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Thread: Ban all pythons nationwide - call 7/27/09

  1. #1
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    Default Ban all pythons nationwide - call 7/27/09

    CALL DAY 7/27/09- Stop Ban On ALL Pythons Nationwide!

    There seems to be some confusion in the Reptile Nation about what is going on here. HR2811 if passed would Ban ALL Pythons Nationwide. This is NOT a Florida bill. It is in the US House of Representatives. This is NOT about Burmese Pythons. IT IS ABOUT ALL PYTHONS!... from Ball Pythons on up... ALL PYTHONS!!! If HR2811 passes the House and Senate as written, the trade in ALL PYTHONS IS OVER!!


    Our only chance is to get the bill amended. It is going to get voted on in subcommittee on Tuesday and the full House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday. If we are unable to get it amended it will include ALL PYTHONS!

    USARK is calling on the entire Reptile nation to turn out for a MASSIVE calling day tomorrow, Monday July 27, 2009!!! If we fail, the ability to work with ANY Python will be devastated. Don't let this happen. We owe it to our children and future generations to be able to enjoy these animals! This is the most fantastic hobby and profession there is. DO NOT LET IT DIE!




    This is also good advice from a very good friend:

    "I would also recommend calling your individual Congressman's office to register your opposition. If Congressmen start receiving a large number of calls, they are more likely to ask someone on the judiciary committee what is happening and suggest that this bill could be a problem.


    LOOK for your REPRESENTATIVE or even a representative from a nearby district. We want to reach these four who are sponsoring this bill, but we also want to let all judiciary committee members know that we oppose this legislation.

    the DEMOCRATS have the power to push this one regardless of what the Republicans think. If you are a Democrat or voted for a Democrat, you need to let them know that they are betraying you when they support this measure. They received a great deal of support from animal rights and environmental extremists. Those groups expect payback in the form of a python ban. If you let them know that they are hurting their supporters with this ban, they may have to think twice.


    If you are a REPUBLICAN, you need to let your representative know that now is a bad time for bipartisanship. You need to focus on the theme of individual freedom and the attack on small business. Many Republicans will want to go along just to avoid being attacked next year. You want to let them know that the attack will be ignorant and that people will know that the attack is ignorant."





    Phone & Fax Campaign July 27, 2009: This is not a full list of the House Judiciary Committee. We will focus only on key members.

    SCRIPT: My name is...... I want to register a NO on HR2811. If passed as written this bill will destroy thousands of families and small businesses. There is not a shred of scientific evidence to support banning all of the different species in the genus python. Not all pythons are the same. There are many different species. Please amend the bill to address only the IMPORT of the Burmese Python. Thank you for your consideration.

    Sponsor and Key Members:

    Congressman Kendrick Meek (D-FL), Sponsor
    Washington DC: phone 202-225-4506; fax 202-226-0777
    Miami: phone 305-690-5905; fax 305-690-5951

    Congressman Tom Rooney (R-FL)
    Washington DC: phone 202-225-5792; fax 202-225-3132
    Punta Gorda: phone 941-575-9101; fax 941-575-9103



    Congressman Robert Wexler (D-FL)Washington DC: phone 202-225-3001; fax 202-225-5974
    Boca Raton: phone 561-988-6302; fax 561-988-6423


    Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL)
    Washington DC: phone 202-225-7931; fax 202-226-2052
    Pembroke Pines: phone 954-437-3936; fax 954-437-4776


    Congressman John Conyers (D-MI) Committee Chair
    Washington DC: phone 202-225-5126; fax 202-225-0072
    Detroit: phone 313-961-5670; fax 313-226-2085
    EMAIL: john.conyers@mail.house.gov


    Congressman Lamar Smith (R-TX) Ranking Member
    Washington DC: phone 202-225-4236; fax 202-225-8628
    San Antonio: phone 210-821-5024; fax 210-821-5947


    Congressman Howard L. Berman (D-CA)
    Washington DC: phone 202-225-4695; fax 202-225-3196
    Van Nuys: phone 818-994-7200; fax 818-994-1050


    Congressman Rick Boucher (D-VA)
    Washington DC: phone 202-225-3861; fax 202-225-0442


