Government views Monarch Butterfly Releases as a threat to We stern Milkweeds

[Kondla, Norbert FOR:EX]

This whole thing is indeed a laughable farce. The USDA should stick to
agriculture pests in the common sense use of the word and let the USFW
agency deal with wildlife, including plants. As if the release of monarchs
at a wedding in New York city has anything to do with milkweed plants in
Oklahoma or Arizona - what a laugh indeed. Apologies for dumping on another
US gov agency that has lost all sense of perspective and reason but
sometimes it is necessary to call a spade a shovel to ensure the message is
received. I would put a smiley in here but I am too disgusted to dignify
this sordid and incompetent situation with any humor.

-----Original Message-----
From: Ron Gatrelle [mailto:gatrelle at tils-ttr.org]
Sent: Friday, December 07, 2001 7:00 AM
To: monarch at saber.net; LEPS-L at lists.yale.edu
Subject: Re: Government views Monarch Butterfly Releases as a threat to
Western Milkweeds



----- Original Message -----
From: "Paul Cherubini" <monarch at saber.net>
Subject: Government views Monarch Butterfly Releases as a threat to Western
Milkweeds


snip

> USDA officials said the regulations are required to protect members of
the
> milkweed family of plants, the favored food of Monarch larvae.
>
> Wayne Wehling, a USDA specialist in plant-feeding insects, said at least
some
> milkweed species in Oklahoma and in Arizona are endangered. Allowing
> unregulated interstate shipment and release of the butterfly, Wehling
said,
> could tip the balance against the plants, on which the migrating Monarch
> habitually lays its eggs.
>
> In effect, the USDA is squeezed between a federal law protecting
endangered
> plants and the growing popularity of commercial butterfly farming.
>
> "It's a real Catch-22,'' said Wehling.
>

This is close to the most ridiculous piece of news I have ever seen.  The
endangered Milkweed vs. the endangered Monarch vs. natures only villain,
overpopulating humans vs. government vs. free enterprise - and all in the
tea pot that sits before the giant of International Terrorism juggling
nuclear and biological weapons.  There are so many farces in this whole
thing one does not even know what to jump on first.  Welcome to La-La land.
Ron Gatrelle


 
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