USGS Denies Due Process to Reptile Industry

[USARK.Jonathan.Brady]

USGS Denies Due Process to Reptile Industry
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

On April 15th, the US Association of Reptile Keepers (USARK) received a response from the US Geological Survey (USGS) to a long standing appeal and Request for Correction under the Information Quality Act (IQA). In rejecting USARK’s contention that the USGS failed to maintain a high standard of quality for their work as required by IQA, the USGS stated, “This document was not designated by the USGS as a highly influential scientific document”, and therefore subject to IQA standards. USARK rejects this statement as self serving and believes the document to be “highly influential” based on the exact criteria laid out by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and, therefore, subject to the IQA standards.

The USGS report serves as the sole document being used to justify a federal rule making by US Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS) to add nine constrictor snakes to the Injurious Wildlife list of the Lacey Act. If enacted, the rule would prohibit interstate trade, imports and most exports of the listed species, thereby destroying thousands of jobs and hundreds of millions of dollars in trade, putting over a million reptile breeders, collectors and pet owners in jeopardy of felony prosecution. USARK considers this response irresponsible and in direct conflict with guidelines set by forth the OMB.

In addition to the potentially devastating economic impact of the proposed rule, the report itself is highly controversial as to the science. The data set on which the conclusions of the 2009 Constrictor Report are based has been demonstrated to be so mischaracterized as to suggest either incompetence or an intentional attempt at deception. Michael Cota, researcher at the Thailand National Natural History Museum, stated in his public comment to FWS, with specific reference to the USGS climate data set, “With a 60% error rate for just one country (Thailand), how many imaginary data sets were used for these reports?” The Constrictor Report is NOT a peer-reviewed scientific document. It is an internal report authored by strongly biased USGS biologists. In fact, a panel of 11 independent experts from the National Geographic Society, University of Florida, Texas A&M and others stated in a letter to the US Senate Environmental & Public Works Committee that this report was “not scientific”, and “not suitable as the basis for regulatory of legislative policy decisions”.

In an ironic attempt to divert attention from his Department’s dismal public image and failure to bring change, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar gave the “Partners in Conservation Award” to the Giant Constrictor Risk Assessment Partnership for their work regarding constrictor snakes.

The Partners in Conservation award is the highest award granted by the Department of Interior (DOI). The Giant Constrictor Risk Assessment Partnership (ridiculously referred to as Giant CRAP or GCRAP) comprises a small number of government biologists employed by FWS, the National Park Service (NPS), and USGS. USARK CEO Andrew Wyatt commented, “How can the Secretary honor a group of government biologists who give their committee the acronym of Giant CRAP? It may be a joke to them, but it is certainly not a joke to the millions of pet owners and reptile keepers whose livelihoods are at stake.”

This prestigious award was given to GCRAP even though the work they had done has been questioned from its inception and continues to be mired in controversy. USARK feels the Award given by Secretary Salazar rewards GCRAP for its concerted effort to ruin decades of successful business, conservation efforts, and education initiatives by private citizens.

“The hubris and unbridled contempt shown by USGS and FWS for the reptile industry is disheartening and without basis”, said Wyatt. “It took two appeals before Gordon Rodda saw fit to finally retract his statement that ‘southern Florida has an acknowledged reputation for unsavory characters, both reptilian and otherwise’.” Wyatt added, “We have created a clear public record of the problems with the science and economics, but USGS and FWS seem determined to ignore the facts in favor of their own preference.” Wyatt went on to say, “Art Roybal from FWS and Gordon Rodda and Robert Reed from USGS have made a mockery of due process. I hope they will be held accountable.”

[mainbutter]

Isn't qualifying the particular study as "not highly influential" shooting themselves in the foot?

That particular quote should be enough to invalidate any use of the study for lawmaking purposes.

[MissDizzyBee]

Soooo...if this report wasn't influential....why did they bother doing it at all, and how do they justify citing it in the lawmaking process? I can totally make up my own reports for them if they want.

Sent from my HTC Vision using Tapatalk

[Jeremy Browning]

OK usually im a very calm person, but this really makes me mad. I have two very nice very pretty Columbian boas and really want a burm. If they make this illegal to own Than united states of uneducated morons has lost another citizen and of course lots of money. They're messing with people rights more people die from being struck by lightning then by big snakes. And that salmonella crap is another load of BS even i with all my herps i am, much much more likely to get it from meat or eggs or milk. If the us gov. is gonna be stupid and focus on issues that dont matter, instead of our ENORMOUS debt to china or our high infant mortality and autism rates or the unsafety of schools in urban areas or the fact that we need legal reform or the fact that............. the list goes on no single politician focuses on things that matter its only snakes are dangerous and lets sue taco bell and other stuff. Thank you to all the crack smoking egocentric morons from D.C.. i really appreciate your stupidity.

[Dragoon]

welcome to democracy, majority oppresses the minority. it is sadly business as usual in America were laws are bought.

[Jason Bowden]

Just bumping this. I don't want it to get buried.

Thanks for posting it here JB!

I see alot of "got my first boa" (or other "big" snake) threads popping up on this forum. This affects the whole reptile industry!!! If you can donate or join USARK, it's time! It's only $20 to become a member and help support our right to keep reptiles.

PIJAC is another organization that is protecting our pet keeping rights.