Proposed Nanday Conure ban in PA

[MrRick]

Due to the urgency of our battle to try to STOP the proposed ban on Nandy Conures by the PA Game Commission (PGC) in Pennsylvania, many others and I feel we need to have a “meeting of the minds” to establish our position on this fight and develop our strategy on how we proceed. We will have an 800 phone number setup for those outside our area to conference into.

If you live in the Northeast PA area, we urge you to attend this upcoming preliminary prep meeting (time, date and place to be determined and communicated shortly). We must form a coherent group. We must go forward with the same voice – the same message. We must be organized, armed with valid information, and have as much support in numbers as possible in order to be successful. If we go in mass to the meeting in Harrisburg on January 27th with valid arguments and an organized way to present them WE WILL WIN!

If you do not live in PA, but are able to help us by providing suggestions, ideas, facts, strategies, please dial-in to the preliminary prep meeting. We need your support and help!

Please get back to us as soon as you can and let us know if you are either able to attend this preliminary meeting tentatively scheduled for sometime in the coming week - physically or via conference call. Location is in North Coventry, just minutes from Pottstown, Reading, Exton, and Philly . Once we get an estimated count and a better feel for your interest, we will send the address for the meeting location, and confirm the time, date, etc.

Please pass this to anyone you know who can attend the Harrisburg meeting with us, or who can provide us with valid arguments for our prep meeting.

If interested, please contact
Rick (president@berkscountybirdclub.com) or Kristy (KristyGarcia@comcast.net)

[Markus]

OK, I live in Pennsylvania.. and right now it is 17 °F outside. What I'm _really_ wondering is.. can Nanday conures live in this weather?

I also know a few people who have quakers, and just saw a classified ad posted for one within the last week. So.. eventho there is a ban, it doesn't seem too effective.

[MrRick]

Markus,
Conures cannot survive outside in PA.

As far as Quakers in PA are concerned ....... Back in the 80s, the Pa Game Commission (PGC) went to peoples' homes and confiscated and euthenized Quaker parrots. I'm confident that if the PGC receives any reports about Quakers being sold or owned in PA, they will send wardens out to confiscate and kill the birds.

Don't be fooled by the effectiveness of the ban. PGC does not have a group of wardens whose sole responsibility is to go out and search everyone's home or every pet shop in PA looking for a banned parrot. But, if they receive any reports or complaints, they are required to go out and investigate and they will!

Besides the proposal to ban the Nanday Conure, the bigger concern here is that, if passed, this law will provide a gateway to banning other parrot species. The question then becomes what species and what state is next!

[Markus]

Rick,

Thanks for the information. Here is the PA Code relating to the proposed change 058 Pa. Code §*137.1.*Importation, sale and release of certain wildlife.

I'm in McKean county, which is in the northwest, near Bradford. So the meeting is too far away for me.

My next pondering question is how the heck did they narrow it down to the nanday?? Did some higher-up in the PGC get bit by one? or have one next door that was loud and annoying??

[Suesue]

Wow I just did a search and they are banned in several states. I didn't know that.

[MrRick]

If you cannot attend the meeting, we will be setting up a toll free conference line for you to call in on. If you are interested, please email me at president@berkscountybirdclub.com and I will send you the number to call once we get it set up.

I've been told that two of the reasons for the ban is that they are loud and that they are a danger to human health! I'd love to see their supporting evidence behind that!

Suesue - What states are they banned in? Is it just the Nanday or all conures? I did not know this either!

[MrRick]

I just got an email that said the PA Game Commission (PGC) is already surfing websites and eGroups looking for Nanday Conure owners in PA! This may just be a rumor BUT protect yourself and your birds and do not indicate that you own a Nanday!

[Markus]

According to wikipedia, Tennessee has banned them. Black-hooded Parakeet - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I'm also guessing that since they refer to them as the Black-hooded Parakeet that they are being compared as very similar to Monk Parakeets.

Here are some links from someone else's post on the subject. The interesting part is all the changed proposed in the Meeting Agenda PDF, on page 43 of the PDF, page 40 of the print numbering.

Existing Pennsylvania Code this proposal would amend: (monk parakeets already prohibited)
See - Section 58 - Recreation, Part III - Game Commission, Chapter 137
Browsing the Pennsylvania Code

The Agenda for the 1/27 - 1/29 meeting is at this link:
Pennsylvania Game Commission - State Wildlife Management Agency: Board of Game Commissioners to meet on Jan. 27, 28 and 29

The contact information for the Game Commission is
Pennsylvania Game Commission - State Wildlife Management Agency: Contact Us

[Suesue]

I am trying to find it again I found the one on the Quaker where they are illegal The site is QuakerParrots.com I am still looking for the nanday one

[MrRick]

Meeting of the Minds to Prepare for Jan 27th

We have set up a date and time for our “pre-game” meeting. Our goal is to meet for a few hours and discuss the upcoming meeting with the PA Game Commission re: their proposed ban of the Nanday Conure. We feel it is necessary to meet so that we are prepared to present a united and cohesive front before the Game Commission.

We plan to meet his Thursday, January 24th at 6:30 PM. If you live in the southeast PA region, you are invited and encouraged to attend in person. If you cannot attend in person, we have set up a telephone number for dial-ins. We only have 30 ports available to us, so if you can meet and dial in as small groups, that would be helpful. Also, we ask that you leave the ports available to those who are actually planning to attend the meeting in person in Harrisburg on January 27th.

If you are interested, please send an email to kmwilliams2@comcast.net and Kristygarcia@comcast.net and we will forward the directions or the dial-in number, whichever is appropriate.

There will then be a final meeting in Harrisburg, PA on the morning of 1/27 before the PGC meeting. Details will be sent once the arrangements are finalized. If you are interested in attending this meeting, please email me at president@berkscountybirdclub.com.