The Texas Parks & Wildlife Wildlife Diversity Program is under (relatively) new leadership - Matt Wagner and Duane Schlitter. As with any new officials, some changes can possibly be expected - right now, they are investigating trying to make the Commercial Nongame Permitting system work "better". Here is an exerpt from the abstract of a presentation made by Schlitter last weekend at the Texas Herpetological Society's fall meeting in San Marcos:
"The TPWD is currently addressing the following issues: 1) Better compliance with annual reporting requirements before dealer permits are re-issued 2) Consideration of a ban on commercial collection of box turtles and diamondback terrapins 3) Inclusion of at least 22 species currently not on the list and which will require a nongame permit and 4) Conversion of the list to a “white-list” whereby all nongame species not listed are prohibited from commercial collection."
At the THS meeting, points one and two were met with approval. The THS sees no problem with improving compliance on reporting associated with the Dealer Permits. The THS members were more or less unanimous on approving the protection of Box Turtles and Diamondback Terrapins from commercial collection.
THS members were very much divided on points 3 and 4. Currently, the only herps affected by the commercial permitting are those that were found to be in the commercial trade in high volume over the 1998-2001 reporting period: Rattlesnakes, Aquatic Turtles, certain "feeder lizards" and toads sold by the El Paso commercial collector. No common colubrids (e.g. alterna, triangulum, subocs) were on the "must report" list after the 2001 season. However, the new mgt wants to change that - While the old Wildlife Diversity director (John Herron) had said that the trade in these animals was insignificant, the new program director (Matt Wagner) wants reporting on these animals in order to monitor the trade again.
Point 4 - the "white list" was met with even more controversy - some folks thought it a good idea, while others felt that it was not. Basically, the idea of this is that TPWD says "these animals are the only ones that can be commercially collected" and that all other cannot. Honestly, I don't really know that this would matter all that much, provided that they actually listed all species that any of us were interested in - closure of trade in aquatic salamanders and narrow mouthed toads isn't going to affect very many people . . . but I was opposed to this, mostly on the ground that any list would have to have Commission approval to be changed, and that I am more interested in limiting governmental power than anything else (although I do recognize that nothing I can do will eliminate it LOL).
At any rate, all of this is very preliminary - TPWD Wildlife Diversity will be meeting with regional herp societies in San Antonio (Nov 8), San Angelo, Dallas/Fort Worth, and Houston this winter. I have been designated to represent the Texas Herp Society, and the THS has approved that I also coordinate with the state regional herp societies as possible (this will increase the number and strength of our voice). I also intend to speak at the commission meeting in January regarding this issue.
If any of you would like to contact me, my email is:
alterna2627(AT)swtexas(DOT)net
To contact Matt Wagner or Duane Schlitter at TPWD for more information, their emails follow the following format:
employee.name(AT)tpwd.state.tx.us substituting their names for "employee.name"
Troy
