Limited Guest Access ... Welcome to the Vivarium Forums. You are currently viewing our boards as a GUEST, which gives You very limited access and no posting privileges. Register and gain full access to everything on the site. Vivarium Forum membership is completely free with no tricks or gimmicks. If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact support.
The Senate Committee on Environment & Public Works (EPW), Subcommittee on Water & Wildlife held a Hearing on S373 aka the Python Ban today at 2 PM. Senator Ben Cardin, Chairman, presided. Senator Bond and Senator Levine were the only presenters. Senator Bill Nelsen, the Bill sponsor, was not in attendance to present on S373. The Hearing was brief and more of a formality in order to move 9 different bills forward quickly.
Some of you that are following USARK on Twitter got the blow by blow during the hearing. Dan Ashe, Deputy Secretary of US Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS), testified on S373 recommending that the Bill be amended to include all 9 snakes addressed in the recent US Geologic Survey (USGS) Report on large constrictors. Chairman Cardin indicated that USFWS should approach Senator Nelson regarding amendment. Robert Bendick of The Nature Conservancy (TNC), while acknowledging problems with the science in the USGS Report, also recommended amending S373 to include the 9 snakes.
The representative of the Humane Society of the United States was seen urging USFWS to ask Senator Nelson to amend S373 to include 45 species of Boa and Python.
‘The Burmese Python is being used by politicians and special interests to railroad the Reptile Nation!’
S373 as written would add ALL 40 species of python to the Injurious Wildlife List of the Lacey Act; the entire python genre. If amended as recommended by USFWS and TNC it would add all 4 species of anaconda and Boa Constrictor to the list. That would be 45 species in all. Although the Bill Sponsor is from Florida this is not a Florida Bill. This is federal legislation that would affect the entire country…. Including, but not limited to, Ball Pythons, Chondros, Blood Pythons, Carpet Pythons and Boa Constrictors. If passed S373 will destroy the Reptile Nation!
It is time for a gut check. Have you done everything you can to keep this nightmare scenario from happening? If you have we greatly appreciate your support!! If you have been sitting on the sidelines hoping others will take care of this for you please stand up and help now. We need members and money to fight this legislation. You can make excuses or you can take action! There is Strength in Numbers… Protect Your Rights! In the coming days USARK will ask a lot from the Reptile Nation. This is it. It is now or never. Live or die. This industry and hobby has NEVER been so close to annihilation. Please don’t go quietly into the night.
Next Thursday, December 10, 2009 S373 will go to ‘Mark Up’ before the Senate EPW Committee. This is where the Bill can be amended. USARK has submitted several amendment proposals. We have one week to have an impact! Get involved and get ready to take massive action. We have worked too hard and come too far to let it all go now! ONE WEEK!… Don’t Sit This One Out!!!
‘Get ready for a MASSIVE Grass Roots Campaign Against S373!’
Join the Reptile Nation!
1. Click the 'Donate Button' at the top of the page to donate to USARK. Your donation will be matched dollar for dollar by Zoo Med.
2. Click the 'Become a Member' link at the bottom of the page to Join the Reptile Nation. These battles are costly we need your support!
3. Click the 'Twitter Button' at the top of the page to follow USARK for fast breaking updates.
***Stay Tuned For Detailed Instructions on How To Take Massive Grass Roots Action***
__________________
0.0.1 Python regius (Ball Python) - "Ivy"
0.0.1 Eublepharis macularius (Leopard Gecko) - "Voldo"
(Yes, my herp's are named after Soul Calibur II characters... and yes, I know I'm a geek : )
"There he goes... One of God's own prototypes. Some kind of high powered mutant never even considered for mass production. Too weird to live, and too rare to die."
Hunter S. Thompson
1937.07.18 - 2005.02.20
you know, i was made out to be some kind of idiot (at least that's how i saw it) when i mentioned this and hhr669 before. it's nice to see people who actually care and may attempt to help. to be honest, i think we're screwed this time though. that little girl the moron "step dad" left for dead kinda ruined things i think. hopefully not! anyway anyone interested should at least visit nijarc and usark and show your support as well as call the senators involved and ruin their communications until tommorrow until it's too late. THIS IS SERIOUS THIS TIME HERE FOLKS. AND WHERE DOES IT END? HERE ARE SOME LINKS TO GET YOU STARTED... there's lots of them...
