Hello Dr. Chavarria and the NRDC,

I have been an online activist for your organization for close to 10 years. I am a herpetologist and wildlife scientist living in El Paso, Texas. I have reviewed the comments you submitted to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service regarding their request for a possible listing of large constrictor snakes in the Python, Boa and Eunectes genera, as injurious wildlife under the Lacey Act, 18 USC § 42. Your comments and position are unacceptable.

I have rescinded all my memberships to your "action alert" lists and will no longer support your organization. The python situation in the Everglades has been over exaggerated by grant seeking scientists. The paper by Bob Reed et. al. has been widely criticized. The State of Florida has put in place regulations that will prevent any new introductions. It is a matter of debate as to how the Burmese python first became established in the Everglades to begin with and for your organization to willfully, and wholeheartedly, support a ban on these species is unconscionable. You can not penalize the entire law abiding, tax paying snake industry for something that is not their fault.

The private reptile community has supported much of your actions to protect natural resources and has done so for many years. For your organization to stab them in the back and support this listing is quite disturbing. Your knee jerk support of this action makes this a sad day for conservation.

Michael Welker
3105 Eads Place
El Paso, TX 79935
915-595-8831

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