USARK Legal Action Against FWS Constrictor Rule

I don't know where all the money is going, but I have to question the 250K amount quoted to mount a legal challenge.
If the USFWS case for the python ban is as bad as made out, a challenge could be mounted for little more than the statutory filing costs, which would at best be a few thousand dollars.
Now I am sure there are legal people who keep reptiles (after all, how many lawyers are there in the USA?) who could prepare documents for the case.
I have serious misgivings in terms of USARK in that they fail to identify and deal with enemies within the herpetological camp and have as far as I have seen completely mucked up various cases and submissions so far, that gave the US FWS an easy run in terms of their new laws.
In the 1990's I singlehandledly had a raft of reptile ban laws repealed in Australia to allow private keeping to be legal for the first time in over 20 years, so I know what can be done with a little determination.
There is no doubt that the python ban could be overturned almost immediately with appropriate will and direction within the herp community.
But I do not see this happening in a hurry.
All the best

Originally Posted by EricWI

These legal maneuvers are not inexpensive, and will be even more costly if it is necessary to file a federal lawsuit. Our goal is to raise $250,000 between now and the end of the year. This is only a start. If we file a lawsuit it could easily require twice that amount. FWS doesn’t think that the Reptile Nation is capable of fielding a serious legal challenge to their arbitrary Lacey Act listing. They don’t think we can raise the money. We have waited until our legal team gave us the word that they felt we have a strong and clear course of action to follow. .

If it is that strong and that clear, how come it isn't here? It isn't as if the reasons have to be kept a big secret, a party has to specify the reason they are challenging , in court.

In the past, people considered legal counsel as some sort of expensive arcane skill where you got to give the lawyer a potload of cash and hopefully you got the desired result.
Lord knows I am not against lawyers being paid, but in today's world, the law is no longer arcane.

There are clear explanations of various legal issues available online, and TV shows of all kinds have made people aware and more comfortable with the legal process. And today's world is more sophisticated in terms of results oriented spending for lawyers, doctors, and other professionals.

Where is this money going? How much are these lawyers getting paid, and who are they? What's the game plan?
You can't just ask for half a million dollars these days without some assurance of wise spending.

Corporate mishaps and misbehaviors, Ponzi schemes, and financial implosions by large companies have ended that era of innocence where one just opened one's wallet with blind trust.
Let's see some specifics.

Well put Lucille - I couldn't have said it better myself.
All the best

USARK has a lawyer. Her name is Erika Nicole Walsh. She says she does stuff for free. Wyatt come on our forum and asked us for money. I was ready with some questions. Instead of answering them, he called me a dick and told me I wasnt an active giving good person to society and he didnt need to answer my basic questions. Last time I checked $250,000 isnt a lemonade stand. You want that kind of coin, you need to be ready to answer why. HE COULDNT might I add.

I'm beginning to smell tuna. USARK tuna.

Simple financial questions should be answered with courtesy and clarity. One has to have some transparency if one is asking for large donations for a cause, and that doesn't seem to be happening. Paul I'm sorry you were treated that way.

If people have questions about USARK, please direct them through the USARK web site (www.usark.org) or through email to USARK at info@usark.org or through the USARK Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/pages/USARK...rs/93475517723). USARK does not regularly look at this forum and so there is no representative here to answer your questions. I came across this accidentally.

On the USARK Facebook page it states that Zoo Med is matching dollar-for-dollar every dollar donated to USARK in 2012 up to $100,000. This is in general donations, not to the legal fund.

The last financial report i saw (just prior to Daytona) indicated that approximately $20K had been raised for the legal fund at that time. We are a long way from being able to pay a retainer for a federal law suit, but we are working hard on it.

Please feel free to direct your questions to the above contacts should you have further questions.

Sincerely,

Erika Walsh
Vice President
USARK

Originally Posted by ocerico

On the USARK Facebook page it states that Zoo Med is matching dollar-for-dollar every dollar donated to USARK in 2012 up to $100,000. This is in general donations, not to the legal fund.

Sorry, I meant on the USARK web page, not the Facebook page.

Originally Posted by ocerico

I
On the USARK Facebook page it states that Zoo Med is matching dollar-for-dollar every dollar donated to USARK in 2012 up to $100,000. This is in general donations, not to the legal fund.

Aww, that's a shame. Yeah my herp club never replied so I assumed the donation wasn't matched.
Thanks for the update Erika

Originally Posted by ocerico

If people have questions about USARK, please direct them through the USARK web site (www.usark.org) or through email to USARK at info@usark.org or through the USARK Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/pages/USARK...rs/93475517723). USARK does not regularly look at this forum and so there is no representative here to answer your questions. I came across this accidentally.

So that our questions can be ignored.

Originally Posted by ocerico

On the USARK Facebook page it states that Zoo Med is matching dollar-for-dollar every dollar donated to USARK in 2012 up to $100,000. This is in general donations, not to the legal fund.

Thanks. But it didn't answer the question I asked, at the time I asked it. The info was not on the facebook page, and the info on the old usark site was outdated. Seriously, does no one have time to answer a couple emails?

Originally Posted by ocerico

The last financial report i saw (just prior to Daytona) indicated that approximately $20K had been raised for the legal fund at that time. We are a long way from being able to pay a retainer for a federal law suit, but we are working hard on it.

Thanks.

Originally Posted by ocerico

If people have questions about USARK, please direct them through the USARK web site (www.usark.org) or through email to USARK at info@usark.org or through the USARK Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/pages/USARK...rs/93475517723). USARK does not regularly look at this forum and so there is no representative here to answer your questions. I came across this accidentally.

On the USARK Facebook page it states that Zoo Med is matching dollar-for-dollar every dollar donated to USARK in 2012 up to $100,000. This is in general donations, not to the legal fund.

The last financial report i saw (just prior to Daytona) indicated that approximately $20K had been raised for the legal fund at that time. We are a long way from being able to pay a retainer for a federal law suit, but we are working hard on it.

Please feel free to direct your questions to the above contacts should you have further questions.

Sincerely,

Erika Walsh
Vice President
USARK

USARK regularly posts updates on almost all the snake/reptile forums (including this one) asking for things: Money, support, etc.

Does that mean that USARK is done posting on the forums? Or only when it comes to giving us updates on the donation drive?