upatsix.com - Your Source For Pet Bird Information

I received this email from the Bird Breeders Mailing List:

The International Conure Association received notification via our website
that there is legislation in works in Pennsylvania to outlaw the possession
of the Nanday conure. If passed, this law will not "grandfather" any Nandays
currently kept as pets. The birds will become illegal. They will be subject
to confiscation to be destroyed as pests. Quakers already are illegal in
Pennsylvania.

Genny Wall, AFA Legislative VP and Legislative Committee Chair, spoke to the
Pennsylvania Game Commission office to obtain more information. They will
accept public comments at their meeting which starts on Sunday January 27th
and carries through to January 28 and 29. For those who are unable to
attend, be sure to submit your comments before 1/27/08. (Contact
information at the end of this post.)

__________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________

Genny's comments and advice:

I spoke with the Game Commission office, and they tell me they will accept
public comments at their meeting which starts on Sunday January 27th and
carries through to January 28 and 29. A link to the Agenda for that meeting
is at the end of this email.

You may share this information with others who oppose the current proposal
in Pennsylvania and urge them to ACT NOW to defeat this proposal.

This proposal which is now before the Game Commission seeks to amend PA law
to prohibit the "importation, possession, sale, and release" of Nanday
conures in Pennsylvania "in response to human health/safety and wildlife
habitat health purposes". Monk (Quaker) parakeets are already prohibited.
There is no "grandfather" clause in this proposal - that generally means
that Nandays already in PA would also become illegal and subject to
confiscation and euthanasia as pests if this proposal becomes law.

The Executive Director and staff of the Game Commission "recommend the
Commission approve these changes". Given that recommendation, unless voters
in PA step up at this meeting to oppose this proposal, I can only assume it
will pass. Your "job" is to let your government know what you want. Once a
law such as this is enacted it is almost impossible to get it repealed. Now
it the time to act.

I recommend that you (and any other bird folks you can round up) appear at
the Game Commission meeting to present comments in opposition to the
proposal - preferably on Sunday the 27th so that you are sure to be given
time to speak - but they may delay you to the 28th or 29th, so be prepared
for that. Be prepared to submit your comments in writing as well as orally,
in case you don't get the chance to speak. Try to keep your written comments
to one page.

Keep in mind these officials are just people doing a job. Don't be afraid to
appear at the meeting and testify. Address them politely, as human beings,
and you should be able to make your points.

The clerk I spoke with told me that generally people are given a few
minutes, maybe 5 max, to make their points. Each speaker should be prepared
ahead of time, with a short, focused, businesslike presentation, which they
can read aloud. Be sure the presentations focus on the following two points
(once you make those points you can let them know you are a human who owns
and loves her pet birds, but that shouldn't be the main focus). DO NOT
ACKNOWLEDGE PUBLICLY AT THE MEETING OR ANYWHERE ELSE THAT YOU OWN A NANDAY.

The two points the Game Commission will be focusing on are the claims that
Nandays threaten human health and safety and wildlife habitat. You need to
be prepared to negate both of those claims. Keep in mind, if Nandays can now
be claimed to be a threat to human health and safety, any parrot or other
bird can be added later. Same for the wildlife habitat health claim. Do your
homework and prepare yourself with documentation to counter at least these
two claims.

Be sure those who testify for your position are well dressed and act
professionally - I can assure you that the proponents of this bill will not
be appearing in T shirts. Do not go into "I love my pet and this law isn't
fair for my pets......" The Game Commission is not concerned with our love
of our pets - they are charged with the responsibility of protecting the
wildlife of PA, and unless you can rationally argue that Nandays don't
threaten human health and safety or wildlife habitat in PA, this law is
likely to pass.

I was not able to obtain any written supporting documentation from the
proponents which shows that Nandays threaten human health and safety or
wildlife habitat in PA (if in fact they have any, other than their claims).
You can ask for a copy of their documentation at the hearing, but try not to
have them read it into the record, since if that tactic is used, you won't
have time to read, evaluate, and respond to it. Ask the Commission to give
you a copy or that they mail it to you so that you will have time to address
their claims. Ask the Commission not to adopt the proposal at this meeting,
or at least to delay any vote to a future meeting to give you and other
opponents of the proposal time to read and respond to any of the
Commission's materials that support their proposal. Remember, this bill has
to be voted on by the Game Commission if it is to become law, and a vote
delayed is a vote not taken.

