Daytona National Reptile Breeders Expo

The Grandaddy of Reptile Shows!

This year, USARK will once again be the beneficiary of the proceeds of the National Reptile Breeders’ Expo Benefit (NRBE) Auction, which will be held Saturday, August 18th at the Hilton Daytona Beach. The fun and bidding will begin at 8:00 pm, right after a Pre-auction icebreaker hosted by REPTILES Magazine. There is no admission fee for the auction and the public is welcomed to attend. This auction is held in conjunction with the NRBE, which will take place August 17-19, 2012 at the Ocean Center across the street from the Hilton.

USARK will have a Board of Directors meeting on Friday August 17th from 4:00- 6:00 pm at the Hilton Daytona Beach. The first hour of the meeting is open to the public. Please stop by, ask questions and meet the USARK Board of Directors.

Zoo Med will be hosting “Turtle Night”, and Exo Terra will be hosting an Amphibian Symposium on Friday night, August 17th at the Daytona Hilton. The annual Corn Snake Supper will be held at the Residence Inn, Daytona Beach at 6pm on Saturday August 18th.

Over the past two years, approximately $80,000.00 has been raised for USARK at the NRBE auction. These funds have served as an anchor in establishing USARK as a force in Washington, DC., and have been utilized for the following purposes:

1. Fund a federal challenge of the USGS Risk Analysis that provided the primary scientific underpinnings of the FWS Rule to add 9 constrictor snakes to the Injurious Wildlife list of the Lacey Act. Since the USGS findings were the only justification for federal rule making, this challenge helped turn the tide against the government case.

2. Commission the first comprehensive economic assessment of the reptile industry, establishing it as a $1.4 billion cottage industry and proving that the FWS estimate was grossly underestimated. This third-party assessment further undermined the government’s case.

3. Help to fund approximately $200,000 in federal lobbying, consulting and legal fees in 2010 & 2011. The message to lawmakers and high level agency representatives was carried out here. Without a connection to the inner workings of Capitol Hill, USARK would not have been able to communicate the critical information necessary to curtail the rule making process.

Were it not for the above-mentioned activities, USARK and the Reptile Nation would likely have lost all 9 constrictors to the rule making.

Andrew Wyatt, President of USARK, says help is needed to keep up the momentum in Washington. “The last two years have been a difficult and uncertain time for the Reptile Nation,” said Wyatt. “But, thanks to our supporters, USARK has made great strides. We have defeated anti-herp legislation in more than two dozen states and are making a federal legal case to mitigate the impact of the recent US Fish & Wildlife Service ‘Injurious Wildlife’ listing. Building upon our accomplishments, we need to keep up the pressure in our fight against anti-herp legislation and turn up the heat of our legal challenge of the new Lacey Act rule”.

How to help:

• -Donate some herp-related item to the NRBE auction.
• -Donate ANY non-herp related item; electronics, art, books, antiques, curios or anything of value.
• -Come to the NRBE auction*, check out the goodies, bid generously, and take home some great stuff.
• -Feel good about helping USARK continue to fight unjust legislation against The Reptile Nation!
• -Volunteer to help USARK at auction and booth. Contact Julie TenBensel Julie TenBensel- JtenBensel@sdflaw.com

Send auction items to: Wayne Hill, 621 Avenue M SW, Winter Haven, FL 33880

*Hilton Daytona Beach, 100 North Atlantic Avenue,  Daytona Beach, FL 32118

***Special Thanks to Wayne Hill, Colette Adams & Zoo Med.

Additional thanks to the volunteers: Julie TenBensel, Laney Simmons and Jax Herp.

The Grandaddy of Reptile Shows!