Reactionary regulations in Oregon

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Richard F. Hoyer
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Reactionary regulations in Oregon

Post by Richard F. Hoyer »

I am sorry to report that Oregon's wildlife agency is going down the same path as CDFW. ODFW is proposing the adoption of reactionary, mean spirited, repressive, and punitive draft revising existing regulations on herps in Oregon.

The new laws are on ODFW’s website at: http://www.dfw.state.or.us/wildlife/ , under the “Hot
> Topics” headline.

DRAFT revised OARs Chapter 635 - Division 044, January 2016

Richard F. Hoyer (Corvallis, Oregon)
mwentz
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Re: Reactionary regulations in Oregon

Post by mwentz »

Richard F. Hoyer wrote:I am sorry to report that Oregon's wildlife agency is going down the same path as CDFW. ODFW is proposing the adoption of reactionary, mean spirited, repressive, and punitive draft revising existing regulations on herps in Oregon.

The new laws are on ODFW’s website at: http://www.dfw.state.or.us/wildlife/ , under the “Hot
> Topics” headline.

DRAFT revised OARs Chapter 635 - Division 044, January 2016

Richard F. Hoyer (Corvallis, Oregon)

Holy Crap, they deemed Rubber boas and Contia as rare or threatened? I haven't been to Oregon, but knowing what I know about the two, there is no way they are rare. Just secretive.
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jonathan
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Re: Reactionary regulations in Oregon

Post by jonathan »

mwentz wrote:
Richard F. Hoyer wrote:I am sorry to report that Oregon's wildlife agency is going down the same path as CDFW. ODFW is proposing the adoption of reactionary, mean spirited, repressive, and punitive draft revising existing regulations on herps in Oregon.

The new laws are on ODFW’s website at: http://www.dfw.state.or.us/wildlife/ , under the “Hot
> Topics” headline.

DRAFT revised OARs Chapter 635 - Division 044, January 2016

Richard F. Hoyer (Corvallis, Oregon)

Holy Crap, they deemed Rubber boas and Contia as rare or threatened? I haven't been to Oregon, but knowing what I know about the two, there is no way they are rare. Just secretive.

And Racers. I was in Oregon for a month last year and saw racers in nearly every county I drove through. They're not even secretive...what convinced someone that they needed to be protected? If you're going to have racers on the list, you might as well throw ringnecks and WTGS on the list too.

Oh, wait, ringnecks are on the list too.


It gets even worse. Dunn's Salamanders are on the prohibited list, along with Cascades Torrents and Columbia Torrents.

How can you possibly think there is any reason that Dunn's need special protection?
Richard F. Hoyer
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Re: Reactionary regulations in Oregon

Post by Richard F. Hoyer »

I have tried to find out on what basis the 5 species of snake were to be included in a protected status. I have not been able to get anyone at the agency to respond with such information.

ODFW already has had 4 species of snakes in a protected basis, the Ground Snake, Sharp-tailed Snake, Common Kingsnake and Calif. Mt. Kingsnake. I also know that none of those species had ever been studied in Oregon until I undertook a study of the Sharp-tail in late 1997. So there never has been any scientific evidence that those four species were in need of being listed as protected.

And now the same holds true for the 5 species of snakes ODFW is proposing to add to the list of protected species. Without knowing what process or what evidence the agency biologists have used to include these five species of snake, it is not possible to produce a fully reasoned response.

Richard FH
s_stocking
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Re: Reactionary regulations in Oregon

Post by s_stocking »

Also the way I read this it only outlaws collection and possession.....it says nothing about intentionally or unintentionally killing these snakes.....I believe it's well known that road mortality and farmers/hikers/hunters who deliberately kill every snake they come across out of ignorance/fear causes many times the losses that legal collection does.....a huge loophole they don't address which makes you wonder what their real motives are. Legitimate welfare of wild populations doesn't seem to be a concern......
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Porter
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Re: Reactionary regulations in Oregon

Post by Porter »

s_stocking wrote:Also the way I read this it only outlaws collection and possession.....it says nothing about intentionally or unintentionally killing these snakes.....I believe it's well known that road mortality and farmers/hikers/hunters who deliberately kill every snake they come across out of ignorance/fear causes many times the losses that legal collection does.....a huge loophole they don't address which makes you wonder what their real motives are. Legitimate welfare of wild populations doesn't seem to be a concern......
Very good point! One of the species most effected by this is the Giant Gartersnake. Farmland irrigation ditches and crop fields are it's main habitat. I can only imagine how many become fertilizer each year along with gopher snake, kingsnake, Yellow-bellied racers, and Valley Gartersnakes. There should be an special situations add on to the regulations allowing herpers holding a fishing license to legally move protected snakes out of roadways and a distance limitaion of say, at least one mile. So a snake can be released in a fallow field neighboring that year's danger zone.
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regalringneck
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Re: Reactionary regulations in Oregon

Post by regalringneck »

.. sorry to hear this Richard, I know you understand, but our many "grasshoppers" will look for logic in all the wrong places (biology) ... and the answer is simply power & control ... homonid over homonid .. as ever it were ... & shameful as it is ... thnx goodness americans have a long history of civil disobedience ... tho if one considers the many posts on so many subforos here... you'd think we were all canadians or europeans ... eager to lick whatever jackboot the govt puts in our face.
Dimbulbs will finally spool up & flicker, & then possibly organize & produce a coherent response ... i only can hope you & i live long enough to see that & provide technical guidance to the process...
Richard F. Hoyer
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Re: Reactionary regulations in Oregon

Post by Richard F. Hoyer »

JG,
I am in the process of producing comments but if past experience is any indication, such comments are not likely to be effective. So I can only hope.

Richard F. Hoyer
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Brian Hubbs
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Re: Reactionary regulations in Oregon

Post by Brian Hubbs »

Richard, we both know why they are doing this...to get more federal funding for their department. Protecting common species is a sham and a money grab. There is no science involved with most listings...just a desire for more money.
Richard F. Hoyer
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Re: Reactionary regulations in Oregon

Post by Richard F. Hoyer »

Brian,
I have always felt that there was money involved with states listing species in some category of concern. But I have never found the 'smoking gun' that would support my suspicions.

Richard FH
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regalringneck
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Re: Reactionary regulations in Oregon

Post by regalringneck »

in my considerable experience, its rarely a money driver , again i stated earlier its a psychological construct : .. control & power ... whith ntrl resources rarely does it equate to money ... unless its listed ... so i think you draw snake eyed dice there ... now try to hear me... its about power & control & guess what, when a sps. is listed ... mission accomplished; no more analysis (= $$) need be done... problem solved ... is that too heavy to grasp ? ive been saying it here for 30 effyng years here & elsewhere ... but folks w/ no experience inside or outside the "system" continue to debate me ... as if their opine is equal to one informed & experienced .. but hey it is the www we're all equal right ? ... good grief ... talk about byting the hand that feeds ewe .... try for once sleeping on it... mas calma mi saltamontes .. try to resist posting 2nyte ... i promise you it will be more coherant in la manana ....
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Brian Hubbs
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Re: Reactionary regulations in Oregon

Post by Brian Hubbs »

I believe it is about control, power, and not having to deal with understanding herps on a level with mammals and fish that generate monies, but there is also a federal monetary incentive involved. It may not be a lot of money, but it is something...unless the feds did away with that program and forgot to tell me...

Or, it could be that PETA has infiltrated the OR dept very well...
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Joseph S.
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Re: Reactionary regulations in Oregon

Post by Joseph S. »

This sort of thing makes me very frustrated.
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