RED ALERT: HR511 Stop Python and Boa BAN NOW!

[USARK.Jonathan.Brady]

RED ALERT: HR511 Stop Python BAN NOW!

HR 511, a bill to amend title 18, United States Code, to prohibit the importation of various injurious species of constrictor snakes; Indian python, Python molurus, including the Burmese python, Python molurus bivittatus; reticulated python, Broghammerus reticulatus; Northern African python,Python sebae; Southern African python, Python natalensis; Boa constrictor; yellow anaconda, Eunectes notaeus; DeSchauensee’s anaconda, Eunectes deschauenseei; green anaconda, Eunectes murinus; and the Beni anaconda, Eunectes beniensis, in the US House of Representatives, was introduced January 26, 2011 by Congressman Tom Rooney (R-FL) .

Congressman Rooney has taken action to move HR 511! This bill seeks to add 9 constricting snakes to the Injurious Wildlife List of the Lacey Act. HR 511 has been scheduled for a Markup Hearing before the US House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday February 28, 2012 at 10:00 AM EST.

http://judiciary.house.gov/hearings/markups112.html

>>There is very little time to voice opposition to this bill that could devistate the Reptile Community. Please participate in the USARK Call In Campaign TODAY!<<

PHONE CAMPAIGN:

Talking Points:

• Will destroy thousands of jobs and small family businesses; $104 million annual economic impact.
• Criminalize the actions of over 1 million American Citizens; Lacey Act felons.
• Federal action to address a localized problem in South Florida is unnecessary; the State of Florida and US Fish & Wildlife have already taken draconian measures.
• Underlying science has been criticized by scientists from around the world.
• Creates a massive animal welfare problem, potentially displacing millions of animals.

Key Members of House Judiciary Committee:

Lamar Smith (R-TX)- 202-225-4236
Sensenbrenner (R-WI)- 202-225-5101
Coble (R-NC)- 202-225-3065
Issa (R-CA)- 202-225-3906
Gohmert (R-TX)- 202-225-3035
Chaffetz (R-UT)- 202-225-7751
Gowdy (R-SC)- 202-225-6030
Poe (R-TX)- 202-225-6565
Goodlatte (R-VA)- 202-225-5431

DO IT NOW!!!

 

[Micha]

I've posted this up on the Monster Snakes group on facebook. I don't think a lot of people know about this yet and there's not much time!!

 

[Micha]

I called the guy in VA, Goodlatte(wasn't him personally) and the guy answering the phone told me that he had received numerous calls about this today. I just hope more call in.

 

[maddox]

I've been informed that an animal rights activist named Meredith Lowel may have been arrested for hiring a contract killer. I haven't had time to verify this information, but if its true, any association the people behind HR511 may have had with her could be leverage.

I called Lamar Smith and got directed to the committee office directly. She asked 'What is your opposition to this bill?' before I got to state my opinion. Hopefully thats a good sign. But don't stop calling. She never asked any info for me so I don't see why I can't call again later.

 

[Tenor Goddess]

Definitely call all the listed reps, not just the local ones to your area. A bunch told me that I needed to call my local branch but they are getting calls, so hopefully they are getting a poop storm of calls period and will get our point across. Even thought I was essentially "blown off," they were very polite about it. My local rep Issa's office actually let me speak, then thanked me for my concerns and said she'd forward my concerns to my rep (it was the secretary). She was very kind. Please call today people. Be polite, professional and courteous. We do not need anyone calling up swearing their heads off and being pissy. We are all upset about this but we need to call and calmly voice our opinions so they will listen, rather than hang up on us.

We all need to stand up now, today and call these offices.

Kindest regards,

Amanda Rose

 

[snowgyre]

I am confused though, what is the justification for adding the species that were originally removed from Lacey Act consideration? I thought they were legally unable to include all of those species due to issues concerning going over the economic impact limit that would require more rigorous science behind the legislation? What happened to the "victory" with only having four species listed instead of all nine??

 

[salottimc]

I really wish I saw this before now. Someone please update with any new information. Once again, PETA, HSUS and the ASPCA are the devil incarnate. They hide behind noble goals, but their true agenda occurs in the shadows.

 

[salottimc]

It passed....

