MysticBlueRaven
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On the 23rd of this month The Nonnative Wildlife Invasion Prevention Act" HR669 bill will be voted on April 23rd of this month.
What will this bill mean to me? It is a bill currently before Congress that if passed will change the way that the US Government classifies animal species that are not native to the United States. H.R. 669 will make it illegal to breed and sell many animals that are very common in the pet trade. Anyone with pet fish, birds, reptiles, or small mammals will be affected by this bill. Any company selling product or services for pet fish, birds, reptiles or small mammals will be affected by this bill. Would you be impacted by "The Nonnative Wildlife Invasion Prevention Act"? * Virtually all fish in an aquarium are not native to the United States, like Angelfish, Koi, Neon Tetras * Most pet birds are species not native to the US. like Parakeets, Cockatiel, Magpies and so on * Most reptiles kept as pets are not native to the US * Hamsters, gerbils, guinea pigs rabbits and ferrets are not native to the US Please email your Representative to vote no on this bill http://www.rallycongress.com/no-hr-66...o-h-r-669/ Also write Bill O'Reilly so he will air more about this bill on his show you can email him here oreilly@foxnews.com |
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Posted: April 20, 2009 12:10 am | ||||
MysticBlueRaven
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here is the full text of the bill
HR 669 IH 111th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 669 To prevent the introduction and establishment of nonnative wildlife species that negatively impact the economy, environment, or other animal species’ or human health, and for other purposes. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES January 26, 2009 Ms. BORDALLO (for herself, Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California, Mr. ABERCROMBIE, Mr. HASTINGS of Florida, Mr. KIND, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mrs. NAPOLITANO, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. KLEIN of Florida, and Mr. KILDEE) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources A BILL To prevent the introduction and establishment of nonnative wildlife species that negatively impact the economy, environment, or other animal species’ or human health, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1.. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ‘Nonnative Wildlife Invasion Prevention Act’. SEC. 2. PURPOSE. The purpose of this Act is to establish a risk assessment process to prevent the introduction into, and establishment in, the United States of nonnative wildlife species that will cause or are likely to cause economic or environmental harm or harm to other animal species’ health or human health. SEC. 3. RISK ASSESSMENT PROCESS FOR IMPORTATION OF NONNATIVE WILDLIFE SPECIES. (a) In General- The Secretary of the Interior, acting through the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, shall promulgate regulations that establish a process for assessing the risk of all nonnative wildlife species proposed for importation into the United States, other than nonnative wildlife species that are included in the list of approved species issued under section 4. (b) Factors To Be Considered- The regulations promulgated under subsection (a) shall include consideration of-- (1) the identity of the organism to the species level, including to the extent possible specific information on its subspecies and genetic identity; (2) the native range of the species; (3) whether the species has established or spread, or caused harm to the economy, the environment, or other animal species or human health in ecosystems in or ecosystems that are similar to those in the United States; (4) the likelihood that environmental conditions suitable for the establishment or spread of the species exist in the United States; (5) the likelihood of establishment of the species in the United States; (6) the likelihood of spread of the species in the United States; (7) the likelihood that the species would harm wildlife resources in the United States; ( ![]() (9) the likelihood that the species would harm habitats or ecosystems in the United States; (10) the likelihood that pathogenic species or parasitic species may accompany the species proposed for importation; and (11) other factors important to assessing the risks associated with the species, consistent with the purpose under section 2. © Notice- In promulgating the regulations under subsection (a), the Secretary shall provide notice to States, Indian tribes, other stakeholders concerned with environmental, humane, public health, economic, trade, and other relevant issues, the Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force, the National Invasive Species Council, the Department of Agriculture, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (d) Transparency- The Secretary shall ensure that the risk assessment process established by the regulations under subsection (a) is based on sound science and is consistent