UPDATE: HR2811 Amendment

[Mendel's Balls]

REPTILESmag on twitter posted this link!

http://www.reptilechannel.com/reptil...mendments.aspx

-Jeremy

From the link above:

".....the bill would bypass the statuary listing process included in the Lacey Act, according to the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council (PIJAC). That process requires the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to conduct a risk analysis and seek public comment before listing a species as “injurious.” The Fish and Wildlife Service is currently conducting such an analysis, PIJAC reports.

PIJAC warned concerned pet owners that the legislation, if passed as written, would set a dangerous precedent of adding controversial species to the Lacey Act without hearings and sufficient study. That precedent could affect owners of other pets, including birds, fish and turtles, PIJAC reported."

That the crux of the problem with this legislation.....legal precedent following the precautionary principle.

[twistedtails]

So let me see here. Correct me if I'm wrong. This means no burmese or rock python sales or anything anymore??

[Mendel's Balls]

So let me see here. Correct me if I'm wrong. This means no burmese or rock python sales or anything anymore??

The bill has not even been voted on by the full house yet. It's out of committee.

[twistedtails]

The bill has not even been voted on by the full house yet. It's out of committee.

When does the house vote?

[JandDReptiles]

When does the house vote?

not until September... at the earliest.




This doesn't spell the end of the Burm or Af. Rock right now. It won't until the President puts his OBAMA on it...hehe. That will be a WHILE from now. In the article it states that USARK is going to work on ammending the bill further to only ban the importation of WC Burms and Af. Rocks. We shall see where it goes from here....


-Jeremy

[Russ Lawson]

not until September... at the earliest.




This doesn't spell the end of the Burm or Af. Rock right now. It won't until the President puts his OBAMA on it...hehe. That will be a WHILE from now. In the article it states that USARK is going to work on ammending the bill further to only ban the importation of WC Burms and Af. Rocks. We shall see where it goes from here....


-Jeremy

Even if it was reduced to WC Burms and Afrocks, there is still ZERO benefit to this if it becomes law. I suggest our stance from here on out to be that this undermines the provisions set by the Lacey Act, and that it should be thrown out entirely and those provisions should be followed. That is all they should have the right to do, and this should not be an issue we have to compromise on no matter how many animal rights activists and environmentalists whine and moan about it.

[thefifthdentist]

Can someone explain the root cause of this legislation?

Is it simply because irresponsible pet owners relase big snakes in the everglades which have caused some environmental reprocussions?

As an outsider looking in it seems as if all this legislation will achieve is stopping legitimate reptile dealers (breeders) from selling some species of snakes?

Because in all reality the people who realase snakes because they dont want them anymore are not generally the people who give a toss if they are "allowed" to have it or not.

Just my 2 cents.

[Raptor]

Can someone explain the root cause of this legislation?

Is it simply because irresponsible pet owners relase big snakes in the everglades which have caused some environmental reprocussions?

As an outsider looking in it seems as if all this legislation will achieve is stopping legitimate reptile dealers (breeders) from selling some species of snakes?

Because in all reality the people who realase snakes because they dont want them anymore are not generally the people who give a toss if they are "allowed" to have it or not.

Just my 2 cents.

Since when did politics and laws make sense? It's simply a knee jerk reaction to keep the public happy.

[Adam_Wysocki]

Can someone explain the root cause of this legislation?

There are two factors driving this legislation.

The first is money. The Congressmen and women from Florida that are driving HR2811 and S373 are not only attempting to get their hands on the hundreds of millions of dollars allocated for the Everglades restoration project, they have also been promised contributions from the Humane Society of the United States and the Nature Conservancy. Combined, these special interest groups take in over 1.3 billion dollars a year and are the driving force behind the sponsors and co-sponsors of HR2811 and S373. My sources in congress have said that lobbyists from HSUS and the Nature Conservancy have been in the offices Representative Meeks (sponsor of HR2811) and Senator Nelsons (sponsor of S373) offices almost weekly since the beginning of the year.

The second force driving these laws is the belief by these groups (HSUS and the Nature Conservancy) that people shouldn't own ANY exotic animals as pets. There are articles on the HSUS website detailing why they feel that reptiles, birds, many small mammals, and most fish are not suitable for pets and how exotic pet owners are not capable of providing them with their basic needs and proper care. HR2811, S373, & HR669 are all direct attempts to begin to chip away at the rights of exotic pet owners and even more legislation is on it's way.

I have a blog post on the NOHR669.com website that talks a little about how HSUS feels about the ownership of exotic pets. http://nohr669.com/blog/?p=321

Because in all reality the people who realase snakes because they dont want them anymore are not generally the people who give a toss if they are "allowed" to have it or not.

You are absolutely correct. In reality, all these laws will do is punish good people that are acting responsibly. The problem is that we need a larger unified voice. Our representatives in Congress don't understand that there are far more good people in this hobby than irresponsible ones. That's why it's important for every exotic pet owner to reach out to their local Congressional Representative and Senator and explain to them and their staff that YOU do things the right way ... that YOU would be hurt by these pieces of legislation both financially and personally ... and that YOU would like their help to stop both HR2811 and S373. Starting next week the House and Senate will both be on summer recess. Most representatives will be home in their district offices. It's a PERFECT time to call and ask for an in person meeting to explain your views. Even if you only meet with staff, word will get to the Congressmen and women right away. They want to hear from you, but right now the only people they are hearing from is the special interest groups. Even if only 10 people that read this actually do something, it will make an difference!

We need to stay vigilant. We need to support organizations like USARK & PIJAC through both membership and any donations that we can afford. And we need to be ready to act when called upon. (I know many have already and that's awesome, but we need MORE!!!). It's already begun, but as time goes on we're really going to have to dig down and ask ourselves how much are we personally willing to do to help ... how far are we willing to go to preserve something that we love.

I'm in all the way ... how about you?

-adam