This is a letter I am planning on sending out ASAP. Please let me know what you think. I must give A LOT of credit to Myke Clarkson for providing me with info, and a basic outline (Just a dumb grunt here). so thank you Myke.
I am a veteran from the 2nd Battalion 503rd Parachute Infantry Regiment(2006-2009). I served our Nation and I was deployed to Afghanistan from May, 2007 - August, 2008. I served with many of our Nation's great Heroes. PFC Juan S. Restrepo (KIA, and name of our unit's recent documentary "Restrepo"
, SSG. Larry I. Rougle (KIA), SGT. Joshua C. Brennan (KIA), Salvatore Augustine Giunta (living recipient of the Medal of Honor), and many, many others. Luckily, I was still able to walk away after receiving the Purple Heart. Yet, if the Lacey Act were in affect during my time in service many of my fellow servicemen, family, and I would have been considered Felons.
I, like many other members of our military need to keep reptiles, and more specifically snakes, if we want to have pets. We need a companion that we won't have to worry about while we are off on a training exercise for a week or so. Snakes are that perfect pet for us.
Now that I am out of the Military, my passion and one of my main sources of income is breeding and selling snakes. My livelihood will be severely crippled by laws like the Lacey Act.
Your own Executive order 13563 states, "Our regulatory system must protect public health, welfare, safety, and our environment while promoting economic growth, innovation, competitiveness, and job creation. It must be based on the best available science. It must allow for public participation and an open exchange of ideas." I applaud that decision, it was monumental. However, please consider the following reasons I feel this order was violated by the recent python ban.
1) Best Available Science: Any major university or scientific organization has a simple standard for a basic paper to become what we refer to as a "Scientific Paper". This standard is going through peer review. The USGS survey on Python migration, on which this ban is based does not meet that basic criteria. It did not go through the peer review process, and therefore by any definition does not pass as true science. Without peer review it is merely a written speculation, this document should have sought peer review if it wanted to be considered more than an opinion. I believe this was not done for one of two reasons. First the paper was based on temperatures that could be, but are not currently.[1] This is very weak science, and the temperature estimates are highly questionable. Secondly, the study was done on Indian Pythons, not Burmese Pythons. [2] To study one species, but apply it to another is quite irresponsible. It would be like saying Brown Bears can survive in Utah, so for that reason so could Polar Bears. Indian Pythons and Burmese Pythons are very different animals, and this would have made it very difficult for the USGS study to pass peer review at all.
2) Currently the Burmese python problem is limited to the state of Florida, which already has restrictions in place. Plus, this law does nothing about Burmese Pythons in Florida. People are still allowed to own and breed them, they just can't sell them over state lines. What is going to happen with all the breeders who have gravid/pregnant females before this was introduced and have 40 or more snakes to try and sell? This is doing nothing to prevent anymore Burmese Pythons from getting released in the everglades, or anywhere else. In fact, this may cause more to be released. To make this state issue into a federal violation will cost us thousands of jobs, and solve zero problems.
3) If the issue is the environment, this was a bad move. Many people have already said online that if they move they will need to leave their snakes behind. If they take their snakes to a veterinarian over state lines they will be forced to break the law. According to the American Veterinarians Association there are over 2 million Pythons in captivity. When American's would like to move between states,what happens to the snakes? Like I stated before, what about our Military's Servicemen and women? Many of them keep snakes as pets. Snakes are able to be left locked up while their owners are out training, etc... What if they PCS (Permanent Change of Station) to a unit in another state? what are they suppose to do? There are very few snake rescues, and it would be irresponsible to give a snake away to a family not properly ready to care for it. I predict many snakes will be let go, in order for families to stay in compliance with the new law. The Burmese Python Initiative is the Nation's first Python rescue that I am aware of. It is in Florida. The other 49 states have no viable option when moving. Again, this is only going to cause good citizens to become law breakers or further python releases.
Damaging a $103,000,000.00 industry during an economic crisis is a terrible cost for a law that by any sensible means will only make the problem worse[3]. I dearly hope this ban does not cause nation wide releases, but I fear it will. ALL snake breeding businesses are small businesses. Even the largest are only 20 employees strong. This means the over one hundred million dollar figure will put a larger than normal number of small business owners out of business.
If your administration's real goal is helping small businesses this is the wrong move. If the administration's real goal is to help the environment this is the wrong move. I for one do not see how this furthers either cause. If there is something I am missing please inform me of what it is. I really do not see any positive in this monumental decision.
Thank you so much for your time. I took my time to write it, I hope you take your time to read it.
Sincerely,
Frederick G. Meyer JR
Wisconsin
P.s.
I would appreciate a personalized response and not a form letter. It is ok if it is from one of the President's employees. Form letters are very insulting, and shows you have no concern, or willingness to give up some time for the hearts and minds of your Nation's People.
[1] Claims of Potential Expansion throughout the U.S. by Invasive Python Species Are Contradicted by Ecological Niche Models, Pyron, Burbrink and Guiher - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti...8/?tool=pubmed
[2] Burmese Pythons Inhabiting the U.S.? by: Roqaya Ashmawey, Experts question report stating Burmese pythons could inhabit a third of the U.S -The study makes a leap here, first assuming that the two different snakes have the same tolerance, David Northcott http://www.reptilechannel.com/media/reptile-news/snake/burmese-python-report.aspx.pdf
[3]USARK Reptile Industry Economic Summary for the Office of Management & Budget RE: USFWS Proposed Rule Change to Injurious Wildlife List of the Lacey Act; March 1, 2010, Andrew Wyatt http://www.usark.org/uploads/Economic OMB Testimony.pdf
