Response from Congressman Lamborn

[Art_In_Scales]

I met with the office staff of Congressman Lamborn on Monday (4/20/09). This is the response that I received from his office today.


Thank you for contacting me regarding the Nonnative Wildlife Invasion Prevention Act, also known as H.R. 669. I appreciate hearing from you.

Introduced during the 111th Congress, the Nonnative Wildlife Invasion Prevention Act would essentially ban possession, sales, and transport of all animal species that do not appear on an “approved list” the legislation purports to establish through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. This de facto ban could be especially problematic as it includes all breeding, export, import, purchase, sale and transport of unapproved species. This would have the effect of criminalizing the keeping of certain non-native pets in the United States.

Furthermore, the two year deadline for approval of species is insufficient for the assessment that thousands of species would be required to complete.

This bill, as introduced, would have an obvious detrimental effect on aquariums and zoos that depend on private breeders to supply exhibition animals. It would also threaten the livelihoods of small businesses that comprise the $3 billion annual sales in the captive-bred reptile industry.

Unless these concerns can be adequately resolved, it is doubtful that I could support this legislation.

Thank you once again for providing me with your concerns. For more information about my efforts on behalf of Colorado, please visit my website at Lamborn.house.gov.

This is a step in the right direction, I am compiling a list of questions that I would like addressed based on the testimony I heard on the webcast. Even though I am so totally exhausted, I must continue to fight.

Michelle

[sg1trogdor]

I like this Lamborn fellow. Seems to me that he is actually using his head.

[RebelYell83]

i agree,,can we trade him for nelson from fla?