USARK: January - Off to a busy start

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USARK's January Work The new year and "legislative season" are off and running. The dreadful legislative season, when state legislatures are the most active, coincides with another annual ritual that strikes fear into the hearts of Americans... tax season. It's freezing outside. We are covered in ice. Legislators are creating more laws. USARK has already testified at two hearings, and we are only a month in. We shall see how the rest of 2026 treats us. Pet Industry Leadership Summit Vanessa C. with keynote speaker Anthony Robles, of Arizona State University NCAA wrestling fame Reptile Super Show Pomona From top left: Ryan from Timberline, Vanessa C. channeling her inner Austin Powers in the cart, obligatory "Phil found a dog" photo, Daenerys Mother of Spiders with the creator of this painted drum donation, "talented Vanessa" Art Parola in the Philippines with Junkai Ong, who is a well-known Southeast Asian herp and fish guy with facilities in both Thailand and Singapore. Your state. Your support! We are asking you to help us spread awareness of USARK and our work, one state at a time. If you have a pet store, veterinary office, or public exhibit that works with reptiles or amphibians, USARK will send you a FREE business package that includes brochures, stickers, and possibly more. Email vanessa@usark.org with your company name and address if you are in this week’s state and want to assist. Ending our list of all states is... Merch Alert!!! Do you want to flex on your haters AND direct traffic? Then this ONLINE EXCLUSIVE Beardie shirt is for you! https://usark.org/shop/ Add to that our new Leopard Tortoise design in gorgeous green! We even have a new collector's pin! POLL: Alright let's do this. Perfect February on the calendar. Will the groundhog be kind to us? 6 more weeks of winter Early spring *|SURVEY: Aren't rodents feeders?* Punxsutawney Phil lives off of his residuals from Groundhog Day so he doesn't care about accuracyCheck back next month for poll results! December poll results: Hey now, that's a lot of folks ready to make the most of 2026. And also a lot that might be in denial... New Year's Resolutions: Responses: Circling Back 22.6% My mom says I'm fine just the ways I am 24.2% Hitting the gym 17.7% Too many to count 12.9% Less screen time and more productivity 22.6% 2026 schedule is up! Email Vanessa C. if you are able to volunteer with us. vanessa@usark.org ALERTS & UPDATES + ALERT: Powell, Wyoming: https://usark.org/26wy/ + Orangeburg, SC: https://usark.org/25sc2/ + ESA Amendments: https://usark.org/25esa4/ + Colorado Herp Rule HEARING 1/14: https://usark.org/25co2/ + Lincoln County, NC: https://usark.org/25nc/ + Wisconsin Herp Rule review: https://usark.org/25wi/ + Federal Herp and Fish Regulations: https://usark.org/25us/ + Blue tree monitor ESA listing, UPDATE: https://usark.org/25esa1/ YouTube Check out our channel here www.youtube.com/@usark_official Interesting Articles Audubon Aquarium welcomes rare Ringed Map Turtles during the winter