Oppose Python Ban Campaign!!! Let's Get Rocking!!!!

Oppose Python Ban Campaign

S373 aka the ‘Python Ban’ goes to “Mark Up” before the Senate Environment & Public Works (EPW) Committee on Thursday, December 10, 2009. If passed as written this bill could add ALL 40 species of Python, and possibly Boa Constrictor to the Injurious Wildlife list of the Lacey Act. This would ban the import, export and interstate transport of ALL animals listed. Last week USARK led a very successful grass roots campaign to oppose S373 in the Senate EPW committee. The Reptile Nation weighed in and the committee got our message. Now the bill will go to “Mark Up” where it can be amended.

Calling on all the committee members again may not be the best way to influence them. They know what we want and how many people in the Reptile Nation care about this issue. We don’t feel that just calling them again will be effective. USARK is calling for a MASSIVE email campaign directed to all major media outlets to try and draw attention to the issue. If we can generate 10’s of thousands of emails we will create a media story that will bring attention to this issue that politicians and the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) don’t want. This has to be a massive effort. We are facing annihilation as an industry and hobby. NOW is the time to stand up and make a difference. Every single person who participates WILL make a difference!

We also want to contact President Obama. He has declared that he wants to be more accessible to the American public than any President before him. He has set up a website and email portal to address issues of lost jobs. If S373 passes thousands of jobs will be lost and thousands of American families will be bankrupted at the hands of ambitious politicians and incompetent government agencies. Please contact the President and let him know you don’t want his government to destroy your hobby or livelihood!

Please follow these simple steps:
1. Contact The Media; Pythons Politics & Destruction of the American Dream Campaign. Click on this link to send a hard hitting email to all the big media outlets: http://usark.org/campaign.php?id=9
2. Contact President Obama. Click on this link to let the President know you oppose S373 and the destruction of American jobs: http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact

Obama Sample Letter: cut and paste in whitehouse contact portal above

President Obama,
S373 aka the Python Ban is being considered in the Senate right now. It will destroy thousands of jobs and bankrupt thousands of American families. The bill has been sensationalized and politicized and has no basis in real science. In fact a report generated by USGS to justify this bill has been called unscientific by an independent panel of scientists. It is being pushed by powerful special interest groups and it will hurt me financially. It is a confiscation of my personal property rights and will not solve the problems proponents claim it addresses. This is clearly a situation that has become politically driven and ignores science that does not support S373. Please do not allow politics to trump good science and sound policy. This is wrong and you promised in your election campaign not to allow situations like this to occur. Please stop 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.



Forward this Alert to everyone you know... your friends, email lists, forums, social networking sites... everyone! This will only work if EVERYONE participates!! We must generate 10's of thousands of responses. Do it now! Go, GO, GO!!!!!

just to throw this out there he has yet to do anything he promised in his campaign :weirdface

Did my part first thing this morning!

Hope everybody is jumping on this and spreading the word around to get as many people involved as possible!

Did our part!:D Lets spread this everywhere! We cant loose our hobby!Lets get rid of this Bill! :sabduel:

I think we need to ask a Modertor if we can post this on the more high traffic spots on this site.:salute:

Both done. Going to send the links to everyone I can as well.

I guess people are getting bounced back emails due to inbox's being full already!

done and forwarded

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Originally Posted by johnsonw84

done and forwarded

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2x!

Done numerous times!!!

Took under two minutes......NO excuses not to do this.

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Originally Posted by nixer

just to throw this out there he has yet to do anything he promised in his campaign :weirdface

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But at least we can say we contacted him and if he doesnt follow through with anything he promised it will just be one more thing to discredit him.

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Originally Posted by nixer

just to throw this out there he has yet to do anything he promised in his campaign :weirdface

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This is different from any politician HOW?

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Originally Posted by mainbutter

This is different from any politician HOW?

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He said it would take years for most of these things, so it's completely beyond me why anyone thinks he could magically accomplish it in less than one. He certainly didn't promise he could bend time and space. Lay off, people--give the man a chance. Do you think YOU could fix it all in this time span? If so, I'd be very curious as to how you would go about it, but that would be better stated in General Discussion, along with the rest of the partisan comments.

If this actually comes to his attention, we can just hope he'll see it reasonably. The trick is actually bringing it to his attention. We have to make enough noise to be heard above the sea of mail he's already getting on other issues. Since people are so histrionic over health care, that makes things harder for issues like this to be noticed.

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Originally Posted by mainbutter

This is different from any politician HOW?

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Bingo!

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I'm going to do this, of course, but I would still like to know if the bill specifically says "genus python" or not. The Reptile Nation is going to look really stupid if this is the case because the genus python contains only seven species, not 40+.

EDIT: S373 and HR2811 both say, "To amend title 18, United States Code, to include constrictor snakes of the species Python genera as an injurious animal." Wow. Species Python genera? What does that even mean?!

