Well I final got a reply on behalf of Senator Nelson after following through with USARK's request.
On Dec 3, 2010, at 10:43 AM, Bill@billnelson.senate.gov wrote:
Dear Mr. Hartmann:
Thank you for writing me about S. 373, a bill I introduced that would ban the importation and trade between States of the Burmese python.
Burmese pythons often are released into the wild when their owners can no longer care for them. Though not native to south Florida, Burmese pythons are thriving in the Everglades National Park, threatening natural species, many of which are endangered, and posing the risk of upsetting the delicate ecosystem of the region. We have invested many years and billions of dollars in an effort to restore the Everglades to its natural balance, and non-native species like Burmese pythons threaten to undo that work.
I understand your concern that my bill would punish responsible python owners. My bill will not take away existing pythons from owners. The State of Florida has made progress recently in balancing the needs of pet owners and the concerns for the environment by requiring micro-chipping and permits for reptiles of concern, including the Burmese python. My bill would serve as a Federal companion to help stop the expanding population of large constrictor snakes in the wild.
During a committee review of S. 373, the bill was amended to cover nine constrictor species deemed high or medium risk by a recent U.S. Geological Service report. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) recently announced that they will propose to list the nine constrictor snakes that my bill names as "injurious wildlife" under the Lacey Act, which would ban the importation and interstate commerce of the snakes.
I appreciate your taking the time to write me with your views on this important matter. Please do not hesitate to contact me in the future.
Sincerely,
Senator Bill Nelson
P.S. From time to time, I compile electronic news briefs highlighting key issues and hot topics of particular importance to Floridians. If you'd like to receive these e-briefs, visit my Web site and sign up for them athttp://billnelson.senate.gov/news/ebriefs.cfm
To which I replied:
Dear Senator Nelson,
Although I am sure that you have good intentions in mind for the ecology of FL, This bill will not stop the spread of the already established species. Also, private pet owners that are being blamed for releasing these animals were just a very small part of the problem. A majority of the founder animals that began breeding in the wild were discovered to have come from zoos that were destroyed after a series of hurricanes. It does not make sense to me to punish pet owners and prevent them from breeding or obtaining any more of the animals that they love when they are more than capable of keeping them secure and healthy.
Florida already had an excellent program in place with the Reptiles of Concern program that required potential owners to apply for a permit and microchip their snakes however this was poorly enforced and therefore not effective. How does the state plan to impose MORE enforcements when they could not uphold what was already in place. I believe you should spend more time focusing on the large population that is currently out there instead of trying to punish the group that is being falsely accused of putting them there.
Furthermore, The US Geological Service has been discredited by many more scientific organizations including several major universities as well as National Geographic who have performed the same research and more in depth studies and came up with drastically different results. Also, the snakes that are being added to this bill pose little to no threat to existing wildlife populations since they are feeding on nuisance animals such as opossums, raccoons, and small gators (all of which are routinely removed and killed by either the FWS or other pest control companies).
This bill will be a terrible blow to the herpetoculture industry and those that enjoy or might one day keeping these snakes. All I ask is that you read this and reconsider your actions to protect the everglades.
Thank you very much,
Christopher ...
I am also working on setting up a meeting at his office to discuss the issue with someone in person. I suggest that every one do as much as they can to stop laws such as this one from being passed whether or not it is in your state because this mentality is spreading. There are many states that are pushing this issue hard so the only way to stop them from restricting our rights is to push hard back! Let them know how you feel. Email them, meet with their office, call them. The best way to get started is to sign up with US Association of Reptile Keepers (USARK http://www.usark.org/) so that you will be up to date on these issues.
Thank you.
On Dec 3, 2010, at 10:43 AM, Bill@billnelson.senate.gov wrote:
Dear Mr. Hartmann:
Thank you for writing me about S. 373, a bill I introduced that would ban the importation and trade between States of the Burmese python.
Burmese pythons often are released into the wild when their owners can no longer care for them. Though not native to south Florida, Burmese pythons are thriving in the Everglades National Park, threatening natural species, many of which are endangered, and posing the risk of upsetting the delicate ecosystem of the region. We have invested many years and billions of dollars in an effort to restore the Everglades to its natural balance, and non-native species like Burmese pythons threaten to undo that work.
I understand your concern that my bill would punish responsible python owners. My bill will not take away existing pythons from owners. The State of Florida has made progress recently in balancing the needs of pet owners and the concerns for the environment by requiring micro-chipping and permits for reptiles of concern, including the Burmese python. My bill would serve as a Federal companion to help stop the expanding population of large constrictor snakes in the wild.
During a committee review of S. 373, the bill was amended to cover nine constrictor species deemed high or medium risk by a recent U.S. Geological Service report. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) recently announced that they will propose to list the nine constrictor snakes that my bill names as "injurious wildlife" under the Lacey Act, which would ban the importation and interstate commerce of the snakes.
I appreciate your taking the time to write me with your views on this important matter. Please do not hesitate to contact me in the future.
Sincerely,
Senator Bill Nelson
P.S. From time to time, I compile electronic news briefs highlighting key issues and hot topics of particular importance to Floridians. If you'd like to receive these e-briefs, visit my Web site and sign up for them athttp://billnelson.senate.gov/news/ebriefs.cfm
To which I replied:
Dear Senator Nelson,
Although I am sure that you have good intentions in mind for the ecology of FL, This bill will not stop the spread of the already established species. Also, private pet owners that are being blamed for releasing these animals were just a very small part of the problem. A majority of the founder animals that began breeding in the wild were discovered to have come from zoos that were destroyed after a series of hurricanes. It does not make sense to me to punish pet owners and prevent them from breeding or obtaining any more of the animals that they love when they are more than capable of keeping them secure and healthy.
Florida already had an excellent program in place with the Reptiles of Concern program that required potential owners to apply for a permit and microchip their snakes however this was poorly enforced and therefore not effective. How does the state plan to impose MORE enforcements when they could not uphold what was already in place. I believe you should spend more time focusing on the large population that is currently out there instead of trying to punish the group that is being falsely accused of putting them there.
Furthermore, The US Geological Service has been discredited by many more scientific organizations including several major universities as well as National Geographic who have performed the same research and more in depth studies and came up with drastically different results. Also, the snakes that are being added to this bill pose little to no threat to existing wildlife populations since they are feeding on nuisance animals such as opossums, raccoons, and small gators (all of which are routinely removed and killed by either the FWS or other pest control companies).
This bill will be a terrible blow to the herpetoculture industry and those that enjoy or might one day keeping these snakes. All I ask is that you read this and reconsider your actions to protect the everglades.
Thank you very much,
Christopher ...
I am also working on setting up a meeting at his office to discuss the issue with someone in person. I suggest that every one do as much as they can to stop laws such as this one from being passed whether or not it is in your state because this mentality is spreading. There are many states that are pushing this issue hard so the only way to stop them from restricting our rights is to push hard back! Let them know how you feel. Email them, meet with their office, call them. The best way to get started is to sign up with US Association of Reptile Keepers (USARK http://www.usark.org/) so that you will be up to date on these issues.
Thank you.
