[Moderator's note: This letter was sent to the FML by a California
"outlaw" as a suggested starting place for people who would like to
write letters to CA F&G.  While you can pretty much use it as-is, it
would likely work better if you use it as a guide for developing your
own text.  The poster commented to me: "We don't want the commissioners
getting "form" letters as these are discounted."  BIG]
 
 
Hope everyone out there lurking on the FML will take a few minutes to write
a letter that definitely will help the situation here.  The Commission has
no email at this point (how convienient for them!) but after FLMers snail
mail they can email a copy to Governor Grey Davis and make a point of
telling him that they will not vacation in, go to school in, or work within
California until this rediculous law is changed.  Remember to BE POLITE
tho!
 
Gov Gray Davis can be reached at [log in to unmask]
 
Should folks want to contact the F&G Commission by phone to request the fx
number please contact them at 916.653.7664 or 4899 (one may be the fx but
the irritating tone will tell!)
 
Your address here (of course you can go anon if you live in CA but tell
them why!)
 
 
March 2, 2000
 
State of California
Resources Agency
Fish and Game Commission
Hon. Richard T. Thieriot, President
Hon. Michael Chrisman, Vice President
Hon. Mr. Schuchat
1416 9th St.
Sacramento CA 94244-4899
 
 
Dear Honorable Commissioners,
 
I am writing to you as a concerned citizen.  I wish this communication to
stand as my official comment and to have it included/read into the record
at or immediately after the April 6th Commission meeting in Sacramento.
I wish to comment on the proposal to begin the process to de-list the
DOMESTIC ferret (Mustela putorius furo) from the State of California's
restricted wildlife list.
 
During the Commission proceedings in Sacramento you will hear impassioned,
sincere and truthful testimony from the many supporters of the de-listing
process.  These include the Californians for Ferret Legalization, the
Golden State Ferret Assoc., Ferrets Anon as well as individual zoologists
and pet owners.  You may also hear from the California Dept of Fish and
Game, National Audubon Society, Sierra Club, California Farm Bureau and
other environmental organizations that do not wish this to occur.  Having
reviewed a majority of available information on the subject as it would
apply to California, its citizens and its environment.  I have concluded
that there is no RATIONAL or SCIENTIFIC reason to preclude the DOMESTIC
ferrets de-listing from California's restricted wildlife list.  It is
apparent that the information disseminated by the F&G to the national/state
environmental organizations has mislead those organizations into believing
(and hence strongly lobbying for that position) that de-listing the
DOMESTIC ferret will harm California's wildlife, human health, agriculture
and economy.  Nothing could be further from the truth.
 
I have followed the various attempts to legitimize this friendly, mild
mannered companion animal for over __ years and have come to the conclusion
that the State Dept.  of Fish and Game has reacted to the reasonable
request by citizens to own the companion animal of their choice; a
companion animal that is far safer, mind you, to the environment than
either the dog or cat, with what appears to be hysterical malice
aforethought.
 
This last statement about the DOMESTIC ferret and the environment is
further reinforced by a nationwide survey conducted by F&G (at taxpayer
expense?) which concluded that there is absolutely no threat to endangered
or native wildlife, agriculture or human health.  Currently DOMESTIC
ferrets are illegal to possess only in California and Hawaii.  They are
legal in every other continental U.S.  state as well as Canada and Mexico
(the F&G survey would try and make the reader believe that as many as 5-6
states make possession illegal, which is absolutely FALSE).
 
As far as California, let me sum up the status of the DOMESTIC ferret as
I understand it:
 
***** It is considered DOMESTICATED by definition as documented by great
institutions such as the Smithsonian National Museum and the American
Museum of Natural History, as well as over 150 other great
institutions/scientists.  There are also many publications/literature cites
by noted mammalogists both here and abroad that support that taxonomic
opinion.  I would refer you to Robert Church, Univ. of Missouri and Dr.
Carolyn King, who has written what is perhaps the most definitive
literature on the genus Mustelaliterature which according to Ms. King has
been misquoted or taken out of context by California F&G biologists in
their own web-site in order to discredit the legalization effort for the
DOMESTIC ferret here.  This is a tactic that surely does not build trust
and/or credibility for the agency and its web-site on DOMESTIC ferrets.
 
***** The DOMESTIC ferret is not a threat to human health, and is far less
likely to bite than dogs, cats, guinea pigs and hamsters.  National humane
organizations such as the HSUS now support the legalization of the DOMESTIC
ferret so that it can be humanely treated for diseases, spayed/neutered and
vaccinated for rabies/distemper.  It is my understanding that the new
national Rabies compendium lists DOMESTIC ferret standards and that that
document has been accepted by the State of California's Dept. of Human
Health.
 
***** The DOMESTIC ferret is not a threat to California agriculture.
Poultry are for the most part pen/cage raised inside buildings.
"free-range" ranchers have also gone on record as it being a non-issue.
California egg producers have indicated the same.  This ploy is just what
it appears to be!  A Smoke and mirrors attempt to create a problem where
none exists.  Refer again to the F&G's own nationwide survey concerning the
DOMESTIC ferret.  I am sure it has been included in your briefing package.
You will find that not one state has responded in a negative manner
concerning predation on livestock by the DOMESTIC FERRET.  So one must ask
why the state office of the California Farm Bureau continues to lobby
against the de-listing.  Could it be political?  It must be, because it
is not grounded in truth or peer reviewed science.  I must ask you not to
succumb to the political whims of lobbyists representing multi million
dollar organizations such as the National Audubon Society, Sierra Club or
the California Farm Bureau.
 
