USFW SERVICE needs to change...help me please!!!!

As many of you know over the past several months USFW service has changed it's proceedures regarding CITES applications, instead of the normal few weeks it takes for processing the wait time has increased dramtically to 6 months.This change has hurt my own and many other buisnesses,we can not hold animals for this amount of time and still operate efficiently. Who would buy an animal to have to wait 6 months to get it,who would want to hold and house an animal for this length of time.
USFW Service is a SERVICE, they must by law perform in the best interest of the people, I have consulted a corporate lawyer and he agrees that they are in the wrong both ethically and legally. There changes are unreasonable at best. My goal though petition is to change this, I have spoken to the Chief, Branch of Consultation and Monitoring at USFW Division of Scientific Authority in Washington D.C. and he is on our side and agrees with my position 100%. He has instructed me to form this petition and letter below and with his advice we will change this. PLEASE for the sake of our industry, our rights and our families sign this petition via sending me an email and please include any comments you may have. Let's not sit by and be complacent. They are in the wrong and this is our chance NOW to change things.

Below is a copy of the letter I will be sending representing the petition. Send all correspondences to my Asnakemann@aol.com address,I will save each email and when the appropriate time I will forward this to them.




Dear USFW Service,

Hello,
I am writing this letter on behalf of many who have been affected by the drastic and unreasobale changes your service has implemented regarding CITES applications. It has been brought painfully to my attention that your changes is in effect wiping out much of the reptile buisness community through excessive wait periods of 3-6 months for CITES. Many companies,(including my own) have lost or will loose 20% , 30% to 100% of there buisness because of international competition and excessive wait. It is no longer feasible for companies to wait , hold ,feed for many months these animals AFTER the sale has been made. What customer would pay for an item and then have to wait 6 months before the item is shipped, when they can buy from other international dealers.What company would want to hold these animals, take care of them and assume responsibility if they perish ,which happens, to only make a small profit. It is unreasonable , combined with the increase in frieght cost etc..we are no longer able to compete in the internation markets. USFW is a sevice, it must perform in the best interest of it's customers the AMERICAN PEOPLE. This is not happening, you have given many buisnesses a death sentence either intentionally or unintentionally. We formally request an immediate review and change of these proceedures. We do not want to have to unite and persure this matter legally, but at this time we have no choice, our livelyhood is being threatened. Below are signatures of the many companies , families and breeders who have been affected.
Regards,
Justin Mitcham

Justin,
Can you please expand on what animals, commerce, and rights are being effected?

Thanks

ALL CITES APPENDIX 2 species....

Justin,

Six months for an export permit seems inordinate, stifling, and just plain ridiculous. And here I thought that the Bush administration wanted to make it easier for small US businesses to compete globally. When I imported some herps recently from a European breeder (CITES II animals), it took him no more than about four weeks to get his CITES paperwork from his government.

Of course if these are US native species that you are exporting then there are few other sources, European bred herps generally being so much more expensive. Also, your competitors here in the US are under the same constraints as you are and so your customers have little choice but to "suck it up" if they want US CBB animals or WC US native species. They will have to cover your increased costs and suffer the wait as there isn't another place to get them. Small consolation I know because the wait will drive some business away no doubt.

I will "sign" your petition.

Justin, you might want to proofread (or at least spellcheck) your letter before sending it off. JMO, but typos and misspellings tend to detract from the desired impression.

Yes you are right, I am in San Francisco right now using someone elses computer, can't seem to find a way to do the spell check, I guess I am a little too enthusiastic here...couldn't wait till I got home. Anyhow PLEASE forward this to as many people as you can. This is for the better of all, seems everyday we are loosing more and more rights, now it's time to take a stand.

To Jim many thanks, please pass along.
Justin

Do you know the reasoning behind this new decision? Who voted on or developed this change in policy? Before someone says that they are against a decision, they should definitely be aware of background information concerning whey the decision was made. Just saying that the decision will hurt your business will not make them change the policy. If you tell them how the decision is hurting them and how it will cost them money(i.e. lack of applications due to decline in exporting business, etc.) that is a completely different story

why...not whey...ha

...AND I definately agree a change from a few weeks to 6 months is complete overkill.

Yes you are right,thanks for the input, this is why I would like each person to include comments in there email, so they can see how it affects people in different ways,basically, we have all but stopped doing CITES due to the fact we do not want to hold animals the length of time it takes..too costly, too much work. This is how it has personally affected my buisness the most.
Please forward to as many people as possible.
Justin

Justin,

If you don't mind my asking, is exporting reptiles your main source of income?