with sections 4 and 5.. (e) Deadlines- The Secretary shall-- (1) publish in the Federal Register proposed regulations under subsection (a) and a proposed preliminary list of approved species under section 4(b), by not later than 2 years after the date of the enactment of this Act; (2) publish in the Federal Register final regulations under subsection (a), a final preliminary list of approved species under section 4(b), and a notice of the prohibitions under this Act, by not later than 30 days before the date on which the Secretary begins assessing risk under the regulations; and (3) begin assessing risk with respect to nonnative wildlife species under the final regulations promulgated under subsection (a), and publish notice thereof, by not later than 37 months after the date of the enactment of this Act. (f) Animals Owned Lawfully Prior to Prohibition of Importation- This Act and regulations issued under this Act shall not interfere with the ability of any person to possess an individual animal of any species if such individual animal was legally owned by the person before the risk assessment is begun pursuant to subsection (e)(3), even if such species is later prohibited from being imported under the regulations issued under this Act. SEC. 4. LIST OF APPROVED SPECIES. (a) Requirement To Issue List of Approved Species- (1) IN GENERAL- Not later than 36 months after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall publish in the Federal Register a list of nonnative wildlife species approved for importation into the United States. (2) EXCLUSION OF CERTAIN SPECIES- The Secretary shall not include in the list-- (A) any species included in the list of prohibited species under section 5; or (B) any species, the importation of which is prohibited by any other Federal law or regulation of the United States due to the likelihood of causing harm to the economy, the environment, or other animal species or human health. (3) REVISION- The Secretary may revise the list issued under this section based on available scientific and commercial information. (b) Preliminary List- (1) IN GENERAL- The Secretary shall include in the preliminary list under this section nonnative wildlife species that the Secretary finds, consistent with the factors described in section 3(b) and based on scientific and commercial information that is provided in a proposal under paragraph (2) or otherwise available to the Secretary-- (A) are not harmful to the United States’ economy, the environment, or other animal species’ or human health; or (B) may be harmful to the United States’ economy, the environment, or other animal species’ or human health, but already are so widespread in the United States that it is clear to the Secretary that any import prohibitions or restrictions would have no practical utility for the United States. (2) PROPOSALS FOR INCLUSION IN PRELIMINARY LIST- The Secretary-- (A) shall, by not later than 60 days after the date of enactment of this Act, publish in the Federal Register, and make available on a publically available Federal Internet site, a request for submission, by any interested persons (including persons that import or that intend to import nonnative wildlife species), of proposals of nonnative wildlife species to be included in the preliminary list under this subsection and supporting documentation for such proposals; (B) shall accept such proposals for 10 months after the date the Secretary publishes the request for submissions; and © may propose a nonnative wildlife species for inclusion in the preliminary list. (3) PUBLIC NOTICE AND COMMENT- Before issuing the final preliminary list of approved species under this subsection, the Secretary shall-- (A) publish in the Federal Register and make available on a publicly available Federal Internet site, the proposed preliminary list; and (B) provide for, a period of not less than 60 days, an opportunity to submit public comments on the proposed preliminary list. (4) PUBLICATION OF LIST- The Secretary shall publish in the Federal Register and make available on a publicly available Federal Internet site, the final preliminary list under this subsection. © Proposal for Inclusion on the Approved List- (1) SUBMISSION OF PROPOSALS- (A) IN GENERAL- After publication of the final preliminary list under subsection (b)-- (i) any interested person may submit to the Secretary in accordance with subparagraph (B) a proposal to include a nonnative wildlife species in the approved list under this section (including a request to import such a species that is not in the list published under this section and section 5, respectively); and (ii) upon receipt of a complete proposal under clause (i), the Secretary shall publish notice of the proposal in the Federal Register and provide an opportunity for 30 days of public comment on the proposal. (B) INFORMATION REQUIRED- Any proposal under this paragraph must include sufficient scientific and commercial information to allow the Secretary to evaluate whether the proposed nonnative wildlife species is likely to cause economic or environmental harm or harm to other animal species’ or human health. (2) DETERMINATION- Based on scientific and commercial information provided in a proposal under paragraph (1) or otherwise available to the Secretary, the Secretary shall make one of the following determinations regarding such a proposal in a reasonable period of time and in accordance with the regulations issued under section 3: (A) The nonnative wildlife species is approved for importation, and is added to the list of approved species under this section. (B) The nonnative wildlife species is not approved for importation, unless permitted under section 7. © The Secretary has insufficient scientific and commercial information to make a determination under subparagraph (A) or (B). (3) TREATMENT OF UNAPPROVED SPECIES- If the Secretary makes a determination under paragraph (2)(B) that a nonnative wildlife species is not approved for importation, the Secretary shall include the nonnative wildlife species in the list of unapproved species under section 5. (4) NOTICE OF DETERMINATION- The Secretary shall publish in the Federal Register notice of the determination made under paragraph (2) and make available on a publicly available Federal Internet site or through other appropriate means, the basis for the determination. SEC. 5. LIST OF UNAPPROVED SPECIES. (a) Requirement To Issue List of Unapproved Species- (1) IN GENERAL- The Secretary shall publish in the Federal Register a list of nonnative wildlife species that are prohibited from importation into the United States except as provided in section 7. (2) INCLUDED SPECIES- The list under this subsection shall include-- (A) those species listed as injurious wildlife under section 42 of title 18, United States Code, or under regulations under that section, as of the date of enactment of this Act; and (B) any other species the Secretary determines under section 4©(2)(B) is not approved for importation. (b) Proposal for Inclusion on the List of Unapproved Species- (1) PROPOSAL- (A) IN GENERAL- Any person may submit to the Secretary a proposal to add to the list under this section any nonnative wildlife species. (B) INFORMATION REQUIRED- Any proposal under this subsection must include sufficient scientific and commercial information to allow the Secretary to evaluate whether the proposed nonnative wildlife species is likely to cause economic or environmental harm or harm to other animal species’ or human health. (2) NOTICE- The Secretary shall publish notice of a complete proposal in the Federal Register and provide an opportunity for 30 days of public comment on the proposal. (3) DETERMINATION- Based on scientific and commercial information provided in a proposal under paragraph (1) or otherwise available to the Secretary, the Secretary shall make one of the following determinations regarding such a proposal in a reasonable period of time and in accordance with regulations issued under section 3: (A) The nonnative wildlife species is not approved for importation except as provided in section 7, and is added to the list of unapproved species under this section. (B) The nonnative wildlife species is approved for importation. © The Secretary has insufficient scientific and commercial information to make a determination under subparagraph (A) or (B). (4) TREATMENT OF APPROVED SPECIES- If the Secretary makes a determination under paragraph (3)(B) that a nonnative wildlife species is approved for importation, the Secretary shall include the nonnative wildlife species in the list of approved species under section 4. (5) NOTICE OF DETERMINATION- The Secretary shall publish in the Federal Register notice of the determination made under paragraph (3) and make available on a publicly available Federal Internet site or through other appropriate means the basis for the determination. © Revision- The Secretary may revise the list issued under this section based on any scientific and commercial information available to the Secretary. (d) Emergency Authority and Temporary Prohibition- (1) IN GENERAL- If the Secretary determines that an emergency exists because a nonnative wildlife species poses an imminent threat of harm to the United States economy, the environment, or human or animal species’ health, the Secretary may temporarily include the nonnative wildlife species in the list of unapproved species under this section and, as appropriate, remove the species from the list of approved species under section 4. (2) NOTICE OF TEMPORARY LISTING- The Secretary shall publish in the Federal Register notice of each temporary listing under this subsection and make available on a publicly available Federal Internet site or through other appropriate means the basis for the temporary listing. (3) DETERMINATION- Within 180 days after temporarily including a nonnative wildlife species in the unapproved species list under this section, the Secretary shall make a final determination under subsection (b)(3) regarding the species, publish in the Federal Register notice of the final determination, and make available on a publicly available Federal Internet site or through other appropriate means the basis for the final determination. (4) LIMITATION