Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I am playing around with the idea of starting a non-profit org. with the following mission statement.

To protect the right of keeping and breeding reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates within captivity in an effort to educate, conserve, and enjoy these magnificent animals.

I just need to know if anyone would be willing to help set-up and promote this? It would have an easy to use website with full U.S. laws currently in use in relation to herps and give alerts to any pending laws. A fund would be put together to be used to battle existing and pending reptile laws. It would also be a place for herpers to come to get help fighting local and state laws. Does this sound feasible? We just need one unified voice for the herp community and I am willing to help put the framework together! Anyone that has any ideas or can offer assistance, please contact me!!! I cannot do this alone!
Thanks
Justyn
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Justyn
Intense Herpetoculture

There's a guy named Evan Stahl with the same sort of idea who perhaps you should get in contact with.

I can think of at least three organizations which had aspirations to influence herp-related laws on a national basis in the last fifteen years: American Federation of Herpetoculturists; National Herpetological Alliance; and National Reptile and Amphibian Advisory Council. Each had quality people associated with its efforts. Each is no longer active.

Anyone who hopes to address these issues through a herpetological interest group will have to have the capacity to lobby Congress and state legislatures. Hence you would not be able to organize as a 501c3 non-profit. You might also want to investigate why these earlier organizations failed.

Thanks for the information. I'll definitely look in into that.
Thanks
Justyn
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Justyn
Intense Herpetoculture