As I understand it, it says (rather unintelligently):

Species: Python genera
This may indeed be taken to mean all members of genus Python, which includes the following:

P. anchietae: Angolan Python
P. curtus: Short-tailed python (blood pythons)
P. molurus: Indian Python (Burmese python)
P. regius: Ball Python
P. reticulatus: Reticulated python
P. sebae: African rock python
P. timoriensis: Timor python

That's 3 species of giant snakes, plus 2 of the most popularly bred snakes in the entire hobby, and one up-and-coming popular snake (the Angolan python).
The Timor python is another small python that is available in the hobby but doesn't seem to have really 'caught on' much yet.

So, that is only 7 species. So why mention 40? Because there is no such thing as species: Python genera. It's incorrect nomenclature.

"To further compound the proposed listing, it lumps numerous species of Pythons into inaccurate taxonomic nomenclature by referring to "Python genera" rather than referencing a specific species. In short, it is not clear if only "pythons" of the genus Python would be listed or every snake commonly referred to as a python would fall under the umbrella of taxonomic confusion."
--from PIJAC.

This type of confusion leads to law enforcement being able to interpret the law however it suits them at the moment.

Yep, exactly. And those are my fears for both pythons and boas.

I think we should mention this in our letters. I mean, this is high school biology stuff. The bill itself shows that these people don't even know what they're trying to ban. Should people be able to create or vote on bills involving subjects they clearly know nothing about? Definitely not.

Done!!!

The problome with this issue and all others in our government is not just the politicians, but the government function entirely. Don't get me wrong, our Gov is better then most, but still horrible and something we should not settle for. Until Americans wake up and regain there courage however, we will continue to be hindered and enslaved by our deformed, self mutilating gov.

About our Pres. first thing first, the president has less power then most think. Corporations have more sway over congress, the true masters of the functions that shape our gov, which gives them a stronger influence then the Press. However, I do remember President Obama saying he wanted to focus on Afghanistan , which he is acting on by sending something like 30 thousand more troops to. Furthermore, I remember hearing him speak of his desire to change our health care system, which he has been working on. He will be speaking at Copenhagen on the matter of Global Warming , which was another thing he said we wanted to focus on during his campaign. So he is acting on what he said he would. If anyone believes a politian will keep all, or any of his promises however, I fill sorry for them. Minds change and even if the polititian tries there are some walls and forces that no one, even the President, can overcome ( like Giant corporations).

Done. This took all of two minutes so no excuses people!

Ive talked to many people on the phone and not one has said this ban will stop the interstate or breeding of pythons. This ban is to top ALL importing or shipping into the United States. I have searched hard online on .gov sites and those too only say Importing into the US, nothing about shipping within the States.


I spent good 30 mins on phone with Candice Miller of Michigan and she too has confirmed this ban is for Importing/shipping into the United States.

They'll tell you what it takes to get you to quit calling.

First paragraph.

http://www.reptilechannel.com/reptil...ython-ban.aspx

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Originally Posted by flameethrower

Ive talked to many people on the phone and not one has said this ban will stop the interstate or breeding of pythons. This ban is to top ALL importing or shipping into the United States. I have searched hard online on .gov sites and those too only say Importing into the US, nothing about shipping within the States.


I spent good 30 mins on phone with Candice Miller of Michigan and she too has confirmed this ban is for Importing/shipping into the United States.

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Ive called and emailed/fax non stop this whole week.

But to say one thing to get someone to stop is un justified and against the law.

Im just pointing out that i have read the bill to see no where that is says interstate transport is being stopped as well.

the link you posted is opinion/blog. I want to see official documentation that states interstate transport is being banned as well.

Have you read what the Lacey Act is?

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Originally Posted by flameethrower

Ive called and emailed/fax non stop this whole week.

But to say one thing to get someone to stop is un justified and against the law.

Im just pointing out that i have read the bill to see no where that is says interstate transport is being stopped as well.

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I sure have

http://www.anstaskforce.gov/Document...Sheet_2007.pdf

What Does It Mean When a Species is Listed as Injurious
Wildlife?

Species listed as injurious (including their gametes and
viable eggs) may not be imported into the United States
or transported between the continental United States,
the District of Columbia, Hawaii, the Commonwealth of
Puerto Rico or any territory or possession of the United
States by any means without a permit issued by the
Service.

It later goes on to talk about animals use within a state is up to the state.

I hope that's the right bit of info.

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Originally Posted by flameethrower

I sure have

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by flameethrower

I sure have

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if you have then you wouldnt continually bring up:

Im just pointing out that i have read the bill to see no where that is says interstate transport is being stopped as well.

the link you posted is opinion/blog. I want to see official documentation that states interstate transport is being banned as well.

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Originally Posted by nixer

I want to see official documentation that states interstate transport is being banned as well.

