Ben Cardin responded to my email re: S373

[Hypancistrus]

Here is the response to the email I wrote:

Thank you for sharing your concerns about invasive species and Senator Bill Nelson's bill, S. 373. I have worked hard to reduce the destructive impact of invasive species on the environment while being considerate of personal rights of responsible exotic animal owners and breeders.

I sympathize with your concerns regarding restrictions on python trading. However, the annual volume of live imports into the United States has doubled since 1991 and the current regulation we have to monitor species importation is inadequate. The environmental disruption, the economic harm, and the threats to human and animal health are immeasurable. On the whole, current laws, such as the Lacey Act and the Animal Health Protection Act, provide the United States with a very low level of protection from potentially invasive and injurious species. Many species, such as the Burmese Pythons, Snakeheads, Red Lionfish and Nutria that have become extremely destructive invasive species in various parts of the country were not thought to be destructive when they were first imported. One step towards solving invasive species problems is by stopping further importation of a harmful species. The impacts Burmese pythons are having on national treasures like the Everglades and Big Cypress National Parks and the potential for similar problem situations to arise in other parts of the country when careless pet owners release these animals into the wild, needs to be addressed. We must be more careful with our imports, including captive breeds, to ensure that the destructive impact is kept to a minimum.

On July 8, I co-chaired a hearing between the Environment & Public Works Subcommittees on Oversight and Water and Wildlife entitled, "Threats to Native Wildlife Species." The hearing addressed the threats disease and invasive species pose to the country's native wildlife. Most importantly, we learned that prevention is much easier and cheaper than management. I am open to all views and would be interested to learn about what additional information or contrary evidence that you may have. Please feel free to send this material to my office in Washington.

Senator Nelson introduced S. 373 on February 3, 2009. It would amend the federal criminal code to add the constrictor snake of the species Python genera to the list of injurious species that are prohibited from being shipped or imported into the United States. I can assure you that I will track the issue carefully and keep in mind your views.

Again, thank you for sharing your thoughts about S. 373 and pythons. Please do not hesitate to contact me in the future about this, or any other matter of concern to you.

I replied via email and will follow up tomorrow with letters to Senators Cardin and Mikulski, both from Maryland.

[Russ Lawson]

I'd like to see his SCIENTIFIC proof backing the following: "Burmese Pythons... have become extremely destructive invasive species..."

[Lupe]

Burms are no where near as bad as the wild hogs and other introduced species. Maybe we should concentrate on the real pests that are here and, IMO if they really do want to crack down on the giants they should have each microchiped as soon as they are born.

[mainbutter]

I'd like to see his SCIENTIFIC proof backing the following: "Burmese Pythons... have become extremely destructive invasive species..."

They're an invasive species at least. That's the unfortunate thing, is that there IS a problem that gives bills like this at least some momentum, even though they do nothing to solve the problem.

[OhhWatALoser]

The environmental disruption - Wheres the proof?
the economic harm - Yea destroying an entire hobby, breeders, suppliers... hmm?
the threats to human and animal health are immeasurable - the whole 11 people that died from pet pythons between 1980-2008? all which i believe could of been prevented from use of common sense.

"The impacts Burmese pythons are having on national treasures like the Everglades and Big Cypress National Parks and the potential for similar problem situations to arise in other parts of the country when careless pet owners release these animals into the wild, needs to be addressed"

i thought most of these were from Katrina?

Sugar cane industry is the biggest problem in the everglades, atleast they pretend to address that issue, but waters still keep getting polluted.... why are the snakes even an issue? and last time i checked, just because the snakes are no longer allowed to be imported, doesn't make the ones already there go away.

[thegoalie22]

While I don't support the bill, they definetely have a point that Burms are a problem in the Everglades. What they don't get is that none of the other 8 species are a problem at all.

[brainman1000]

I sent an email to my representative the other week and got a response today:

Thank you for contacting me. I appreciate hearing from you.



On February 3, 2009, Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL) introduced S. 373, which would add Python constrictor snakes to the list of injurious species that are prohibited from being shipped or imported into the United States. You may be interested to know that the Senate Subcommittee on Water and Wildlife held a hearing on this bill on December 3. You can read a transcript from this hearing online, at http://epw.senate.gov/public/index.c...5-d987acc7d6e7. I have noted your opposition to this bill, and will certainly keep your thoughts in mind should this bill come to the full Senate for consideration.



Again, thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts with me. For more information about my work for Nevada, my role in the United States Senate Leadership, or to subscribe to regular e-mail updates on the issues that interest you, please visit my Web site at http://reid.senate.gov. I look forward to hearing from you in the near future.



My best wishes to you.



Sincerely,

HARRY REID

United States Senator

Nevada

What gets me about the whole thing is that if it is a problem in the everglades, why does there need to be legislation that affects me? I live in the desert. None of those snakes would last too long in the wild here. It seems like it is a problem that occurs in one or two states, so those states should take care of the problem on a state level.

[Eventide]

ARGH. Ben Cardin is still just copying and pasting words from the bill and not THINKING. "Species python genera" STILL makes no sense!!!!!

[AaronP]

While I don't support the bill, they definetely have a point that Burms are a problem in the Everglades. What they don't get is that none of the other 8 species are a problem at all.

It's a problem in the Everglades, a unique environment that exists no where else in the United States. And the "problem" is extremely out of proportion out of the "Hundreds of thousands" that are supposedly out there only a couple of hundred have been found...

I think people are just pocketing money and the businesses who are going to take hard hits (PetCos, Petsmart etc) aren't standing with us...infact where is PIJAC in all this?

[brainman1000]

It's a problem in the Everglades, a unique environment that exists no where else in the United States. And the "problem" is extremely out of proportion out of the "Hundreds of thousands" that are supposedly out there only a couple of hundred have been found...

I think people are just pocketing money and the businesses who are going to take hard hits (PetCos, Petsmart etc) aren't standing with us...infact where is PIJAC in all this?

You are correct. It is a problem that is specific to one small area of this country. There is no need to have a law that affects the entire country when the problem only occurs in one state.

As for the businesses that will take hard hits, I don't think that the snake market is a big enough chunk of Petsmart or Petco's bottom line to warrant them getting involved. The people who will be hit the hardest are the full time breeders of those specific snakes that will be banned.