National Association of Herpetoculturists???

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

Hmm. I have a site right here that gets about 1,000 unique visitors per day. I can set up this Legislative Alerts forum with subforums for either regions or states to target the specific legislation as needed. This system can email ALL members as needed for important alerts. If needed I could make a mandatory field during registration for people to include their state of residence so the alerts could be tailored to specific localities.

Just let me know what else you need and I can probably set it up here.

Or am I missing something about why that would not be a good idea?

I think that would be a great idea in an effort to get out news and alerts, but what about posting current laws and regulations for each and every state? Also, I think we need an org. (non-profit?) that actively spoke for the whole herp community and went up against pending and existing laws. It would work on this forum is we got a group of "leaders" together that would take it upon themselves to make sure what needed to be done and when, just some sort of organization so we can conduct ourselves in a professional matter. Also, pooling of some sort of resource (money?) that would allow us to legally challenge laws. Plus, I am also talking about a unified voice to present ourselves to the national media in an effort to gain supporters. If we can do all that here, sure, I'd be all for it! Right now we just need to put our ideas in one box to try to put something effective together.

I've been working on this idea for a little while now. I'm not ready to post all my thoughts yet, but it would be great to brainstorm some. Give me a couple more days to try to get some ideas hashed out.

I've been turning this over in my mind of and on for a couple of years.
One thing I have come to believe is that a national organization will not be adequate. Each individual state needs to have it's own organization. Of course a national "umbrella" if you will would be very beneficial for dissemination of information and unification of national issues, but I think starting only a single nationwide group is too far reaching as a first step. They will be unable to effectively oppose things on all levels.
History shows that as a whole herpers are very passive people. The initial sense of excitement and urgency tends to fade after time, and if an issue doesn't concern them directly they often don't bear a sense of responsibility to fight it. These are general statements of course.

NRAAC began with the premise that there would be a national organization bringing together 50 state chapters. That effort floundered from lack of support.
Anyone who has a serious devotion to the hobby has a large stake in what's happening now and over the next few years. We are indeed looking at the final sunset of herpetoculture if we do nothing.
It's relatively easy to get folks to come out to a herp meeting, or participate on a discussion forum, but to get them proactive in legislative issues is much more difficult.

I do believe we need a national organization with a website to bring the big picture together and act as an organizational arm and a clearinghouse for information.
The fight however will be done most effectively on the state by state basis.
If laws are being proposed in a given state, it will be much easier to gain a strong defense from those who are affected by the possible legislation than from herpers living in another state 2000 miles away.

Another fact that needs to be address is legal representation. When we see these instances on bad enforcement of bad laws, there is always someone who will have to either fight the government or buckle under. Most folks are unable to finance a serious fight against the state or federal authorities.
Ideally it would be best if we had some dedicated lawyers with a love of herping to lend a hand. That's alot to ask however. But legal defense is definately an area that will have to be addressed. Lobbying the state lawmakers is the other main issue. Changing existing laws in many cases is needed, but preventing future laws from being passed is just as important. It's easier to stop a law than it is to change it.

Any way you cut it, it's going to be an uphill battle for the first few years just to get it oranized and effective to any real degree.

Come on guys..........Let's not let this thread die after only a couple of days! This always seems to be the case when we (herpers) discuss something regarding new laws or the possible defense of new laws.

Let's continue with this thread and actually DO something! Talk is cheap and we are running out of time. The next few years will determine as to whether or not will be able to continue keeping, breeding and shipping our animals. I know a lot of people out there that are doing this as their full time job. It really surprises me that there isn't more of a priority placed on this issue with those individuals specifically. If this business is your livelihood, how can you NOT feel threatened??

We need the top national breeders to perticipate and be the voice for the rest of us herpers! To round up the herd so to speak! No one is going to pay any attention to someone like me. We need the Rich Z.'s, Kathy Love's, Bob Clark's and Jeff Ronne's of this business to call one another, get together, put a link on their websites to this "organization" when we get something going. The National Breeders Expo is coming up next month, is it to late to try and organize something there?

I will do what ever I can to help get this ball rolling, I just need someone to tell me what.

Let's go people!!!!!!!!

P.S. Rich, is there any way we can shed some light on this topic rather than have it sit here where no one reads it?

Well, you see, the problem is, most people want someone to tell them what to do. Being told what to do is easy. Some of us are trying to figure out exactly what needs to be done and how to do it. That is the tough part. That is why I am have not been posting on this topic, I have been trying to figure out how to do the whole damn thing. Before an organization can be efficient, we need to better gather and disseminate info. If you want something to do, here it is. Find me as many sources of info on proposed and pending legislature concerning reptiles from any state. I don't just want the info, I want sources as well. PM me the information, and at some point in the near future, I will begin posting regularly on what is proposed or pending concerning herps. It's not the whole banana split, yet, but it is a beginning.
This goes for everyone, BTW, any sources of info that are sent will be greatly appreciated.

Richard, I will do my best to provide you with as much information as I can. Please give me a week or so to do some research. When I have gathered the info and the sources I will contact you.

Anyone else want to step up to the plate?