Current Pending Legislation

Pennsylvania CURRENT PROPOSAL TO OUTLAW NANDAY CONURES IN PENNSYLVANIA:   1/29/2008: Nanday Conures were removed from this proposal!  Click here for details.

There is a proposal presently pending before the Pennsylvania Game Commission 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.
 
A link to the PA Code section that they propose to amend is at the bottom of this alert.
 
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.
 
 
ACTION TO BE TAKEN:
 
The Game Commission office 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.  
 
If you oppose the current proposal in Pennsylvania you need to ACT NOW to defeat this proposal.
 
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, it will probably 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   Once a law such as this is enacted it is almost impossible to get it repealed.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.
 
You (and any other bird folks you can round up) can 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.
 
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).   
 
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.
 
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) was not available when I inquired.    You can ask for a copy of their documentation at the hearing so that you can be given 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, and perhaps Exotic Newcastles Disease (END).     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.    While parrots, like many other species of birds, can catch END (usually from infected poultry), there is no scientific data published that shows that parrots have been the source of any END outbreak in the United States.
 
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.  
 
 
SUPPORTING LINKS AND DOCUMENTS:
 
Existing Pennsylvania Code this proposal would amend: (monk parakeets already prohibited)
See - Section 58 - Recreation, Part III - Game Commission, Chapter 137
http://www.pacode.com/secure/browse.asp
 
 
The Agenda for the 1/27 - 1/29 meeting is at this link:
http://www.pgc.state.pa.us/pgc/cwp/view.asp?a=481&q=163334
 
The contact information for the Game Commission is
http://www.pgc.state.pa.us/pgc/cwp/view.asp?a=481&q=153205
 
Let me know if you have any questions.
 
Genny Wall
AFA Legislative VP
gennygem2@aol.com