    Congressman Howard Coble (R-NC)
    Washington DC: phone 202-225-3065; fax 202-225-8611
    Greensboro: phone 336-333-5005; fax: 336-333-5048


    Congressman Randy Forbes (R-VA)
    Washington DC: phone 202-225-6365; fax 202-226-1170
    Chesapeake: 757-382-0080; fax 757-382-0780


    Congressman Trent Franks (R-AZ)
    Washington DC: phone 202-225-4576; fax: 202-225-6328
    Glendale: phone 623-776-7911; fax: 623-776-7832


    Congressman Elton Gallegly (R-CA)
    Washington DC: phone 202-225-5811; fax 202-225-1100
    Thousand Oaks: phone 805-497-2224; Toll Free: (800) 423-0023; fax 805-497-0039


    Congressman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY)
    Washington DC: phone 202-225-5635
    New York: phone 212-367-7350



    CALL, CALL, CALL!!! Our Future Depends On It! Make an avalanche of calls and bury HR2811!


    Click here to donate $10 with dollar for dollar matching from Zoo Med
    http://usark.org/donate.php
    Last edited by Angelrose; 07-29-2009 at 10:55 AM. Reason: *UPDATE*

  2. #2
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    I'm calling, I'm calling!
    Laura R (FL)
    1.0.0 Colombian Tegu
    1.4.0 Argentine B&W Tegu
    1.2.0 Red Tegu
    1.2.0 B/WxRed Tegu
    1.0.0 Green Ameiva (yet another teiid)
    7 other lizards
    1 little gator
    3 FL box turtle
    1 Sulcata tortoise
    16 snakes
    5 fuzzy pets
    4 little frogs
    a bunch of creepy bugs
    and a partridge in a pear tree

  3. #3
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    More calls needed Tuesday. Stop HR2811. Apathy will mean the end of ALL Python trade in the U.S. Who knows? Your Kingsnakes may be next. Just remember to be courteous and to the point.



    COPIED AND PASTED FROM USARK COMMUNICATION:

    Not Enough Calls- Keep Calling Tomorrow!

    We need many more calls for the CALL CAMPAIGN OPPOSING HR2811 organized by USARK. We saw many email lists forwarding our phone and fax campaign all around the Reptile Nation. Kingsnake.com, ReptileRadio and many others helped spread the word, but today's turn out was less than stellar. Our work is not done. Please continue to call all day tomorrow. A link to the remainder of the list of House Judiciary Committee Members is below. Call everyone. If you have not contacted the key members indicated by USARK please do that first. Most members are not very aware of HR2811.


    We have been in communication with the offices of Congressman Kendrick Meek and Congressman Tom Rooney since early this morning. They want to amend HR2811. Originally they agreed to the USARK proposal on an amendment. It has since become unclear the direction this proposed amendment might take. Tomorrow there will be a subcommittee mark up. There will be no amendment allowed tomorrow, but we will find out what the proposal for amendment will be. If it is out of line with what we have proposed we will fight it. It is possible that an amendment will be introduced on Wednesday during the full House Judiciary Committee mark up.

    Make your phone calls... send your faxes. If you want to be successful we will have to do much better than today. We are potentially facing the end of the python trade. What are you personally prepared to do to stop that from happening? The people that do nothing will have themselves to blame if this bill goes south. Don't sit around and procrastinate and later wish you had done your part. Tomorrow is your last chance to have an impact on an amendment. Make your phone calls... send your faxes!!!


    BEWARE OF RUMORS... do not contribute to the rumor mill. USARK will make a statement tomorrow updating the situation!

    Click here for script and call list.

  4. #4
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    The Issue. Representative Kendrick Meek (D-FL) has introduced H.R. 2811 (the House version of Senator Nelson's Senate Bill S.373). As drafted, it would amend the Lacey Act to add "the constrictor snake of the species Python genera" as an injurious species that would be "prohibited from being shipped or imported into the United States."

