Reptile & Amphibian Forums

In yet another attack on the reptile community, today Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will look to list the "Big 9" from the USGS survey published in October on the Lacey Act as injurious species:

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today announced the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will propose to list the Burmese python and eight other large constrictor snakes that threaten the Everglades and other sensitive ecosystems as "injurious wildlife" under the Lacey Act.

Salazar made the announcement at the Port of New York, which serves as the largest point of entry in the nation for imports of wildlife and wildlife products. Last year, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Inspectors at John F. Kennedy International Airport handled more than 27, 000 separate wildlife shipments valued at more than $1 billion, or 16 percent of all U.S. wildlife imports.

The proposal, which will be open to public comment before Salazar makes a final decision, would prohibit importation and interstate transportation of the animals.

"The Burmese python and these other alien snakes are destroying some of our nation’s most treasured – and most fragile – ecosystems," Salazar said. "The Interior Department and states such as Florida are taking swift and common sense action to control and eliminate the populations of these snakes, but it is an uphill battle in ecosystems where they have no natural predators. If we are going to succeed, we must shut down the importation of the snakes and end the interstate commerce and transportation of them."

This allows us yet another opportunity to refute the bad science involved with both HR2811 and S373. The FWS will publish the proposed rule change in the federal register in early February.

Once it's published, the public will have sixty days to offer comment, after which the waiting game begins again.

As soon as the comment period opens, we'll let you know what action to take, and where.

Even now, it's not too late -- or too early! -- to make calls, reach out to your senators and representatives. Let them know this proposal is based on bad science, that you're part of the reptile community and that you vote!
USF&W to add "Big 9" to Lacey Act

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Cindy Steinle
phfaust@pethobbyist.com
PHFaust
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It is beyond me why our government does not focus on real problems like the huge unemployment rate in the Country...

Instead of taking on real issues in our Country that matter, they want to restrict reptiles and send money to earthquake victims in other Countries...

I dont get it...

It is deflection.This is a way to create a big issue with out doing something about a real issue.It is a band wagon affect and every one is jumping on.The real issues are un fixable in many cases so now we must be saved from ourselves.There are wild horses in many western states now protected non native animals.Horses kill more humans a year than all herps combined.This is a biblicle issue straight out of the bible.We have been tempted by the serpent in the garden of eden.If you will notice most people do not like snakes.As a youngster I was the only person I knew that did.When it became big money it got out of control.Hognoses are not going to invade the planet .If they did they would get little notice.But you say the word python and you got somrthing to stand on.Why these are the largest snakes on planet earth man eaters.The list of animals that have destroied the enviorment is long an pianful man being on the top.The truth most have just changed it to suit there survival .So what I am a creationist yet I believe in evolution this is evolution survival of the fitest .It is going to hurt alot of good people and I mean the hobbiest as well as the money men.Money breeders rat feeders and democrat leaders just do not fit together and we shall be separated from our hobby one section at a time.The big 9,then the venomous ,then the non native then the native.Only another issue easyer to stand on will get people off of this one.Guys we are a easy target.so many people believe in limited freedom and that is going to be our down fall.If this were a vote given straight to the american people we would loose in a land slide.This is a train running down the broken tracks heading in to the bend at 200 miles per hour fixing to derail and lively hoods will be not spared .Each section of the hobby is a car on that train we know where the locmotive is the first to fall.The coal car venomous who is next. Is it you.Band together and unite destroy this common evil we share and mabie just mabie some of us will be able to suevive this onslaught of idiocy .
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Archie Bottoms