HR 669 - Nonnative Wildlife Invasion Prevention Act

I doubt they are looking at it economically, the way they see it, the economy has already failed. I'm sure they are thinking to themselves, what's a few more million lives affected. Anyways, this law wouldn't make sense in the case that a non-native species would become needed to support an ecosystem in the case one dies out. I think this law could cancel its self out. Look at fish hatcheries, they probably have many non-native fish that are needed to support and feed the economy. To me this law is just crazy.

**Quotes**
 
If only we the hobbyists had enough money to hire lawyers and lobbyists to make our views heard...*sigh*
 
You know what is really funny and backwards about this law? What pets are the most destructive to ecosystems, native wildlife and breed well ferally?



Any guesses?


Cats and dogs.

What are going to be exempt from this first and foremost?

Cats and dogs.

:rolleyes:
 
You know what is really funny and backwards about this law? What pets are the most destructive to ecosystems, native wildlife and breed well ferally?



Any guesses?


Cats and dogs.

What are going to be exempt from this first and foremost?

Cats and dogs.

:rolleyes:

Yeah and you know what else is funny. The exotic animals that this bill is targeting aren't exactly the types of pets that an owner readily abandons and releases into the wild. How many stray chameleons (and/or exotics) running lose are there compared to the stray and abandoned dogs and cats in the US?
 
One bad apple ruins the bushel.

Say thank you to whoever got a reptile they couldn't care for or didn't want to care for anymore and just...let it go. Alligators, large pythons, and many other non-reptilian creatures are a few prime examples.

A reptile is a reptile is a reptile to non owners. I hate correcting people that I do not, in fact, keep iguanas :rolleyes: It is all the same to them, therefore we are all irresponsible jerks who dump dangerous animals in public places.
 
From, http://www.fws.gov/mountain-prairie/PRESSREL/98-45.htm, Some one should send this to a congressman! very important facts


DID YOU KNOW?

The Reptile Trade

o The United States is the world's largest market for wildlife and wildlife products, and wildlife trade in this country is a billion-dollar-a-year business. Illegal trafficking is believed to be even more lucrative.

o Reptiles have become increasingly popular as pets and as high-priced live collectibles. Collectors and breeders are enticed by the lure of the exotic, making rare reptile species an extremely profitable black-market commodity.

o International trade in reptiles has increased significantly in the last decade and U.S. trade accounts for a substantial portion of that commerce. Reptiles are also a major target for wildlife smugglers.

o In 1997, the United States imported 1.8 million live reptiles worth more than $7 million and exported 9.7 million valued at more than $13.2 million. The most commonly imported species is the green iguana (Iguana iguana); the red-eared slider turtle (Trachemys scripta) is the leading U.S. export.
 
From, http://www.fws.gov/mountain-prairie/PRESSREL/98-45.htm, Some one should send this to a congressman! very important facts


DID YOU KNOW?

The Reptile Trade

o The United States is the world's largest market for wildlife and wildlife products, and wildlife trade in this country is a billion-dollar-a-year business. Illegal trafficking is believed to be even more lucrative.

o Reptiles have become increasingly popular as pets and as high-priced live collectibles. Collectors and breeders are enticed by the lure of the exotic, making rare reptile species an extremely profitable black-market commodity.

o International trade in reptiles has increased significantly in the last decade and U.S. trade accounts for a substantial portion of that commerce. Reptiles are also a major target for wildlife smugglers.

o In 1997, the United States imported 1.8 million live reptiles worth more than $7 million and exported 9.7 million valued at more than $13.2 million. The most commonly imported species is the green iguana (Iguana iguana); the red-eared slider turtle (Trachemys scripta) is the leading U.S. export.

Not really sure providing this information would be the right way to plead our case.

It is very important, however, that you contact your rep.
My calls have been made (and I plan to make more)
e-mails have been sent and letters will be posted tomorrow.
Please do not drop the ball on this one.

-Brad
 
That's an old article (1998, but still kind of relevent). Exotics are still being smuggled into the US, but some of the prices and species on that article are not so relevent any more. Burmese star tortoises, Indian star tortoises, Boelen's pythons, Timor pythons, and green tree pythons all have established CB bloodlines (most likely from smuggled animals).

Chamguy:
I didn't see the word terminated, but I think it means that confiscated smuggled animals had to be destroyed or killed. It's kind of environmentally unsound to reintroduce wild animals back into the wild after it's been in human hands or unnatural settings. They could have caught some sort of parasite that doesn't exist in their natural environemnt and they can potentially spread it and harm their population by doing so. If you go to kingsnake, there's a guy who post links around the world that talk about smuggled animals being terminated in Australia.
 
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so does this apply to animals already in possesion in the united states, isn't there any kind of grandfather clause that protects already existing owners?
 
Veileds are said to be a problem in Hawaii...
"A breeding population of veiled chameleons poses a serious threat to birds and other native wildlife in the area."...
http://hawaii.gov/hdoa/news/2003/news-release-january-30-2003

i hate birds i dont see that as a bad thing lol =P

also they are dumb to kill one of the few parts of the economy thats still successful. the money generated by the purchases, and then the taxes on the employees. Ok now we lose our jobs... oh wait just be a jerk and draw welfare like everyone else *rolls eyes*

this has been this biggest flop of govt in a long time. you think after screwing up 3 times in a row they might link the issue together, but no here we go again killing successful business. at this point it feels like they are trying to make us fail.

My chameleons my pursuit of happiness, and nothing says i cant own a ANIMAL of my choosing on a federal level. i dont see this working at all =/
 
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I haven't seen any politicians pass anything that's not bad for the economy in a while

I really hope PETA has no sway over how this goes. Do politicians respect them at all? It seems the common citizen's exposure to their cruelty is pretty high lately so I don't believe they have the people's support.

I think the worst part of this bill is that it's so arbitrary. There should be no debate over what is and what isn't banned. I wonder who gets to decide something like whether or not a little pygmy chameleon is a public health hazard lol! It may seem a little ridiculous to spell out each individual species that is banned, but that's the only way to write good legislation.
 
It simply gives the government the power to do what it wants, when it wants, however it wants, to species it decides it wants to do something to.

The government would be given the power to decide what is good, bad, or whatever. It would never decide cats are affected - of course - but cats are about the most damaging of all non-native species on birds.
A veiled chameleon population will have little, if any, affect on endangered birds in Hawaii - or any species in Florida, and not in any huge number if they do. BUT, it's something that can be dealt with without pissing off the entire nation (cat owners outnumber us).

A single feral cat would do more damage to the bird population than a viable breeding population of veileds.
 
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HR 669 - Nonnative Wildlife Invasion Prevention Act

Sponsor: Del. Madeleine Bordallo [D-GU] (Guam)

Cosponsors:
Rep. Grace Napolitano [D-CA]
Del. Eni Faleomavaega [D-AS]
Rep. Neil Abercrombie [D-HI]
Rep. James McGovern [D-MA]
Rep. Lynn Woolsey [D-CA]
Rep. Raul Grijalva [D-AZ]
Rep. Barbara Lee [D-CA]
Rep. Barney Frank [D-MA]
Rep. Alcee Hastings [D-FL]
Rep. Ronald Kind [D-WI]
Rep. Dale Kildee [D-MI]
Rep. Ron Klein [D-FL]
Rep. George Miller [D-CA]

You probably will not have much influence on the sponsor, but you can definitely put some pressure on the cosponsors.
 
I sent e-mails to Congress and my three assorted Congressional Representatives. I don't think my local reps are in support of these proposals, but it doesn't hurt to let them know the average person isn't either.
 
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