I sent a long soap box type letter to one of you a week or two ago with conserns for the future of the private sector of herpetology and included a "spat" about this exact subject. He is privey to my view already but here I will elucidate for those who "missed out".

Understand that ANY office with authority in this country needs to show that it is working for a purpose. Usually this is some form of protection of our natural resourses or the people, some times one from the other. Here we have a perfect example of the villanization of the group most interested in the victim over those who find this victims removal a "necessary evil". We could never purchase a "keep permit" for these endangered animals but because of the necessity to keep commerse going this same endangers animal is removed ,either spiritually or physically, from it's home for the sake of our economy. Now there are those of us who see a viable economy in the breeding and sale of these very impessive animals but we, my friends, are the minority. It would be an up hill climb to try and take on the developers in the state of Florida who have firm lobbies and well seated elected officials plus Game and Fish right were they want them.

The money generated by the "Take permits" helps keep their "world" going 'round and I can assure you, it's a pretty penny! Even if we all gathered together we could not amass that kind of money. Our other problem is these same officials see the need for construction and homes. They haven't got a clue as to WHY anyone would want to keep a tortoise or a snake! And programs like the cable station Animal Planet puts on do not foster KEEPING wild animals! Now you know why they got funding.

But this is a world wide problem. Ours are but the tip of the iceberg.

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