As we understand it right now there will be eight bills heard by the committee with only one witness to testify on all eight. USARK does not anticipate that there will be additional witnesses called. This seems to be an effort to move through as many bills as possible in as short a time as possible. We will know more soon.

USARK is opposed to legislating any animals on to the Injurious Wildlife List of the Lacey Act. This should be a science and policy driven debate. As it stands now the science is being “cherry picked” to support political expediency. Just yesterday an independent group of scientists called the USGS study being used by HSUS and others to justify a ban, “unscientific”.

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2. Senate EPW Hearing- HR669/S373 Reptile Ban!
3. Python Ban Hearing for November 5th

General Assembly File No. 516
January Session, 2009 Substitute House Bill No. 6552
House of Representatives, April 6, 2009

The Committee on Environment reported through REP. ROY, R. of the 119th Dist., Chairperson of the Committee on the part of the House, that the substitute bill ought to pass.

AN ACT BANNING THE POSSESSION OF POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS ANIMALS AND THE IMPORTATION, POSSESSION AND LIBERATION OF WILD ANIMALS.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:

Section 1. (NEW) (Effective October 1, 2009) (a) No person shall operate, provide, sell, use or offer to operate, provide, sell or use any computer software or service in this state that allows a person, when not physically present, to remotely control a firearm or weapon to hunt a live animal or bird.

(b) Any person who violates subsection (a) of this section shall be guilty of a class A misdemeanor.
Sec. 2. Section 26-40a of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2009):

(a) No person shall possess a potentially dangerous animal. For the purposes of this section, the following wildlife, or any hybrid thereof, shall be considered [as] potentially dangerous animals:

(1) The felidae, including, but not limited to, the lion, leopard, cheetah, jaguar, ocelot, jaguarundi cat, puma, lynx, [and] bobcat, [the] tiger, serval, caracal, jungle cat and Savannah cat;

(2) The canidae, including, but not limited to, the wolf, [and] coyote and fox; [and the]

(3) The ursidae, including, but not limited to, the black bear, grizzly bear and brown bear;

(4) The hominidae, including, but not limited to, the gorilla, chimpanzee and orangutan;

(5) The hylobatidae, including, but not limited to, the gibbon or "lesser ape";

(6) The cercopithecidae, including, but not limited to, the baboon and macaque;

(7) The macropodidae, including, but not limited to, the kangaroo and wallaby;

(8) The mustelidae, including, but not limited to, the wolverine;

(9) The hyaenidae, including, but not limited to, the hyaena;

(10) The elephantidae, including, but not limited to, the hippopotamidae, including the hippopotamus;

(11) The rhinocerotidae, including, but not limited to, the rhinoceros;

(12) The suidae, including, but not limited to, the warthog;

(13) The alligatoridae, including, but not limited to, the alligator and caiman;

(14) The crocodylidae, including, but not limited to, the crocodile;

(15) The gavialidae, including, but not limited to, the gavial;

(16) The elapidae, including, but not limited to, cobras, coral snakes and mambas;

(17) The viperidae, including, but not limited to, copperheads, rattlesnakes, cottonmouths and all other adders and vipers;

(18) The rear-fanged members of the colubridae in the genera lothornis, boiga, thelotornis, thabdophis, enhydris, dispholidus, clelia, rhabdophis, hydrodynastes, philodryas and malpolon;

(19) The Burmese/Indian, African Rock, amethystine and reticulated of the pythonidae;

(20) The green, yellow and dark spotted anacondas of the boidae;

(21) The helodermatidae, including, but not limited to, Gila monsters and beaded lizards; and

(22) The Nile monitor, water monitor, black-throat monitor, white-throat monitor, crocodile monitor and komodo dragon of the varanidae.

[No person shall possess a potentially dangerous animal.]