 

[InterExotics]

I seriously can feel my heart breaking right now. As soon as I found out I spent all day yesterday making phone calls and sending out emails. Go figure my efforts are worth nothing. But I'm still fighting...

And seriously considering getting the hell out of this country before it gets worse....

 

[Tenor Goddess]

Please do not feel it was all for nothing. Our efforts brought attention to this and that is worth a lot.
Right now, we just need to put our heads together and get out there to stop this.
I don't know if I'm allowed to post this here, but Laura found this and posted it on Facebook.
Going to share this again. It's loading and working fine for me. Please everyone, Vote NO.
Come on everyone. Let's get more than 60 some odd people on this. There are THOUSANDS of herp keepers out there. We can do so much better.
https://www.popvox.com/bills/us/112/hr511/report#nation

Anything can only help towards our cause.

Amanda Rose

 

[GMTIRRILL]

this is what i found

February 28, 2012

The HSUS Applauds House Judiciary Committee Passage of Bill to Restrict Trade in Dangerous Constricting Snakes
House Action Comes Just Weeks After Announcement of Final Interior Department Rule That Covered Just Four of Nine Species Posing Risk


The Humane Society of the United States applauds the U.S. House Judiciary Committee’s passage of H.R. 511, a bill that will add nine species of large constrictor snakes to the list of injurious species under the Lacey Act.



“The House Judiciary Committee recognized that the trade in large, constricting snakes is reckless and irresponsible, putting people, ecosystems and the animals that live in them, and the snakes themselves at risk,” said Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of The Humane Society of the United States. “We hope that the bill is scheduled for a vote on the House floor soon, and that the Senate takes up the matter expeditiously.”



The HSUS thanks the author of the bill, Rep. Tom Rooney, R-Fla., for his leadership on the issue, and House Judiciary Committee Chairman Lamar Smith, R-Texas, and Ranking Member John Conyers, D-Mich., Subcommittee Chairman Jim Sensenbrenner, R-Wisc., and Ranking Member Bobby Scott, D-Va., for their strong support of the legislation. Three other committee members, Reps. Elton Gallegly, R-Calif., Howard Berman, D-Calif., and Ted Deutch. D-Fla., showed tremendous leadership in advocating for the legislation and fending off some harmful amendments.

H.R. 511 would ban the import or interstate trade for use as pets of the Indian python (including Burmese python), reticulated python, Northern African python, Southern African python, boa constrictor, green anaconda, yellow anaconda, DeSchauensee’s anaconda and Beni anaconda. The bill addresses the trade in nine species identified by the U.S. Geological Survey as posing “high” or “medium” risk of becoming established in the wild as an invasive species. Passage of this legislation would spare thousands of high-maintenance, powerful predators the suffering of the exotic animal trade.



In March 2010, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed a rule to ban nine species of pythons, boa constrictors, and anacondas identified in the USGS report as posing significant risk to the environment. In January 2012, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announced a final rule restricting trade in just four of the nine species—a helpful step, but one covering just 30 percent of imports of the nine species posing a significant risk to the environment.



By including only some species, the trade will simply shift to the other species—including boa constrictors and reticulated pythons which represent two-thirds of the trade, and boa constrictors identified as posing “high” risk—and the threats to public safety, animal welfare, and the environment will continue uninterrupted. It’s for this reason that The HSUS strongly supports enactment of H.R. 511.



The ecological havoc wrought by invasive snakes is worse than anyone anticipated. A January 2012 report by researchers with the National Academy of Sciences found that Burmese pythons, in a little more than a decade of colonizing the Everglades, have wiped out 99 percent of raccoons, opossums and other small and medium-sized mammals, and 87 percent of bobcats. A great American ecosystem has been put at grave risk because of this invasive species. By having such an impact, it will inevitably harm the ability of Florida panthers, one of the most endangered animals in our nation, to survive. We must act now in order to prevent large constricting snakes from colonizing other ecosystems and having such a devastating impact on them, too.



The U.S. Department of Interior expected to spend $100 million in 2011 controlling invasive species, including the pythons breeding wild in Florida. “We must prevent these problems from developing in the first place, and not spend taxpayer dollars to clean up problems we should have anticipated,” added Pacelle. “It’s fiscally reckless to allow these impacts to continue given their predictability.”