I'm just curious now, but how is this going to affect those of you who already keep pythons? or breeders even? are current livestocks going to be confiscated by Game and Wildlife officals?
__________________
D. Auratus- C.R. Green&Black 0.0.6
D. Auratus -Blue 0.0.2
D. Auratus - Green and Bronze 0.0.3
D. Aurautus - Nicaraguan Green&Black 0.0.2
D. Auratus - Ancon Hill 0.0.1
D. Auratus - Retriculated Green&Black 0.0.2
D. Tinctorius - Cobalt 0.0.2
Agalychnis callidryas 1.2.0
Hyla versicolor 0.1.0
looking for D. Auratus Highlands, Super Blues, and Turquoise&Bronze
Not sure if this one will affect current owners but the HR669 bill that currently seems to have stalled a bit pretty much would have made it legal for them to come in to your house and confiscate all your reptiles.
Here is a link where all you would have to do is fill in your information and they will even send in the email for you. This won't take more than 1 minute to do and might help stop a heavy blow to our hobby.
nighsliv... please read through that last link i provided. it contains a link to the petition on usark where you just fill in as well as a link so you can contact the president and let him know how you feel. added to that there's the transcripts and a committee linked there. it's very simple and more thorough... a very nice write up.
well i'm in, and so should ever herper. if this bill passes it opens the flood gates for further bans. all the law needs is precedence.
__________________
D. Auratus- C.R. Green&Black 0.0.6
D. Auratus -Blue 0.0.2
D. Auratus - Green and Bronze 0.0.3
D. Aurautus - Nicaraguan Green&Black 0.0.2
D. Auratus - Ancon Hill 0.0.1
D. Auratus - Retriculated Green&Black 0.0.2
D. Tinctorius - Cobalt 0.0.2
Agalychnis callidryas 1.2.0
Hyla versicolor 0.1.0
looking for D. Auratus Highlands, Super Blues, and Turquoise&Bronze
"PR: Python Ban Moves Forward Despite Questionable Science
December 10, 2009 Wilmington, NC- Driven by powerful special interests and much media sensation S. 373 aka ‘The Python Ban’ is likely to move forward despite lack of scientific justification. Pushed by Sponsor Senator Bill Nelson and the Humane Society of the United States S. 373 could devastate the trade in high quality captive bred reptiles in the United States.
Today the Senate Committee on the Environment & Public Works (EPW) will hold a business meeting on S. 373. The Committee Chair is Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and the Ranking Member is Senator James Inhofe (R-OK). The committee will hold a mark up session where they will consider S. 373, to amend title 18, United States Code, to add constrictor snakes of the species Python genera to the Injurious Wildlife list of the Lacey Act. The committee is expected to amend the bill to include the 9 snakes listed on a recent controversial report by the US Geological Survey (USGS). All tolled the bill could stop the import, export and interstate transport of as many as 45 species of Boas and Pythons.
The USGS report being used to justify these extreme measures has been called into question by a group of independent scientists in a letter to the EPW Committee on November 24, 2009. The letter characterized the USGS report as “not a bona-fide scientific paper”. The US Department of the Interior (DOI) and the US Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) stand by the report and have recommended to the committee that all 9 snakes reviewed should be included by amendment to S. 373. The independent scientists, who include professors from University of Florida, Arizona State University, Texas A&M and The National Geographic Society, go further to state, “this document is not suitable as the basis for legislative or regulatory policies, as its content is not based on best science practices”
The United States Association of Reptile Keepers (USARK) made an agreement in principle with Senator Bill Nelson’s office to limit the damage to a 3 billion dollar a year trade in these reptiles, but was informed yesterday that the agreement would not be honored. Senator Nelson has justified his position based on the recommendations made in regards to the USGS report by USFWS and DOI. Andrew Wyatt, president of USARK, commented that “it is a real shame that Senator Nelson has changed his position on this issue”. If the bill passes approximately 4 million boas and pythons already in captivity would be rendered valueless overnight with no provisions for disposition or compensation. Wyatt added, “it could create a situation where millions of people will be in possession of injurious wildlife. It is ludicrous to put so many law abiding citizens in that position and diminish the Lacey Act for the sake of political expediency.”
Passage of S. 373 would result in the loss of thousands of American jobs bankrupting an entire industry. Without strong evidence to support the injurious wildlife listing, USARK calls on the Senate EPW Committee to give an unfavorable rating to S. 373.
The python ban is moving fast!!!
Linear Mode
