USDA again

[Kondla, Norbert FOR:EX]

Once again I find myself scratching my head to see any biological science or
logic or shred of common sense in a USDA decision. Based on what I read
below it seems that they do not want to allow importation of Monarchs to
Rhode Island because they are uncommon there. So what does that have to do
with anything ??? Most people would think that having more of a benign and
beautiful species such as the Monarch in Rhode Island is a good thing. I
guess the USDA logic would have us erect large mile high fences around Rhode
Island so that naturally migrating monarchs will never move into the state
in numbers higher than their presently alleged uncommon numbers :-) This
whole situation is really quite hilarious from the perspective of dark humor
-- God save us from the kind of bureaucracy you folks are facing in the USA
:-)

-----Original Message-----
From: Paul Cherubini [mailto:monarch at saber.net]
Sent: Wednesday, February 06, 2002 8:44 PM
To: leps-l at lists.yale.edu
Subject: Re: Glassberg's public statement on collecting.


Stan Gorodenski wrote:

> Interjecting the 'release' issue in the context
> of the debate on collectors vs. non-collectors does not make it any more
> acceptable to me. 

Stan, I believe Chuck's point was that collectors are seeing their rights 
being eroded away despite the lack of any legitimate scientific 
evidence that collectors cause any environmental harm. 

My follow up point was that Monarch and Painted Lady butterfly breeders 
and releasers are likewise seeing their rights being eroded despite the lack
of
any legitimate scientific evidence that releasing these extremely common
butterflies causes any environmental harm. 

Just today, as a matter of fact , we learned that the US Federal Government
has decided to criminalize the shipping of Monarchs into the State
of Rhode Island for release, even from a neighboring State like
Conneticut or Massachusetts.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Date: Wed, 6 Feb 2002 9:40:51 -0500
From: Wayne F Wehling <Wayne.F.Wehling at usda.gov>
Subject: Re: RI

Jacob,

We do deny permits for monarchs shipped to Rhode Island 
for release to the environment.  This decision was based 
on discussion with Rhode Island after determining monarchs 
were sufficiently uncommon.  

Cheers,
Wayne Wehling
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Monarchs uncommon in Rhode Island?  Is this a scientific legitimate
claim?  In 1996 a $500,000 hydrogen isotope study produced
the following map that indicates the natal origins of the monarchs
that overwinter in Mexico: 
http://www.mindspring.com/~cherubini/rhod.jpg

Note that Rhode Island is within the main summer monarch breeding area.
Then I quickly found other references that indicated the Monarch
Butterfly is common in Rhode Island
http://www.mindspring.com/~cherubini/rh.jpg  

Now when I used this evidence to point out the monarch is not rare
in Rhode Island, below is the response received from the US Federal 
Government:
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Date: Wed, 6 Feb 2002 15:06:31 -0500
From: Wayne F Wehling <Wayne.F.Wehling at usda.gov>
Subject: Re: Rhode Island

Paul,

Since when does "sufficiently uncommon" = "rare"

Decisions that I make are, and must be, respectful of state concerns.

Cheers,
Wayne Wehling
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So Stan here you have first hand evidence of how easy it is for State and 
Federal agencies to ban the breeding and releasing of an extremely common, 
widespread butterfly without having to provide any legitimate scientific
justication.  So I think Chuck is right that we need to assume these
agencies 
could do the same in regard to recreational collecting, just as has already 
happened in parts of Europe.

Paul Cherubini
Placerville, California

 
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