ON PROCEDURES- The procedures under section 4©(1)(A)(ii), subsection (b)(2) of this section, and section 553 of title 5, United States Code, shall not apply to determinations under this subsection. SEC. 6. PROHIBITIONS AND PENALTIES. (a) Prohibitions- Except as provided in this section or in section 7, it is unlawful for any person subject to the jurisdiction of the United States to-- (1) import into or export from the United States any nonnative wildlife species that is not included in the list of approved species issued under section 4; (2) transport between any State by any means whatsoever any nonnative wildlife species that is not included in the list of approved species issued under section 4; (3) violate any term or condition of a permit issued under section 7; (4) possess (except as provided in section 3(f)), sell or offer to sell, purchase or offer to purchase, or barter for or offer to barter for, any nonnative wildlife species that is prohibited from being imported under paragraph (1); (5) release into the wild any nonnative wildlife species that is prohibited from being imported under paragraph (1); or (6) breed any nonnative wildlife species that is prohibited from being imported under paragraph (1), or provide any such species to another person for breeding purposes. (b) Penalties and Enforcement- Any person who violates subsection (a) shall be subject to the civil penalties and criminal penalties described in section 4 of the Lacey Act Amendments of 1981 (16 U..S.C. 3373). Sections 4(b), 4(e), 5, and 6 of that Act shall apply to such a violation in the same manner as they apply to a violation of that Act.. © Limitation on Application- (1) IN GENERAL- The prohibitions in subsection (a) shall not apply to-- (A) any action by Federal, State, tribal, or local law enforcement personnel to enforce this section; and (B) any action by Federal or State officials to prevent the introduction or establishment of nonnative wildlife species. (2) IMPORTATION AND TRANSPORTATION BY FEDERAL AGENCIES- Nothing in this Act shall restrict the import or transportation between any States of nonnative wildlife species by a Federal agency for its own use, if the nonnative wildlife species remains in the possession of a Federal agency. (d) Effective Date- This section shall take effect upon the publication of notice under section 3(e)(3). SEC. 7. PERMITS. (a) In General- The Secretary may issue a permit authorizing importation otherwise prohibited under section 6(a)(1), for scientific research, medical, accredited zoological or aquarium display purposes, or for educational purposes that are specifically reviewed, approved, and verified by the Secretary, if the Secretary finds that there has been a proper showing by the permittee of responsibility for the specimen and continued protection of the public interest and health with respect to the specimen. (b) Terms and Conditions- The Secretary may include in a permit under subsection (a) terms and conditions to minimize the risk of introduction or establishment of the nonnative wildlife species in the United States. SEC. 8. FEES. (a) Fee for Proposal To Include Species in List- (1) IN GENERAL- The Secretary shall establish in the regulations under section 3, and collect, a fee from any person that after publication of the final preliminary list under section 4(b) submits to the Secretary-- (A) a proposal under section 4© to include a nonnative wildlife species to the list of approved species under section 4; or (B) a proposal under section 5(b) to include a nonnative wildlife species to the list of unapproved species under section 5. (2) PURPOSE- The fee shall be to recover costs of assessing risk of nonnative wildlife species under the regulations issued under section 3. (b) Nonnative Wildlife Invasion Prevention Fund- (1) ESTABLISHMENT- There is established in the Treasury a separate account, which shall be known as the Nonnative Wildlife Invasion Prevention Fund. (2) CONTENTS- There shall be deposited into the account all amounts received by the United States as fees under this section or as fines for violations of this Act and its implementing regulations. (3) USE- Amounts in the account shall be available to the Secretary, subject to the availability of appropriations, for the purposes of implementing this Act. SEC. 9. TREATMENT OF NONNATIVE WILDLIFE SPECIES AS NONMAILABLE MATTER. Nonnative wildlife species included in the list of approved species issued under section 4 shall be considered and treated as nonmailable matter under section 3015 of title 39, United States Code. SEC. 10. RELATIONSHIP TO STATE LAW. (a) In General- Nothing in this Act preempts or otherwise affects the application of any State law that establishes stricter requirements for importation, transportation, possession, sale, purchase, release, or breeding of, or bartering for, any nonnative wildlife species. (b) Limitation on Application of Prohibitions and Penalties To Prevent Release- The Secretary may limit the application of any provision of section 6 to facilitate implementation of any State program that encourages voluntary surrender