I would expect the "human health and safety" claims to include claims that
Nandays transmit psittacosis (chlamydia) and bird flu. Be prepared for those
claims. Psittacosis, while transmissible to humans from birds, is
treatable with antibiotics both for birds and humans, and is not usually
life threatening. Parrots have not been shown to transmit bird flu, and the
dreaded "worldwide pandemic of bird flu" has not come to pass - in the 10
years or so it has been circulating in Southeast Asia only about 100 people
have died - that is not a worldwide pandemic.

You have a job to do (protecting Nandays in PA) and I assume you can do it.
Get others to go with you, and if you present a united front, you may be
able to stop this proposal.

For those who can appear and testify - do so.

For those who can't appear, submit written comments before 1/27/08.

Pennsylvania Game Commission

2001 Elmerton Avenue

Harrisburg, PA 17110-9797

(717) 787-4250

pgccomments@state.pa.us

The Agenda for the 1/27 - 1/29 meeting is at this link (warning - large file
over 5 mb - don't try this on dialup):

http://www.pgc.state.pa.us/pgc/cwp/view.asp?a=481
<http://www.pgc.state.pa.us/pgc/cwp/view.asp?a=481&q=163334> &q=163334

Section of the agenda with proposed changes:

http://www.conure.org/Resources/Agenda- ... 201-08.pdf

The contact information for the Game Commission is

http://www.pgc.state.pa.us/pgc/cwp/view.asp?a=481
<http://www.pgc.state.pa.us/pgc/cwp/view.asp?a=481&q=153205> &q=153205

Let me know if you have any questions.

Genny Wall

AFA Legislative VP and Legislative Committee Chair

This is a horrible abuse of the legal system. When I first learned of what
they did to the Quakers this is exactly what I thought; were they going to
expand this to other species?

Since PA residents have a "legal standing" in this court, and not any
out-state residents, I will definitely write a brief and pass it on to all
of my "former military" friends that now live in PA.

I suggest others do so immediately.

It seems these things are scheduled so quickly in an attempt not to mobilize
outside influences, but here is a prime example of how we as a community
"online" can and could effect these outrageous laws and their "irrational,
unscientific attempts" to bring EMOTION (being scared of bird flue and
others) into the legal arena and take away our constitutional rights and the
ability to presume aviculture.

What I believe is the most dominate debate against this is that "Parrots are
80 million years old*" and "were at one time inhabitants of this very (USA)
country." They flew amongst the dinosaurs and after all this time still
exist when others have gone extinct! It was because they had a "BRAIN,"
something many on this Game Board are lacking, it is apparent! [*
http://www.berkeley.edu/news/berkeleyan ... ossil.html ]

(this should be precedent- These birds are actually "native" species that
have become extinct from our area and have been found in other areas of the
world. To re-establish a native species should be "honored" not culled.)

If we have any hope of surviving "Global Warming" and other things that will
"effect us as humans in the future," we need not only to study "how these
beautiful creatures successfully managed to live while others became
"extinct," but to support the keeping and understanding of these small
animals "with brains!" and developed this cognitive relationship between
them and us.

We must apply our superior understanding of Science and Aviculture to
dismiss these radical efforts "not grounded in science" but in FEAR and
counter with our knowledge and lengthy experience. Just like the "law of the
jungle" when one insect falls this has direct impact on many other species,
if this law is passed in PA it will effect all of us "across the country!"
If they can persuade a Governmental Body this become "Stare Decisis" a law
(precedent) that has a standing of which many other laws can be applied to
and expounded on [156P. 2d 340, 345] [298 U.S. 38, 94]

This drum may be beating in PA, but we should all be hearing this morning it
loud and clear across this great land.

Thomas Jefferson wrote: "From time to time the "Tree of Freedom" needs to be
fed by the blood of Patriots and Scoundrels."

As a Combat Wounded Disabled Veteran, I've fed that tree of freedom and to
me this is what nurtures my life now. It appears that someone wants to come
by and cut it down, or at least trim it from the "other side of the fence."
I take this personally! It is not bothering anybody, the leaves do no harm!
If they can justify eliminating this where does it stop? I was promised my
FREEDOMS WOULD NOT BE INFRINGED!

I authorize any and all use of my above material in reference to above abuse
by the PA Game Board in an effort to stop them from taking away not only my
rights but the rights of those in PA. I swore to uphold and defend the
Constitution and this is an attack of such rights. We must mobilize to make
sure this does not pass.

Dutch