It would seem that the following signed letter I sent to his office, the Lt Gov, and all the TP&W Commissioners was worth passing along.
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As a board member on the newly established group Herp Conservation Unlimited (HCU) I am contacting you with the hope of inspiring a new head of Texas Parks and Wildlife that manages the area of non game interest as well as game interest. There is a large group of individuals in Texas that actively enjoy the opportunities of non game wildlife and it is time to manage that resource with their interest at heart.

The history of Non-Game enthusiasts in relation to TP&W has been problematic at best. That is the reason the HCU is being formed, our goal is to build a solid relationship between TP&W and those of us interested in the recreational use of our vast non game resources such as reptiles and amphibians. Our hope is that the opportunity presented by the selection of individuals for seats on the Wildlife Commission as well as the new person to head up TP&W will take us in some new directions. I am hoping that a more open line of communication between TP&W and those of us interested in non game species, especially reptiles and amphibians through the HCU is just around the corner.

I will outline some basic goals of the HCU and also some ideals we would like to see down the road in TP&W:

1. A better understanding of the non game resource and those people interested in it.
2. We would like to see the staff herpetologist have more influence with policy.
3. A strong distinction between the commercial collector and hobbyist / breeder.
4. A revision of current policy to support data on hand, as well as sound management in the future based on data and not opinions or assumptions.
5. Being open to ideas presented by those they wish to manage, at least with reptiles and amphibians the vast wealth of knowledge is in the private hobbyist sector and not TP&W.
6. Give special consideration for the needs of different hunters in Texas (for example a deer hunter with a rifle during daylight has different needs than a reptile hunter that is not armed at night trying to use a flashlight). These different needs and concerns need to be part of any decision to manage a resource.
7. The HCU does not support the commercial take of non game animals (especially large scale operation like Bayou Bob). We hope to influence future legislation to regulate the take of species in an environmentally sound manner that will allow for all future generations to enjoy the same things we do now.
8. The HCU does support the captive breeding programs that many individuals have which in effect reduce the strain on wild populations with captive produced alternatives.
9. The HCU encourages methods of sharing the wealth of data that private hobbyist can / have accumulated with the non game department at TP&W about reptiles and amphibians.
10. The HCU has a general goal to promote a more open understanding between hobbyist interested in reptiles and amphibians and TP&W as well as our legislative body in order to promote safe and reasonable legislation on regulating reptiles and amphibians as a non game resource.

Lance Benton

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Now, the response I got was along the line of: "This has been passed along to the right people, you should also address these concerns with TP&W as well as your state legislators"

I let her know that we are working on that at this time and appreciate the notice that has been taken of our efforts.

And I also found out that only three of us have confirmed that these type letters have been sent to the Governor and/or Commissioners.

From - Joe Forks, Mike Welker, and myself

I am sure that a few might have been sent without a copy being filed away for later. But I doubt it was very many.

Right now we have one ear perked up at the Gov office, We have a growing handful of supporters in the State House and Senate, and we have also gained ground with those who do not understand the full herper issue in the House. We need to keep an effort of writing letters or sending faxes to everybody, in my mind especially the Gov and members of TP&W. We need to push for good non-game management and intelligent legislation related to herps (both native and exotic).

I want to thank everybody that is writing or has been writing to make our goals and efforts understood. And please while the email option is simple, the signed letter or fax has a much more drastic impact on these people.

Lance