to a State of nonnative wildlife species, if the Secretary determines that such limitation will prevent release of such species. SEC. 11. REQUIREMENT TO ISSUE REGULATIONS. The Secretary shall prescribe such regulations as are necessary and appropriate to carry out the purposes of this Act. SEC. 12. RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER FEDERAL LAWS. Except as provided in section 13, nothing in this Act shall be construed-- (1) as repealing, superseding, or modifying any provision of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 201 et seq.) or the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 301 et seq.); or (2) as authorizing any action with respect to the importation of any plant pest as defined in the Federal Plant Pest Act (7 U.S.C. 150aa et seq.), insofar as such importation is subject to regulation under that Act. SEC. 13. REDESIGNATION OF INVASIVE SPECIES COUNCIL AS NATIONAL INVASIVE SPECIES COUNCIL. (a) Redesignation- The Invasive Species Council established by Executive Order 13112 on February 8, 1999 (64 Fed. Reg. 6183) is redesignated as the National Invasive Species Council. (b) References- Any reference in a law, map, regulation, document, paper, or other record of the United States to the council referred to in subsection (a) is deemed to be a reference to the National Invasive Species Council. SEC. 14. DEFINITIONS. For the purposes of this Act: (1) AQUATIC NUISANCE SPECIES TASK FORCE- The term ‘Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force’ means the Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force established under section 1201 of the Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control Act of 1990 (16 U.S.C. 4702). (2) IMPORT- The term ‘import’ means to land on, bring into, or introduce into, or attempt to land on, bring into, or introduce into, any place subject to the jurisdiction of the Government of the United States, whether or not such landing, bringing into, or introduction constitutes an importation within the meaning of the customs laws of the Government of the United States. (3) NATIONAL INVASIVE SPECIES COUNCIL- The term ‘National Invasive Species Council’ means the National Invasive Species Council established by Executive Order 13112 on February 8, 1999 (64 Fed. Reg. 6183), as redesignated by section 13. (4) NATIVE SPECIES- The term ‘native species’ means a species that historically occurred or currently occurs in the United States, other than as a result of an intentional or unintentional introduction by humans. (5) NONNATIVE WILDLIFE SPECIES- The term ‘nonnative wildlife species’-- (A) except as provided in subparagraph ©, means any live species or subspecies of animal that is not a native species or subspecies, whether or not born or raised in captivity; (B) except as provided in subparagraph ©, includes-- (i) any such live, wild species or subspecies of mammal, bird, fish, reptile, amphibian, insect, mollusk, crustacean, arthropod, coelenterate, or other invertebrate, and (ii) any viable egg, sperm, gamete, or other reproductive material or offspring thereof; © does not include any species that is-- (i) specifically defined or regulated as a plant pest or approved for biological control purposes under the Plant Protection Act (7 U.S.C. 7701 et seq.); or (ii) defined or regulated as a threat to livestock or poultry under the Animal Health Protection Act (7 U.S.C. 8301 et seq.); and (D) does not include any cat (Felis catus), cattle or oxen (Bos taurus), chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus), dog (Canis lupus familiaris), donkey or ass (Equus asinus), domesticated members of the family Anatidae (geese), duck (domesticated Anas spp.), goat (Capra aegagrus hircus), goldfish (Carassius auratus auratus), horse (Equus caballus), llama (Lama glama), mule or hinny (Equus caballus x E. asinus), pig or hog (Sus scrofa domestica), domesticated varieties of rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus), or sheep (Ovis aries), or any other species or variety of species that is determined by the Secretary to be common and clearly domesticated. (6) PERSON- The term ‘person’ means-- (A) an individual, corporation, partnership, trust, association, or any other private entity; (B) any officer, employee, agent, department, or instrumentality of the Federal Government, or of any State, municipality, or political subdivision of a State, or of any foreign government; and © any other entity subject to the jurisdiction of the Government of the United States. (7) SECRETARY- The term ‘Secretary’ means the Secretary of the Interior. ( ![]() (9) UNITED STATES- The term ‘United States’ means the several States of the United States, the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, any possession of the United States, and any waters, including the territorial sea and the Exclusive Economic Zone, within the jurisdiction or sovereignty of the Government of the United States. |
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Posted: April 20, 2009 8:47 am | ||||
KGtheway2B
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This bill is a good thing...
If you own the pets you listed in your first post the government isn't going to change anything: (See section 3f) Furthermore, they're likely to include parakeets, reptiles and whatever other wierd pets people have on the "accepted list". You can read the transparency clause which requires periodic scientific review of the selection procedure. Knowing that millions of pet owners have these exotic pets it's guaranteed that there have been a lot of them released into the wild already. Since you never hear of people coming across rogue ball-pythons, parakeets or zebra fish it's quite obvious that these types of animals aren't the kinds of threats this act attempts to contain. Invasive species out competing natural inhabitants is a serious ecological concern. I've seen zebra mussels spread throughout my favorite vacation lake over the course of only 3 years, and seen kudzu choke out natural trees in the Carolinas and it's greatly depressing. Anything that can help should really be considered before we try to shoot things down because we "might" not be able to buy that one particular exotic pet. That said- it might simply be a bad idea because of the politics and funding in this tight time. It's probably not a good idea to spend all sorts of money creating funds and committees for programs such as this in the economy the way it is. |
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Posted: April 20, 2009 5:56 pm | ||||
MysticBlueRaven
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I agree right now is not the right time for this bill to be voted upon due to another study and more money being spent. It seem like all the government is doing is spending tax payer money faster than it can be raised.
As far as zebra mussels, they were hitchhikers on ships were ballast water was dumped into the great lakes and it spread to other lakes from boater who do not clean their boats before entering other area lakes. Kudzu is an vine that was promoted during the great depression of the 1930's by the Soil Conservation Service for soil erosion control. Also in the allot of states where the mosquito fish was introduce, has caused great damage to native fish and frog species. The biggest problem is hitchhiker that come on plants, like Asian Citrus Psyllid Native To: Southern Asia Date of U.S. Introduction: 1998 Impact: Damages citrus plants by feeding on sap; serves as a vector for citrus greening disease, which causes a decline in citrus production Current U.S. Distribution:Specimens have been found throughout the Southern U.S, including Florida, Texas, Hawaii, Louisiana, Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina, and California Mexican Fruit Fly Native To: Mexico and Central America Date of U.S. Introduction: First found in Texas in 1927 Means of Introduction: Annually migrates into southern Texas; may be introduced to other areas through the movement of infested fruit Impact: Larvae attack numerous fruits of economic significance, particularly grapefruit, oranges, pear, peach, and apple This is just the tip of the list of invasive insects that hitchhiked on plants. It seems that they need a tighter control on what plants and produce that comes into this country. D) does not include any cat (Felis catus), cattle or oxen (Bos taurus), chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus), dog (Canis lupus familiaris), donkey or ass (Equus asinus), domesticated members of the family Anatidae (geese), duck (domesticated Anas spp.), goat (Capra aegagrus hircus), goldfish (Carassius auratus auratus), horse (Equus caballus), llama (Lama glama), mule or hinny (Equus caballus x E. asinus), pig or hog (Sus scrofa domestica), domesticated varieties of rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus), or sheep (Ovis aries), or any other species or variety of species that is determined by the Secretary to be common and clearly domesticated. The animal list here as domesticated are not native to the united states, I would say that 98 percent od the list is either raised as food animals and the rest is pets. The pig or hog as we know it is not truly domesticated, compared to the cow. The pig or hog reverts back to it wild state when they no loner in a control environment. Feral swine there fore can become damaging to the environment. and a danger to human since they do become very aggressive. |
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Posted: April 20, 2009 8:26 pm | ||||
StevieJ
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Yeah, I have to agree with doing this as well. I think the Snakehead fish overrun and pythons now flourishing in Florida are primarily responsible for bringing this on......
Steve
"Buzzards gotta eat...same as worms..." - Clint :) |
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Posted: April 22, 2009 1:01 pm | ||||
Kraellin
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we have kudzo here in kentucky. the road department put it in on steep roadway banks. it soon gets out of control and spreads out and covers everything, killing those other things by depriving them of sunlight and ground nutrients. a real pain in the butt.
i've heard of the zebra mussel problem in the great lakes. and isnt there also an eel problem there as well, from something that got imported? i know hawaii is death on brown snakes. they got imported in years ago and are killing off other species, both rare and not. and then there's the killer bees. good lord, how irresponsible can you get? there are many other instances of things like this and certainly not just limited to the u.s. australia's had problems... the rat, i think. and dogs, cats and pigs are fairly common to get imported, break loose and wreak havoc on an unsuspecting environment. the only thing that bothers me about making this a bill/law is, when the fed gets involved like this, they have a tendency to go overboard and get downright ridiculous in enforcements. i've heard too many horror stories where that's occurred over the years. so, it really boils down to, to me, a case of be careful what you ask for. If wishes were horses... there'd be a whole lot of horse crap to clean up!
