DEADLINE Monday August 2, 2010

The deadline for the USFWS public comment period regarding the proposed Rule Change is NEXT MONDAY. If enacted Rule Change would add 9 constricting snakes to the Injurious Wildlife list of the Lacey Act. If you have not made public comment on the rulemaking go to www.Kill-RuleChange.com  and follow the directions.

If you know any government agency scientists, university academics, veterinarians or zoo professionals please request they make public comment by the deadline!!!

The justification for the proposed rule is the ‘Constrictor Report’ written by Gordon Rodda and Robert Reed of the USGS. Agency documents uncovered by USARK suggest the report may have been "manufactured" at the request of USFWS to support a predetermined policy preference to add these snakes to the Injurious Wildlife list. Once the report was produced it was “sold” to the higher ups at the agency as solid evidence to support a rulemaking.

A recent cold snap in Florida, and subsequent cold studies led by Frank Mazzotti of University of Florida and USDA Wildlife Services in Gainesville Florida have contradicted the USGS hypothesis that pythons could spread across the southern third of the US. 85% of the pythons in the two study groups died as a result of the cold, confirming the fact that feral pythons in the Everglades are not capable of surviving outside of south Florida for any length of time. Even in the very southern tip of the state the pythons are susceptible to cold weather. This evidence suggests that the problem was over exaggerated by USGS. It's simple... When it gets cold pythons die.

Joining a chorus of criticism by top academics directed at the USGS Climate Matching and Constrictor Report, Dr. Frank Mazzotti testified before the US House Natural Resources Committee stating that pythons were a problem “likely limited to south Florida”. He went on to state that “the Lacey Act is an ineffective tool to address invasive species issues”.   

In a critical look at the data set used by Gordon Rodda to create his climate matching model, Dave & Tracy Barker discovered that the data had been grossly mischaracterized in order to make it appear that pythons could live in much colder temperatures and at much higher elevations than the data truly suggests. The data set, long withheld by Gordon Rodda from public scrutiny, is now available for all to see on the USARK website.

All of the pertinent scientific documents mentioned above are available to be viewed on the USARK website at: http://www.usark.org/archive.php

The Lacey Act is NOT warranted to deal with an invasive species problem limited to the southern tip of Florida. Even if enacted Rule Change would have ZERO effect in dealing with invasive species. What it would do is shut down the Reptile Nation because of a policy whim at USFWS. It would destroy a viable economic engine and thousands of American families in a time of economic hardship and record unemployment.

Please Make Public Comment! Be polite, be professional and be persuasive!! Use the facts. Be better than those who misrepresent the truth. www.Kill-RuleChange.com