(b) Any such animal illegally possessed may be ordered seized and may be relocated or disposed of as determined by the Commissioner of Environmental Protection. The Department of Environmental Protection shall issue a bill to the owner or person in illegal possession of such potentially dangerous animal for all costs of seizure, care, maintenance, [and] relocation or disposal of such animal. Additionally, any person who violates any provision of this section shall be assessed a civil penalty not to exceed [one] two thousand dollars, to be fixed by the court, for each offense. Each violation shall be a separate and distinct offense and in the case of a continuing violation, each day's continuance thereof shall be deemed to be a separate and distinct offense. The Commissioner of Environmental Protection may request the Attorney General to institute an action in Superior Court to recover such penalty and any amounts owed pursuant to a bill issued in accordance with this section and for an order providing such equitable and injunctive relief as the court deems appropriate.

(c) The provisions of this section shall not apply to municipal parks, zoos [and] accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums or the Zoological Association of America, public nonprofit aquaria, nature centers, [or] museums [,] or laboratories and research facilities maintained by scientific or educational institutions [;] registered with the United States Department of Agriculture or to a person possessing a Bengal cat certified by an internationally recognized multiple-cat domestic feline breeding association as being without wild parentage for a minimum of four prior generations which cat was registered with the Commissioner of Agriculture on or before October 1, 1996, provided no such cat may be imported into this state after June 6, 1996. [; or to persons possessing animals legally on or before May 23, 1983.] In any action taken by any official of the state or any municipality to control rabies, a Bengal cat shall be considered not vaccinated for rabies in accordance with accepted veterinary practice.

(d) Any person who wilfully violates any provision of subsection (a) of this section shall be guilty of a class A misdemeanor.
Sec. 3. Section 26-55 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof

(Effective October 1, 2009):
[No] (a) Except as provided in subsection (c) of this section, no person shall import or introduce into the state, or possess or liberate therein, any live fish, wild bird, wild mammal, reptile, amphibian or invertebrate unless such person has obtained a permit therefor from the commissioner. [, provided nothing in this section shall be construed to require such permit for any primate species that weighs not more than fifty pounds at maturity that was imported or possessed in the state prior to October 1, 2003.] Such permit may be issued at the discretion of the commissioner under such regulations as the commissioner may prescribe. The commissioner may by regulation prescribe the numbers of live fish, wild birds, wild mammals, reptiles, amphibians or invertebrates of certain species which may be imported, possessed, introduced into the state or liberated therein. The commissioner may by regulation exempt certain species or groups of live fish from the permit requirements. The commissioner may by regulation determine which species of wild birds, wild mammals, reptiles, amphibians or invertebrates must meet permit requirements. The commissioner may totally prohibit the importation, possession, introduction into the state or liberation therein of certain species which the commissioner has determined may be a potential threat to humans, agricultural crops or established species of plants, fish, birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians or invertebrates. The commissioner may by regulation exempt from permit requirements organizations or institutions such as municipal parks, zoos, laboratories and research [laboratories, colleges or universities] facilities maintained by scientific or educational institutions, museums, public nonprofit aquaria or nature centers where live fish, wild birds, wild mammals, reptiles, amphibians or invertebrates are held in strict confinement.

(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a) of this section, the importation and possession of the following species is prohibited:
(1) Any primate in the families cheirogaleidae, lemuridae, lepilemuridae, indriidae, lorisidae, loris, daubentoniidae, galagidae, galago, tarsiidae, callitrichidae, cebidae, pitheciidae or atelidae;

(2) the sciuridae, including, but not limited to, the prairie dog;

(3) the viverridae, including, but not limited to, the civet and genet;

(4) any venomous species in the family arachnidea, including, but not limited to, the tarantula and scorpion; and

(5) any poisonous species in the family dendrobatidae, including, but not limited to, poison arrow frogs.

(c) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsections (a) and (b) of this section, the Commissioner of Environmental Protection may issue a permit for the possession of a service primate to a permanently disabled person with a severe mobility impairment, provided such disabled person submits written certification to said commissioner:

(1) From a licensed medical doctor attesting to such disabled person’s disability, mobility impairment and the need for a service primate to provide an essential function that cannot be performed by the disabled person;

(2) that such service primate was legally obtained, is from the genus Cebus and is trained by an accredited service primate training organization; and

(3) that the organization furnishing the service primate to the disabled person is a nonprofit organization and is in compliance with all applicable federal and state animal welfare laws.