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http://www.fws.gov/Contaminants/ANS/ANSInjurious.cfm

We did it!!! Come on we need everyone's help!!!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by flameethrower

Ive talked to many people on the phone and not one has said this ban will stop the interstate or breeding of pythons. This ban is to top ALL importing or shipping into the United States. I have searched hard online on .gov sites and those too only say Importing into the US, nothing about shipping within the States.


I spent good 30 mins on phone with Candice Miller of Michigan and she too has confirmed this ban is for Importing/shipping into the United States.

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A species listed as injurious is by federal law prohibited from being imported, exported, and transferred between states. Further, if you sell someone a Lacey listed animal within your state knowing that it will be taken across state lines or exported, you are also in violation of the Lacey Act and subject to the same prison sentence and fines as the person that actually transports the snake. If you knowingly buy a Lacey listed animal that was transported across state lines or imported, you are guilty as well. This is the law as it was written and has been in place for decades.

At this point, I've sat down and spoken with staff members representing about 1/2 of our US Senators and staffers that represent about 40 US Representatives and the biggest problem we have is education. Our Congress, if they've even heard of HR2811/S373 have no idea what it means other than "stopping the giant pythons from taking over the country". This is the battle that I am fighting in Washington DC every day. They aren't misinformed because some organization in favor of the bill has lied to them, they are misinformed because in the Congress, this issue is so incredibly small in the grand scheme of whats going on down there they just haven't taken the time to educate themselves and they form opinions based solely on what they see on the news.

My mission is to educate. I am in Washington every day teaching people about the National Python & Boa Ban and what it means to hundreds of thousands of responsible pet owners. My hope is that I'm able to shed some light on this very serious issue and change some minds on the Hill. Please keep everyone that is fighting this thing in your thoughts and prayers.

Thank you to all that have chosen to do whatever you can to join the fight. You help is desperately needed and appreciated. You are the true heroes in this fight.

I've put together a page that has a lot of information about what's going on and links to resources related to the National Python & Boa Ban. I'll be adding to it as time goes on. If there is something that should be there and is not, please let me know.

http://www.natpet.org/pythonbantruth


-adam

Adam,

Thanks for everything you've done so far.

What's your take on the the language of the bill using the word genera instead of genus? A simple accident that will be corrected, or is this something that could be interpreted to mean more than one genus?

J

Thanks Joe.

My personal opinion that it's intention was to grab the genus Python but the language tried to use the plural of genus "genera" to refer to the multiple (plural) species in the genus. In other words, it was a gaff.

There's no doubt that the HSUS testified that they are seeking the addition of 46 species of constrictors to the Lacey Act, but I have yet to hear anyone in Washington DC speak about anything other than the 9 from the USGS report. As the Nature Conservancy testified last week "the science doesn't support any species other than the 9".

Does that mean the 46 or 40 couldn't be added? No. Does that mean that it's likely? Even more difficult to say for sure. But, as far as what's being talked about openly among all parties, it's just the nine.

I certainly don't want to be the guy that says all 40 are 100% safe and have it blow up in my face, so I won't. But, I think that letting people know that the focus is definitely on just the nine from the USGS report is important.

Hope this helps.

-adam

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Joe Hiduke

Adam,

Thanks for everything you've done so far.

What's your take on the the language of the bill using the word genera instead of genus? A simple accident that will be corrected, or is this something that could be interpreted to mean more than one genus?

J

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ge⋅nus [jee-nuhs]
–noun, plural gen⋅e⋅ra [jen-er-uh] , ge⋅nus⋅es.
1. Biology. the usual major subdivision of a family or subfamily in the classification of organisms, usually consisting of more than one species.
2. Logic. a class or group of individuals, or of species of individuals.
3. a kind; sort; class.

gen⋅er⋅a [jen-er-uh]
–noun a pl. of genus

now given that information what was your question again?

It's easy to see how 'python genera' could be interpreted to mean all genera in Pythonidae, instead of just all members of genus Python.

As a ball python breeder, it doesn't matter--it's a disaster no matter how they choose to interpret it.

If we can't get this stricken down completely we should at least try to get them to list specific species, so that bloods and balls won't be banned along with the giants. I'm extremely unhappy with that option as well, because I've been excited to see the dwarf burms and retics enter the hobby, and I was really looking forward to working with them.

Success!! Go check out this article!!
http://www.fox4kc.com/news/wdaf-snak...,3304235.story

emails sent.

My emails are being returned now saying there inbox is full.

Anyone that has a site visited daily whether its for reptiles or non reptiles post this on the site and where they can go to oppose it. I have done this to get more aware.

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Originally Posted by ER12

Success!! Go check out this article!!
http://www.fox4kc.com/news/wdaf-snak...,3304235.story

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Awesome! That was fantastic, we need more like that.

I am not from America...but I support:sweeet: