildlife species under the regulations issued under section 3.
(b) Nonnative Wildlife Invasion Prevention Fund-
(1) ESTABLISHMENT- There is established in the Treasury a separate account, which shall be known as the Nonnative Wildlife Invasion Prevention Fund.
(2) CONTENTS- There shall be deposited into the account all amounts received by the United States as fees under this section or as fines for violations of this Act and its implementing regulations.
(3) USE- Amounts in the account shall be available to the Secretary, subject to the availability of appropriations, for the purposes of implementing this Act.
SEC.
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RE: Federal invasive bill is back HR669
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by xvenomx on January 29, 2009
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It amazes me that politicians and law makers push this bull$#### year after year . I mean, perhaps they should be more concerned with an even more invasive species, perhaps the MOST invasive of all. And if you are reading this, you are one of those creatures. And odds are you also own one of the other two extremely invasive species,(which should be on the top of any list of "invasive species") that are, and shall remain legal in all states, counties,cities and towns in america......DOGS AND CATS. Animals that should be banned.
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RE: Federal invasive bill is back HR669
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by Cro on January 29, 2009
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Well, this is a bit confusing.
In reading the proposed law, it would seem that it could shut down the import of almost all reptiles and amphibians, if they are added to the "list" of injurious wildlife.
But I do not see a "list" of injurious wildlife attached to the bill yet.
I get a EMail from USARK, and they state:
WARNING- HR6311 Reintroduced as HR669- BAN ON BOAS & PYTHONS!!
And they have a link asking us to sign a Petition. Well, I go to the Petition, and it says:
** There is NO evidence to support the premise that the continued import of Boa, Python & Eunectes would negatively impact the economy, environment, or human or animal species health.
** Broken Screens, the report which is the basis for the writing of H.R. 669, is not a science based document. It is a propaganda piece produced by a radical environmentalist group in league with the Animal Rights Movement.
** The so called Risk Assessment measures in this bill take a Guilty Until Proven Innocent approach that flies in the face of reason and promotes prejudicial treatment of all animals listed.
** Citizens of the United States are appalled that well funded special interest groups are able to promote fiction as fact and we demand Boa, Python and Eunectes be removed from H.R. 669.
Well, this makes me wonder a bit, as we are presented with a petition about boas and pythons, that does not address what would appear to be the bill that has been introduced. Sure, they might add boas and pythons to the list of undesirable animals, but should not we be protesting the proposed law itself, and not the banning of a couple of animal types that might become part of that law ???
When I tried to sign the petition, it would not let me sign it, as it said I had already signed. Well, I did sign the petition a year or so ago, back when it was against the older bill, so I guess USARK is just re-cycling the old petition that many of us signed in the past.
Frankly, I have little faith in petitions. They seem a lazy way to make folks think they have done something to help. Heck, a couple of mouse clicks and you have helped save the pythons and boas. That is far easier than writting a letter to the legislative folks who have proposed the law. And far easier than attending the public meetings that will be mandated before this proposal can become law. And far easier than making a telephone call to your Senators and Congressmen.
A lot of this proposed law about invasive animals is from some Congress person from the Phillipines, where the introduced Brown Tree Snake has done a huge amount of damage to the bird populations. However, that does not mean that the same thing will happen in the mainland of the US.
Although a few introduced reptiles and amphibians have established populations in sub-tropical parts of southern states, for the most part, the animals they will seek to ban with this bill would not survive here, even if they were released in large numbers. So, that gives us something to fight about, and I think we have science on our side.
Everyone here should start writing their elected officials to protest this proposed bill. USARK seems to be only concerned about removing Boas and Pythons, and so seems a bit out of touch. What about exotic venomous snakes ? Heck, what about exotic non venomous snakes that are kept as pets? All of those could become part of the list of animals that will be banned if this bill is not stopped. This is basically an "open bill" against import of exotic animals, with the list of animals involved to be posted after the bill is passed, with more animals to be added in the future, with the simple stroke of a pen by someone in the USFWS. This is not a good bill, and it is not good science.
The reptile community will never come together under any type of national organization. There will never be a NRA for us. Sorry, it just will never happen. There are way too many divisions in this hobby. The turtle freaks could care less for us venomous keepers, as long as they get to keep their turtles. And the same can be said with the lizard geeks, and amphibian nuts, and salamander chasers, etc, usw.
However, even though we can never unite under one strong organization, we can and should all write individual letters to oppose this bill. 100 letters has far more impact than 100 names on some durn petition. Take the effort and write the appropriate people. I hope that Zuzana, who has been great in keeping us informed on this bill, will provide the addresses for public comments against the bill, as it moves forward. If you do decide to write, please try to send a letter that is well thought out, and makes you appear as a serious reptile keeper, and not just some angry nutcase.
Hope this helps to get folks stirred up a bit, and doing something to help against this bill that can forever change your hobby. It will be much more difficult this time, as the anti exotic animal folks tend to be very left wing, and they have strong support in the newly elected Federal Government.
Please make some effort to express your view against this proposed ban. It is probably the last chance you will have to make a difference.
Best Regards
John Z
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RE: Federal invasive bill is back HR669
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by AquaHerp on January 30, 2009
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FYI-
This some info I picked up along the way-
# PIJAC has been working this issue well before HR 669 was introduced and
has been tracking this process for almost one year.
# PIJAC has been meeting with House of Representatives staff responsible
for managing this process, and specifically working on HR 669.
# PIJAC has been meeting with senior US Fish and Wildlife Service
officials responsible for policy as well as implementation.
# PIJAC has created a very powerful Coalition involving trade associations
representing a wide variety of potentially affected industries (i.e. pet
industry, food aquaculture, zoos/aquariums, games ranches as well as a
number of state agencies and professional associations).
# The Coalition is critically analyzing the bill; developing messaging
points; planning an invitation-only workshop to develop a policy position
paper.
# People need to remain calm throughout the process and to recognize that
this is only the beginning of a long process.
# IT IS PARAMOUNT THAT ALL SEGMENTS OF THE PET INDUSTRY ARE PERCEIVED AS
HIGHLY PROFESSIONAL THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF THIS PROCESS. IF PERCEIVED
OTHERWISE WE WILL LOOSE OUR CREDIBILITY AND WITHOUT OUR CREDIBILITY, OUR
COLLECTIVE AND INDIVIDUAL VOICES WILL HAVE LITTLE TO NO IMPACT.
# PIJAC is launching a HR 669 Forum on its website (www.pijac.org) for
informational purposes.
# Petitions are nowhere as effective as well crafted letters addressing
key points in the legislation. So please wait until more information is
posted on the PIJAC HR 669 Forum.
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