***** The DOMESTIC Ferret is not a threat to native California wildlife,
as some of the waterfowl associations would lead you to believe.  Again,
you must refer to the F&G survey of the other continental U.S. states.
Again you will find that there is no real problem.  Could this be because
there are NO DOCUMENTED FERAL ferret populations anywhere in the U.S.?
Certainly, in the hundred plus years that Domestic ferrets have been
documented in this country (including California) there have been no
reported losses of native wildlife anywhere in the continental states, and
this includes Alaska.  Waterfowl in California are far more at risk from
loss of habitat, urbanization, pollution, feral CATS and poaching than from
the F&G/U.C.  Davis manufactured risk that has been sold to the waterfowl
associations.  A reasonable, educated person who reviews F&G's own
aforementioned survey would have to conclude the same.
 
***** The DOMESTIC ferret has not and cannot establish feral populations in
California.  The DOMESTIC ferret is here in great numbers and has been for
over a hundred years.  The U.S. Dept of Agriculture even promoted ferret
husbandry during the early part of the 1900s.  Are there any references to
feral populations then?  My search has yielded none.  References to their
existence here go back to the sailing days, as they were used as "ratters"
on sailing vessels.  Did they escape captivity?  Most certainly!  Did they
establish feral populations?  Not any that have been documented, and again
this is re-enforced by F&G's own survey of the other states.  In short,
where's the beef?
 
The only population of DOMESTIC ferrets in the U.S. (notice I do NOT say
feral) referenced as living in a wild state was a result of INTENTIONAL
INTRODUCTION done by the Washington State Dept of Game and Fish.  This to
try to control a population explosion of European Hares on San Juan Island
(Puget Sound).  The program, despite intentional and repeated introduction
of thousands of ferrets into a island ecology, FAILED.  Even in a
specialized island environment with a relatively mild climate (much like
coastal northern California), the DOMESTICATED ferret could not survive to
reproduce and form a feral population.  By the way, the European Hare IS
still present on the island and continues to contribute to environmental
damage.
 
Do some DOMESTIC ferrets escape their owners?  Of course they do.  Some
pets escapethat is not the issue.  Given the amount of time that the
DOMESTIC ferret has been here in California, it appears to me that the
animal HAS NOT, DOES NOT AND WILL NOT HAVE THE ABILITY TO ESTABLISH A FERAL
POPULATION.  This is again borne out by the F&G survey of the other states,
where it surely would have occurred and been noticed.  Suffice to say, it
appears that this DOMESTICATED companion animal cannot live long enough in
the wild to create a feral population, let alone displace a native one.  In
my __ plus years in this great state, I have visited many of the major life
zones from sea level marshes and riparian areas to deserts as well as the
highest alpine zones.  I HAVE NEVER SEEN ANY SIGN OF DOMESTIC FERRETS
ANYWHERE, feral or otherwise.
 
***** The DOMESTIC ferret will NOT damage California's economy.  On the
contrary the ferret supply trade brings a substantial amount of revenue/tax
dollars into the state.  There is an active, open trade for DOMESTIC ferret
supplies/toys/publications/etc.  and they are available in virtually every
K-Mart, Wal Mart, PetSmart and Petco in the state.  Whole aisles are
devoted specifically to DOMESTIC ferret products.  In addition, these same
supplies are also available in most local feed stores and in most local pet
stores, with more becoming available as the popularity of the DOMESTIC
ferret increases.  Also note that the number of licensed vets who agree to
see and treat the DOMESTIC ferret increases with each passing year.
 
                    Summary
 
The DOMESTIC ferret is not a threat to California's native wildlife, human
health, agriculture or economy.
 
I would say that there has been an intentional campaign to keep the
DOMESTIC ferret on the states' restricted WILDLIFE list.  This is a
ludicrous policy.  DOMESTIC animals fall under private property clauses
guaranteed by the constitution and as such are best managed/administered
by local animal control agencies.  Fish and Game needs to concentrate on
managing the WILDLIFE and not on wasting taxpayers dollars chasing a
manufactured problem!
 
The application of the current regulation makes common criminals out of
thousands of honest, taxpaying California citizens and has resulted in the
confiscation and DESTRUCTION of beloved pets.  I would ask you how it would
feel to you if F&G/law enforcement came to your front door with a warrant
and confiscated your prized, loved Golden Retriever and then had it
destroyed.  Heavy fines and even jail sentences have been levied to those
who have resisted.  And this for no reason other than an archaic regulation
that has, beyond all imagination, somehow managed to remain on the books.
 
The questionable science generated in F&G's quest to deny private ownership
of this friendly, mild mannered DOMESTICATED pet damages the agencies
ability to present fair and impartial assessments related to wildlife
issues.  There is NO JUSTIFICATION for their position on the matter of
DOMESTIC ferrets.
 
I understand that you have been delegated the authority to determine
whether the Domestic ferret is commonly domesticated.  Given the above, I
would say that this is indeed the case.  You must act immediately to change
the arbitrary and capricious manner in which the F&G agency has acted.
Please do the right thing and begin the process to de-list the DOMESTIC
ferret.  F&G may then return to their chartered duties to protect and
enhance wildlife in this great state.
 
Thank you for providing this opportunity for comment.
 
Your name here
 
 
cc:  Mr. Robert Treanor (same address as Commission)
[Posted in FML issue 2978]