Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Stop Florida Reptile Ban Now!

The Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) will meet September 9th, 10th and 11th. On the agenda will be Reptiles of Concern and whether to ban them administratively this year. Please don't let this happen! What happens in Florida will have repercussions across the country. We need everyone to weigh in on this and send an email to the FWC Commissioners. Even if you are not a Florida resident you can sign the letter as a potential stakeholder. The Humane Society of the United States has been mischaracterizing the issue and spreading inaccurate statistics. The Reptile Nation needs to be heard from coast to coast on this important debate.

USARK President, Andrew Wyatt will be traveling to Florida to attend the meeting. Let the FWC hear the voice of the Reptile Nation prior to his arrival. We have a very good argument to make, but it will be much more convincing if we get a big email push from the Nation. Just follow the link below to our instant email tool. It is as easy as filling in your info and pushing the submit button. Do it now!

Click here to email FWC and Gov Crist

http://usark.org/campaign.php?id=8

This is a public meeting. We urge all Florida residents and stakeholders to come to the meeting and express your concerns. Our issues are on the agenda for the afternoon of the 9th.

Time:

8:30 a.m.

Date:

September 9-11, 2009

Place:

Mission Inn
10400 County Road 48
Howey-in-the-Hills, FL 34737
Phone: (352) 324-3101
Fax: (352) 324-2636
Website: http://www.missioninnresort.com/

Here are some details. I posted the presentation link on the Burmese python forum.

September 1, 2009
Contacts: (Inland issues) Henry Cabbage, 850-488-8843
(Marine issues) Lee Schlesinger, 850-487-0554

* Agenda (with links to background reports)

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission will meet at the Mission Inn in Howey-in-the-Hills Sept. 9-11. The meeting is open to the public at 10400 County Road 48. It will convene at 8:30 a.m. all three days.

The Sept. 9 (Wednesday) agenda will focus on inland issues, including discussion of a proposed rule to allow falconers to hunt with peregrine falcons. The proposal may be on the agenda for final approval in December if Commissioners direct FWC staff to proceed with developing it. Federal regulations would limit the program to five or fewer peregrines per year in Florida.

Another proposed rule on the Sept. 9 agenda would solidify an existing executive order allowing licensed hunters to kill nonnative reptiles of concern in select South Florida wildlife management areas. The rule will be up for final approval in December. As part of an overall review of existing regulatory measures for reptiles of concern, the Commission will be reviewing proposed legislation from Sen. Lee Constantine and others to enhance the FWC's efforts to regulate captive wildlife in Florida.