Craig |
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Posted: April 22, 2009 1:23 pm | ||||
StevieJ
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Is that the purple-flowering plant (kinda looks like purple golden rod).....looks pretty.....but is choking everything else out??? Kentucky??? For some reason, I thought you lived in Ohio or Pennsilvania. Do you live in the Apalation highlands.....just guessing from the winters you are experiencing??? Steve
"Buzzards gotta eat...same as worms..." - Clint :) |
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Posted: April 23, 2009 9:40 am | ||||
Kraellin
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hi steve,
no, kudzu (i spelled it wrong before) is sort of like ivy. it grows low to the ground, has a leaf somewhat like ivy and just creeps along and climbs up everything and chokes it out. very fast growing. i believe it was imported from china. no natural predators against it here. nope, live in western kentucky, which is one of the reasons why this winter was so unusual. had i still been living in michigan, where i grew up, i wouldnt have thought much of the storm. and where we sort of get the same weather as michigan, we just get less of it and it lasts much shorter and is usually pretty tolerable. but, not this year. lol. If wishes were horses... there'd be a whole lot of horse crap to clean up!
Craig |
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Posted: April 23, 2009 5:34 pm | ||||
MysticBlueRaven
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Kudzu was introduced around 1876 at the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Countries were invited to build exhibits to celebrate the 100th birthday of the U.S. The Japanese government constructed a beautiful garden filled with plants from their country. The large leaves and sweet-smelling blooms of kudzu captured the imagination of American gardeners who used the plant for ornamental purposes.
Florida nursery operators, Charles and Lillie Pleas, discovered that animals would eat the plant and promoted its use for forage in the 1920s. Their Glen Arden Nursery in Chipley sold kudzu plants through the mail. A historical marker there proudly proclaims "Kudzu Developed Here." During the Great Depression of the 1930s, the Soil Conservation Service promoted kudzu for erosion control. Hundreds of young men were given work planting kudzu through the Civilian Conservation Corps. Farmers were paid as much as eight dollars an acre as incentive to plant fields of the vines in the 1940s. The problem is that it just grows too well! The climate of the Southeastern U.S. is perfect for kudzu. The vines grow as much as a foot per day during summer months, climbing trees, power poles, and anything else they contact. Under ideal conditions kudzu vines can grow sixty feet each year.While they help prevent erosion, the vines can also destroy valuable forests by preventing trees from getting sunlight. The USDA declared kudzu to be a weed in 1972. |
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Posted: April 23, 2009 7:01 pm | ||||
Kraellin
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yup, that's kudzu.
If wishes were horses... there'd be a whole lot of horse crap to clean up!
Craig |
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Posted: April 23, 2009 9:46 pm | ||||
StevieJ
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Very interesting..... I was also reading how Hawaii is on high alert to keep the Brown Tree Snake from establishing on the islands. Guam was overrun with it.....came in with military cargo from New Ginea (sp?) or Australia during WWII.....totally wiped out 9 out of the 12 native bird species on the island.....so I can see why Hawaii would be so fearful of it destroying its' own native bird populations......