(d) Any such fish, bird, mammal, reptile, amphibian or invertebrate illegally imported into the state or illegally possessed therein [shall] may be seized by any representative of the Department of Environmental Protection and [shall] may be relocated or disposed of as determined by the commissioner. [Any person, except as provided in section 26-55a, who violates any provision of this section or any regulation issued by the commissioner as provided in this section shall be guilty of an infraction. Importation, liberation or possession of each fish, wild bird, wild mammal, reptile, amphibian or invertebrate in violation of this section or such regulation shall be a separate and distinct offense and, in the case of a continuing violation, each day of continuance thereof shall be deemed to be a separate and distinct offense.] The Department of Environmental Protection shall issue a bill to the owner or person in illegal possession of such animal for all costs of seizure, care, maintenance, relocation or disposal for such animal.

(e) Any person who violates any provision of this section or any regulation adopted by the commissioner pursuant to this section shall be assessed a civil penalty not to exceed one thousand dollars, to be fixed by the court, for each offense. Each violation shall be a separate and distinct offense. In the case of a continuing violation, each day's continuance thereof shall be deemed to be a separate and distinct offense. The Commissioner of Environmental Protection may request the Attorney General to institute an action in Superior Court to recover such civil penalty and any amounts owed pursuant to a bill issued in accordance with subsection (d) of this section and for an order providing such equitable and injunctive relief as the court deems appropriate.

(f) Any person who wilfully violates any provision of this section or any regulation adopted by the commissioner pursuant to this section shall be guilty of a class C misdemeanor.

This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:
Section 1 October 1, 2009 New section
Sec. 2 October 1, 2009 26-40a
Sec. 3 October 1, 2009 26-55

Please try to make the difference, remember there are many ways you can help!

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1. Help Stop The Ban on Boas and Pythons
2. Senate EPW Hearing- HR669/S373 Reptile Ban!
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H.R. 669 in short is a blanket ban on all non-native species from the United States. That means those cute Leopard Geckos, Awesome Amazon Tree Boas and more will not be available to you anymore. In fact they would be illegal to own.

The reptile industry in America alone is a three billion dollar industry. Imagine however that no one cares. Think about this if you will, the reptile industry is not made up of large corporations either. It is made up of many small businesses and that would mean many people, friends, family, would be ruined.

There is hope however, because we have defeated this bill under a different guise. Last year H.R. 6311, the 2008 version of the Nonnative Wildlife Invasion Prevention Act. That bill died at the end of the 2007-2008 legislative session. That was with the help of many. Now, that help is needed again.

So are you ready to find out how you can help?

Watch this...

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FPfL212CB8[/youtube]

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3. $200 Reptile Contest!!!

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1. Violet

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ig0db04YTkU[/youtube]

THE RULES:
1. Contest is open once this video has been uploaded. The last day to enter will be March 31st.
2. To enter you must use a video response.
3. Each person can enter as many times as they wish.
4. Only one reptile per video.
5. Each reptile may only be entered once.
6. There are four categories paying out $50 to the winner of each category.
a. Best Snake Morph
b. Best overall snake video
c. Best non snake morph
d. Best overall non snake video
7. REPTILES ONLY!
8. The four winners of $50 each will be announced April 15th!
9. They will be paid in the method of their choice. Examples: PayPal, Check, Money Order, Online Gift Certificate, ext.

If you have any questions then just ask!!!

The Judges
FartherAway420
Mack1Time
MuffDaddy2
CaterpillarGiraffe
Ondre200

Good Luck!!