Constrictor snakes have killed 15 people in the United States, including seven children, with reticulated pythons accounting for the largest share of attacks. The tragic death of a Florida toddler in 2009 put a fine point on why the private ownership of these animals is just not worth the risk of children or adults being killed by them.



The Committee rejected an amendment offered by Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, that would have removed boa constrictors from the trade restrictions; boa constrictors represent more than 55 percent of the large constrictor snakes in the trade, are identified as posing “high” risk, have already colonized South Florida, and have killed at least two people in the U.S. including a 34-year-old Nebraska man who was strangled to death in 2010. The Committee accepted an amendment offered by Rep. Dennis Ross, R-Fla., to exempt any USDA-licensed exhibitor from the trade restrictions, which The HSUS believes is too broad and provides a major loophole for the reptile trade, especially since the Secretary of the Interior already has the regulatory authority to grant individual exemptions for legitimate purposes.





Media Contact: Stephanie Twining: 301-258-1491; [email protected]

 

[AbsoluteApril]

yup..
sad sad news
(urgh California, sometimes you suck)
from HSUS Wayne's blog:
http://hsus.typepad.com/wayne/2012/02/snakes-committee-vote.html
(snip)
We are especially grateful to Rep. Rooney, and to Reps. Elton Gallegly, R-Calif.; Howard Berman, D-Calif.; and Ted Deutch, D-Fla., who carried the debate today in committee and pushed for passage of the legislation. We hope the House takes up the bill and passes it soon. We’ll also be working with the Senate to push ahead this legislation and to get it sent to President Obama for his signature.

**
I can't tell yet if that means we still have a chance to defeat this in the Senate or if the Pres won't sign, hopefully USARK will make announcement soon on the next step
Makes me glad I sent a letter to the President just a little while ago, maybe one of his aides will have taken note of it (wishful thinking)

 

[Micha]

This sort of thing makes me sad. I feel all this time and effort should be put towards helping Americans, not putting thousands of people out of work. I don't see how banning constrictors is going to solve any of the world's problems. People's fear and ignorance will not stop at constrictors. It won't be long until they focus on other things that they do not understand and fear.


How did it come to this?

 

[InterExotics]

Send letters to the congressmen and the president, contact your local newspaper editors for a story, write to The Daily Show to get our cause on air. Who cares? Just do it!

I may be pissed and discouraged but the more frustrated I get, the harder I try. Everyone should do the same. I do not understand why there aren't more people protesting.

 

[Outcast]

Of course this is all put up before Snake Awareness Day.... I think someone got wind of snake owners planning on going out and providing real information about the animals, and got scared. The best way to battle this is going to be educating the public. I can't tell you how many people I have talked into touching the Ball Pythons, or corn snakes at work, that were deathly afraid of them when they walked through the door. The left the store a little more open minded about snakes.

I also told them about one of the reasons that I keep snakes, and it is because of my PTSD. Snakes provide a very soothing release from everyday crap, and help me to relax on days that I have had a particularly hard one. Many people only see cute fluffy animals as possible treatment for many mental disorders, but what about people who prefer something that isn't as demanding? I know a few people who have children with autism, they keep snakes and their kids love to just hold the snake and relax on bad days...

 

[Outcast]

Just called Congressman Pearce's office about this. I know that USARK battles from the monetary side. I felt that the Congressman needed to know about those of us who have mental issues that connect with our snakes on another level as well. Many people I know with PTSD and even Autism Spectrum Disorders, have snakes and just the act of holding the animals help calm us down after a rough day... There are days when I disappear into the snake room for hours just to watch them and hold them...

 

[InterExotics]

That is an excellent point, Aaron. They are a sort of stress therapy for me as well.

 

[WingedWolf]

My understanding is that this bill was passed by the Judiciary Committee to the House for a vote.
The vote has not yet occurred (please correct me if I'm wrong).
There is still time.

 

[Outcast]

You still have time to contact your House Rep. I suggest you do so!

 

[Outcast]

That is an excellent point, Aaron. They are a sort of stress therapy for me as well.

Many people do not think too far into the human side. In fact, I hadn't until I was writing my first post. I feel that everyone who's snakes has helped them with stress management should call their rep immediately. It should get out that this is not only one of the "kill millions of jobs" things, but also a mental health issue for many people. I know people who cannot be around small mammals, they keep reptiles, and those reptiles are tremendous help for their stress problems.