Steve
"Buzzards gotta eat...same as worms..." - Clint :) |
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Posted: April 24, 2009 1:22 pm | ||||
MysticBlueRaven
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H.R. 669 Hearing Update
What’s the status of H.R. 669 after the hearing? By Benjamin Weiner On Thursday, April 23, 2009, the Subcommittee on Insular Affairs, Oceans and Wildlife met to deliberate, investigate and revise H.R. 669, the Nonnative Wildlife Invasion Prevention Act, and decide if it should go to general debate and move forward in the legislative process. The hearing record is being held open for 10 days for responses and to decide whether to proceed. Chief Executive Officer and General Counsel for the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council (PIJAC) Marshall Meyers testified before the Congressional Subcommittee regarding H.R. 669 as a representative of pet owners and the pet industry. In written testimony submitted to the Subcommittee Meyers stated, “We support the development of a strategic, risk-based process to prevent the introduction of invasive species (harmful nonnative species) into the United States.†However, the current draft of H.R. 669 “fails to be strategic in that it does not adequately take socio-economic issues and risk management options into account,†and would “require funds and staffing not currently available, nor likely to be available, to the US Fish and Wildlife Service.†Meyers said that they are willing to work with the authors of the bill to craft more realistic legislation that serves the public and affected industries alike. Congresswoman and Subcommittee Chairwoman Madeleine Bordallo of Guam (who authored this bill) said, “We recognize the bill is by no means perfect and that changes will be needed to address various concerns before any legislation moves forward.†“As it stands, PIJAC still has issues with points of this bill’s impracticality or lack of clarity,†Meyers said. Andrew Wyatt President of the United States Association of Reptile Keepers (USARK) said that the hearing was a “smashing success.†“H.R. 669 is effectively dead,†Wyatt said. “Two weeks leading up to the hearing, USARK mounted a grassroots campaign of letter writing and phone calls,†he said. “We swamped Capitol Hill with almost 50,000 letters that were delivered to Subcommittee members.†Wyatt added that on top of that were thousands upon thousands of phone calls, e-mail and letters directly to Subcommittee members. During the hearing, Congressman and Subcommittee member Henry E. Brown of South Carolina said, “Like members of this Subcommittee, during the past few weeks I have received thousands of calls, e-mails and letters written by constituents in strong opposition of this bill.†Later, Wyatt quoted Harry Burroughs of the Subcommittee staff as saying, "I haven't seen a letter writing campaign like this in 30 years! You should be proud of yourselves." Subcommittee member Eni F.H. Faleomavaega of American Samoa, a co-sponsor of the bill, congratulated Meyers, PIJAC and the pet industry for the tremendous grassroots response that has been generated, noting that it is important to have input from constituents on these issues. Wyatt added that Faleomavaega said that the letters and phone calls hit them like a “buzz saw.†“We’re so proud of all the people out there that did what they were supposed to do and sent letters and e-mails and phone calls,†he said. Russ Case, Editor of Aquarium Fish International and FishChannel. com, expressed relief at the outcome. “I’m happy that the bill may be in trouble in its current form, but as we all know, the groups who are against the keeping of exotic pets will return with another. For now I’m cautiously optimistic, but I’ll be waiting to see what they cook up next.†Both PIJAC and USARK expressed that no current action is required by the public and that more updates are to come. Patsy Brooks SENECA PRIDE RABBITRY Northeast Regional Lionhead Rabbit Club |
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Posted: April 24, 2009 4:26 pm | ||||
StevieJ
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I saw a program the other night about how a species of exotic bird (grey-blue McCaw) went extinct in the wild due to too many being captured for sale as pets.....but luckily, about 20 owners returned their birds to a sanctuary where they are attempting to bring the species back.....
![]() .....just another reason why I think this bill is a good thing.....because if all other nations went along and did the same thing, then there would be no market (other than a black market) for these animals to be captured and taken out of the wild to be sold as pets. For each one that reaches a pet store, two others died after being captured and being poorly treated during transit/shipping to pet stores.....an acceptable ratio to sell one animal..... ![]() The same analogy goes for whales, rhinos, elephants, gorillas, etc......completely outlaw the markets for the endangered animal bi-products among all nations.....which would help bring and end to the killing/poching of these species..... Steve
"Buzzards gotta eat...same as worms..." - Clint :) |
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Posted: April 29, 2009 8:44 pm | ||||
MysticBlueRaven
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In my opinion, the bill was poorly written, it was to vague I have no doult that this bill will have some major changes made to it before it show back up for another vote.
Its greed that often causes the death of a lot of the animals that are taken out of the wild. The fear of being caught with black market animals with may cause the people involved to kill all of them and their bodies dumpinto the ocean. The price of an endangered or black listed animal, makes the price go up. No matter if all the nations agree upon it, there is someone who is willing to pay the price to get one or an by product from that animal. Poching will always be an problem. |
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Posted: May 3, 2009 2:38 pm |
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