    Adding "Python genera" to the injurious wildlife list under the Lacey Act has far broader consequences than indicated by the bill's language, prohibiting specimens of "the constrictor snake" (presumably a reference to Burmese Pythons) being "shipped to or imported into the United States." A Lacey Act listing, in addition to banning importation into the United States, prohibits export and interstate movement. To further compound the proposed listing, it lumps numerous species of Pythons into inaccurate taxonomic nomenclature by referring to "Python genera" rather than referencing a specific species. In short, it is not clear if only "pythons" of the genus Python would be listed or every snake commonly referred to as a python would fall under the umbrella of taxonomic confusion.

    Once H.R. 2811 passes Markup it will go to the floor of the House of Representatives for consideration. The Meeks ban, like Senator Nelson's Senate Bill 373, would circumvent the statutory listing process called for by the Lacey Act. To list a species under the Lacey Act, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) is required to conduct a risk analysis and seek public comment prior to making a final determination that a species should be listed as "injurious." The USFWS process is currently underway. Thus, is H.R. 2811 intentionally designed to bypass a transparent, stakeholder-inclusive, science-based process?

    As drafted, H.R. 2811 will likely ban all pythons, including ball pythons - the most popular and widely possessed Python species. If H.R. 2811 goes forward it needs to be amended to address the one species of concern - Burmese pythons in a scientifically-credible manner. There is absolutely no justification for banning all Pythons.

    Points to be highlighted:
    *If H.R. 2811 is enacted as drafted, tens of thousands of American pet owners, hobbyists, and business owners across the country will be adversely impacted.
    *There is no scientific justification at this time for banning any species of Python; not every species is the same and there is a large difference between the Burmese python that is found in the Everglades and other Python species commonly possessed by reptile keepers and pet owners. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has a credible science-based review process underway that should not be circumvented by simply imposing a Congressional ban.
    *H.R. 2811 should be amended to address Burmese Pythons in a scientifically credible manner. Priority needs to be given to controlling the existing population in the Everglades - resources are needed for developing baits and traps.
    *If the Congress decides to ban Burmese Pythons, it should limit the ban to importation of that species into the United States.
    *To prevent release of currently owned Burmese pythons into the environment, provisions should be in final law to permit interstate movement of existing U.S. population of Burmese pythons, subject to housing such animals in secure enclosures and compliance with all applicable State and local requirements and best management practices for housing and maintaining large constrictors.
    *The final law should also include provisions for financial support to the USFWS and partners to expand the reptile component of the HabitattitudeTM campaign to educate reptile owners not to release their unwanted pets.

    Laura R (FL)
    1.0.0 Colombian Tegu
    1.4.0 Argentine B&W Tegu
    1.2.0 Red Tegu
    1.2.0 B/WxRed Tegu
    1.0.0 Green Ameiva (yet another teiid)
    7 other lizards
    1 little gator
    3 FL box turtle
    1 Sulcata tortoise
    16 snakes
    5 fuzzy pets
    4 little frogs
    a bunch of creepy bugs
    and a partridge in a pear tree

  5. #5
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    That is another update...perhaps from PIJAC. I was having a hard time posting it in full but I think I got it all in there!

    Please help us call...even if you don't own pythons. If this bill passes it opens the door to the inclusions of other reptiles in the future. There is a colony of wild tegus in Polk County, FL. Since they cause crop damage tegus can also be looked upon as a nuisance pest and added as a injurious species.

    Calling is not a big deal! A staff person answers the phone and you just tell them that you would like to register a 'No' on HR 2811. They may ask for your zip code. If they do, explain to them that your representative is not on the committee and you are contacting those that are. They say 'thank you' and that's it.
    Laura R (FL)
    1.0.0 Colombian Tegu
    1.4.0 Argentine B&W Tegu
    1.2.0 Red Tegu
    1.2.0 B/WxRed Tegu
    1.0.0 Green Ameiva (yet another teiid)
    7 other lizards
    1 little gator
    3 FL box turtle
    1 Sulcata tortoise
    16 snakes
    5 fuzzy pets
    4 little frogs
    a bunch of creepy bugs
    and a partridge in a pear tree

  6. #6
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    Pennsylvania
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    I just wanted to bump this thread up as time ticking down.


    laura is absolutely correct about this opening the door for this to happen to other reptiles in the future.


    PLEASE MAKE THE CALL. IT'S EASY.

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