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In a major reversal of the trend started by the Animal Rights Movement 9 years ago to BAN many reptiles at the State and Local level, USARK has introduced their Model Legislation in North Carolina. If passed Senate Bill 307 (S307) will require caging standards, safety protocols, escape prevention, and registration for venomous, large constrictors and crocodilians, but will allow individuals to maintain their right to work with these animals into perpetuity. This is a truly historic and precedent setting event. This is the first time the Herp Community has actually stood up and done something for themselves... by themselves! Now that we have begun, let us not lose our momentum. USARK, together with YOU, will actively work to secure our collective futures at the Local, State and national levels.

This has set ground breaking precedent for other states to follow. Virginia has already indicated that they want to introduce similar legislation in the 2010 Legislative Session. The Herp Community, through USARK, has taken it's destiny into it's own hands. No longer will we stand idly by and watch our rights disappear. Remember this day for we are making history and securing our own futures.

* Click here to thank Senator Jones for introducing S307 - we need as many responses as possible!
* Read S307 - there are some minor mistakes that will be fixed in committee.
* Pushing Legislation is expensive! Join the Reptile Nation & Protect Your Rights! JOIN USARK TODAY!

Thank all of you for your support. Together we are accomplishing great things for our community!! Thank you for standing up for yourselves with USARK on this historic day.

***Send this to everyone on your email list... post on the forums and social networking sites you visit. Tell everyone to Join the Reptile Nation!... even if they don't join tell them to sign up on our free email list.

Andrew Wyatt

President USARK

Go Support This NOW!!! Please!

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Below you will read a press release by the most powerful Animal Rights Group on the planet. As predicted by USARK, HR6311 has been reintroduced as HR 669. If passed as written this bill will BAN the import, purchase, sale, trade and breeding of many, many reptiles and amphibians... including Boa, Python and Eunectes. If this bill passes it will destroy the reptile community and industry overnight! PLEASE JOIN USARK IN FIGHTING HR669!!!

SIGN THE PETITION AGAINST HR669

***SEND THIS ALERT TO EVERYONE ON YOUR EMAIL LIST!!!

Stand by for USARK's Campaign to defeat HR 669.

HSUS.org

Congresswoman Bordallo Introduces Bill to Protect People and Native Wildlife by Addressing Exotic Animal Importation

January 27, 2009

The Humane Society of the United States and Humane Society International welcomed the introduction yesterday of the Nonnative Wildlife Invasion Prevention Act (H.R. 669) in the U.S. House of Representatives by Congresswoman Madeleine Z. Bordallo (D-Guam).

The bill is designed to prevent the introduction and establishment in the United States of nonnative wildlife species that may harm the economy, the environment, human health or native wildlife. H.R. 669 would require the federal government to assess the risk of nonnative wildlife species proposed for importation and, with public input, decide if the importation of these animals should be allowed or prohibited.

"Each year, millions of wild animals are captured overseas and imported into the United States," said Michael Markarian, executive vice president of The HSUS. "This trade results in the suffering and death of large numbers of animals, poses unnecessary risks to public health and jeopardizes native wildlife populations here and abroad. We are grateful to Congresswoman Bordallo for working to address this global problem."

Imported wild animals may escape or may be let loose by owners who cannot properly care for them. These animals sometimes die from starvation, predation or exposure. Sometimes, however, they thrive — putting people, domestic pets and native wildlife at risk.

Facts

• Under current regulations, the Fish and Wildlife Service can declare species "injurious," making it illegal to import these animals or sell them over state lines as pets. However, this process typically takes years to complete and occurs after species are established, when eradicating them can be expensive, inhumane and nearly impossible.
• Congresswoman Bordallo represents the island of Guam, where brown tree snakes accidentally introduced after World War II have decimated native bird and lizard populations.
• According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, in 2005 the United States imported the following numbers of live, wild animals: nearly 88,000 mammals; 259,000 birds; more than 1 million reptiles; more than 5 million amphibians and more than 200 million fish.
• The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora aims to ensure sustainability and humane treatment in the international wildlife trade, but many species are not covered and even covered species may be harmed by trade.

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