WV Dangerous Wild Animals Act
Deadline August 1 at Noon
Updated Often
Updated Often
Update 7/28/14: Thanks to grassroots efforts in WV, hundreds of residents have already contacted officials and made an impact. Now is the time for another push of comments. The deadline is August 1 at noon. The fight continues…
Join the WV USARC group HERE.
Read a recent article concerning the DWA Act HERE.
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Update 7.18.14: The Chairperson of the WV DWA Board said she wants the subcommittee to start over in WV with the Ohio list of Dangerous Wild Animals (DWAs) because the original list (containing thousand of species) was too broad and too difficult to understand.
This about-face by the DWA Board is evidence that the grassroots effort between USARK and WV residents did make a difference. The letter focused on the overly-broad list of animals proposed in WV and the outright overreach by WV officials. The fight continues…
This about-face by the DWA Board is evidence that the grassroots effort between USARK and WV residents did make a difference. The letter focused on the overly-broad list of animals proposed in WV and the outright overreach by WV officials. The fight continues…
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USARK has remained active in West Virginia after the passing of their Dangerous Wild Animals Act. The final proposed list of animals to be listed includes thousands of species. The 5 page list includes entire Orders and Families, rather than just single species. Common pets on the list include all Tetra fish, hamsters (only one species is excluded), hedgehogs, all turtles and tortoises (except WV native species), all salamanders and newts, ferrets, all Goby fish, Sugar gliders and many more. The list can be viewed at www.usark.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/WV-DWA-List-and-Comment.pdf. Pet keepers with these species will be subject to a $100 annual permit per animal, among other restrictions.
It would take 64 pages to list individually all the reptile and amphibian species proposed to be banned by WV Prop. Rule 61-30. (That’s on 8.5″ x 11″ paper, single spaced, small font, with one line for the scientific and common name for each species). There are 1008 reptiles and 2185 amphibians included in the proposed ban. Reptiles and amphibians occupy less than 20% of the space on the proposed list. The list also includes broad scientific categories of birds, crayfish, snails, fish and mammals.
This fight continues and the 30 day comment period began last week (as we announced on Facebook HERE). Please join WV USARC group at www.facebook.com/pages/WV-Chapter-of-USARC/747291521995383 for updates, information and steps to help.
Thanks to the dedicated work of Rick Stanley, Jennifer Phillips Ozzbourne, the Meador family and numerous other WV herpers, efforts already have a solid foundation and continue to increase.
It would take 64 pages to list individually all the reptile and amphibian species proposed to be banned by WV Prop. Rule 61-30. (That’s on 8.5″ x 11″ paper, single spaced, small font, with one line for the scientific and common name for each species). There are 1008 reptiles and 2185 amphibians included in the proposed ban. Reptiles and amphibians occupy less than 20% of the space on the proposed list. The list also includes broad scientific categories of birds, crayfish, snails, fish and mammals.
This fight continues and the 30 day comment period began last week (as we announced on Facebook HERE). Please join WV USARC group at www.facebook.com/pages/WV-Chapter-of-USARC/747291521995383 for updates, information and steps to help.
Thanks to the dedicated work of Rick Stanley, Jennifer Phillips Ozzbourne, the Meador family and numerous other WV herpers, efforts already have a solid foundation and continue to increase.
