Posted by:
tspuckler
at Sat Feb 28 07:59:10 2004 [ Email Message ] [ Show All Posts by tspuckler ]
BB,
Actually I CAN tell the difference between all those animals you have mentioned AND I know their latin names as well. I expect wildlife officials to be able to identify the animals they are trying to protect - IT'S THEIR JOB.
There is nothing wrong with breeding albino black rat snakes. We've been over this before. You previously agreed that such things should not be regulated. These people should not have had their homes raided, their names posted on the ODNR website, been taken to court and then fined.
Here in Ohio I belong to a group of people called NOAH (the Northern Ohio Association of Herpetologists). We worked with the ODNR to assist them in writing a ruling, attended meetings at the state capital and hosted reptile & amphibian identification seminars all ON OUR OWN TIME, with the good faith that a reasonable ruling would be issued (it wasn't).
In July of 2000 the organization wrote a letter stating their opposition to many facets of the ODNR ruling and offered suggestions on what could be done to make it more reasonable (you can read it at www.noahonline.net). We received a letter on July 31, 2000 from Carolyne Caldwell, author of this idiotic ruling, indicating that she would like to "begin discussing the rule and its implementation and enforcement with interested folks possibly as early as this winter..I believe we must continue to have meaningful dialog and a strong working relationship."
We have yet to hear back from her.
Here in Ohio, we went through great lengths to attain a positive relationship with wildlife authorities - and then were dealt a slap in the face. We are done "being nice" in the Buckeye State and unfortunately most of these cases will now have to be fought out in court by those who have the time and resources to do so. This of course will waste taxpayer's money which could have been spent on conservation.
Worse yet, the big egos and small brain of the ODNR have succeeded in positioning them as "bad guys" in the minds of most Ohio herpers. You will find very few people who don't think busting breeders for color morphs of black rats was nothing more than a pathetic attempt to increase the amount of people they could nail in their "sting" last year.
"In other words, find ways to make friends with the guys trying to protect wildlife not enemies, and offer to be part of the solution instead of part of the problem, "
Tried that BB - it didn't work!
Tim Spuckler
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RE: Closing Big Brother's "Feedback Loop" (Proposal)>>> - tspuckler, Sat Feb 28 07:59:10 2004