No on FWS Python Rule; BAD for American Small Business & Families Facing Economic Hardship.
31,254 Letters and Emails Sent So Far
Many have NOT sent their letters to President Obama and Congress Opposing the PYTHON BAN! If you care anything about this industry and hobby you will take action NOW! It is rumored that Interior Secretary Salazar will be grandstanding down in the Everglades next week in order to try and gain momentum for his beleaguered Constrictor Rule. HSUS and Defenders of Wildlife have spent countless thousands of dollars to lobby on behalf of the rule. USARK does not have the money to buy the kind of influence that these powerful special interests do. What we do have is Science, The Truth, and thousands of passionate members. A recent poll by the Palm Beach Post indicated that 86% of respondents were against the Python Ban. We need an unprecedented groundswell of grass roots letter writing. Obama needs to understand that there are millions of us representing a $1.4 billion industry with more than $103 million at stake with the Constrictor Rule. SEND YOUR LETTERS NOW!!!
US Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS) has a proposed rule being considered by the White House Office of Management & Budget (OMB). This is the final stage of the rule making process. This rule, if enacted, would ban the import and interstate transport of nine constricting snakes; Burmese python, Northern & Southern African pythons, Reticulated python, all four Anacondas, and Boa constrictor. This rule has been called the "Constrictor Rule". All of these constrictors would be added to the Injurious Wildlife list of the Lacey Act. If this were to happen more than 1 million American citizens could be subject to felony prosecution under the Lacey Act. It is the job of OMB to weigh the purported benefits of the rule against the economic impacts. It is also their duty to assure the rule has been given due process under the Administrative Procedures Act, Information Quality Act and all pertinent Executive Orders. USARK has created a clear public record that FWS has failed at every level to make their case for this rule. According to emails obtained by USARK it appears that staff at FWS colluded with staff at the US Geological Survey (USGS) to manufacture "science" to support this rule making after the decision had already been made to pursue a Lacey Act listing. Further, FWS grossly underestimated the economic impact. USGS has justified their flawed "science" by saying they were not required to adhere to information quality standards for science used to support the rule because the rule did not meet the standard for a major rule making ($100 million). An economic assessment of the Modern Reptile Industry commissioned by USARK, and done by Georgetown Economic Services, has since debunked USGS claims by asserting that the rule could have impact in excess of $103 million. USARK believes the actions of FWS and USGS in regards to the Constrictor Rule are arbitrary, capricious and potentially unlawful.
Please send the letter below to President Obama and your Senators and Congressmen to let them know you are aware of the actions of FWS and the negative impact on you, your family and business. Just follow the simple instructions.
Do it now and share with all your friends, family, social networks, forums and email lists! This is your chance to make a difference and help USARK set a positive precedent for our industry.
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Where the public is concerned, the most well-known health risk for which reptiles pose a threat is the spreading of salmonella. Basic hygiene, however, is a sufficient method for eliminating this potential health risk as substantiated by the CDC. The only other risk which non-venomous snakes and other reptiles pose is the risk of being bit, and research shows that it is far more likely for the average person to be bit by a dog than a reptile.
When you consider that a two pound snake will soon be considered more dangerous than a 60 pound dog or an 800 pound horse, this type of legislation is quite alarming. I am sure there are many dog owners who have met someone who would consider their pet to be dangerous. With the wording of many of the acts being considered in various states there are no limitations to or requirements which must be met before an animal can be designated as dangerous, and these oversights should be addressed immediately.
Such acts pose a threat to the well-being of all the animals listed as dangerous by preventing their sale, purchase, or trade. With the current wording of these acts anyone with one or more of these animals unable to purchase a permit will also be unable to rehome them to a person or organization with the capabilities and knowledge to legally keep them. Such measures have the potential to encourage the illegal sale and trade of these animals. Animals subjected to illegal trade are frequently mistreated and denied basic humane care. If you insist on banning reptiles, then, to address this issue, I encourage you to review, and perhaps model, Florida’s Nonnative Pet Amnesty Program. However, it should be considered that funding of such programs will likely be more expensive than the enforcing of these bans.
In our challenging economy, crippling such a large part of the pet trade industry will negatively affect many businesses beyond those of reptile breeders. Banning snakes and other reptiles will adversely affect the veterinary industry, particularly for those doctors specializing in exotics, and even the hotel industry in the Chicago area because events such as the North American Reptile Breeders Conference would no longer draw the number of attendees previously seen. As well as many product manufacturers specializing in reptile care such as Zoo Med, R'Zilla, and Exo Terra. Other industries will be affected due to the inability or unwillingness of reptile owners to abandon th
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