Hello FMLers and CA UPDATE folks,
 
So many folks e-mailed me with their support best wishes in the days after I
resigned from the board of directors of the CDFA that I may not have
responded to all my mail (I was in Oregon flyfishing for 5 days following
the announcement-- very beautiful, very cold and very few fish!).  AOL can
only hold on to so many pieces of mail before they are no longer accessible
via normal channels.  Anyway, many of you wanted to know more about the
organization, so here it is:
 
Californians For Ferret Legalization is an umbrella organization dedicated
to seeing that ferrets are legalized in the state of California.  Whether
it's testifying in front of the California State Assembly or Senate policy
committees or making presentations to individual members of the Legislature,
my father and I feel that we are representing everyone that has an interest
in seeing DFG kept to their mandate, wildlife.  We've also met face to face
with other branches of our government in Sacramento, such as the State
Attorney General, as well as members of the press, and animal rights
organizations.  My father has also retained the services of an attorney to
help with litigation efforts.
 
Many of you have offered financial assistance and we encourage your
financial support for our legalization efforts.  Should a new legalization
bill appear before the California State Legislature, Californians For Ferret
Legalization, and all of you, will benefit from the representation of Bob
Naylor, who is one of the most respected lobbyists in Sacramento.  Bob
Naylor served Californians in the Legislature for 12 years.  We also are
fortunate to have media and PR support from Bud Jackson of Jackson
Communications.  Bud was effective in gaining terrific media coverage for
Massachusetts when HB295 was in front of Governor Weld.  In California, Bud
provided excellent coverage of the ferret issue.  Our story was picked up by
National Public Radio, CBS national news and a host of local TV and radio
stations.  Your donations will support both of the nominal fees charged us
by these experts.  We are in the process of setting up the articles of
incorporation and by-laws, which are the essentials of a legitimate
organization.  We are also setting up an independent bank account for the
funds received.  When these tasks are finished, my father and I hope you
will help support the work of our experts mentioned above, and our other
very serious work on your behalf.
 
We also plan to help reach Californians to advise them of critical
opportunities to write or call their local representatives or the Fish and
Game Commission.  If the California Domestic Ferret Association is no longer
involved in legalization, we hope that they see to it that all of the names
of the 4,500-5,000 Californians who are clearly interested in the
legalization effort and who were mailed the last CDFA newsletter are
notified so their voices can be heard at these very critical times.  If CDFA
cannot do so because of their quest for 501(c)3 status, we hope they will
make these names available to either Ferrets Anonymous or Californians For
Ferret Legalization.  We need to reach every Californian we can at the
appropriate time if we expect ferrets to be legalized in California.  Also
on our agenda, and currently in the hands of a professional hired to set up
501(c)3 organizations, is our family foundation dedicated to ferret welfare.
We plan to raise a large endowment, we already have $50,000 pledged in
matching funds, that will be dedicated to educating the public about the
special requirements of the ferret before purchase.  Hopefully such a
brochure, produced in large quantities and made available to interested
clubs and shelters, can help stem the tide of unwanted ferrets that ferret
rescue organizations have coming through their doors.  It will also relieve
them of the burden of producing such a brochure.  We also plan to give to
rescue operations that meet the criteria of our by-laws.  We plan to solicit
input from ferret folks already in rescue, and will look to the
professionals we know in the humane field as a source of useful guidance.
We want to know what works with the public to increase their sense of
responsibility for the little lives in their hands.
 
Dad and I are really excited about both of these organizations and hope you
will support both of them.
 
Sincerly,
 
Jeanne Carley
Coordinator
Californians For Ferret Legalization
[Posted in FML issue 1728]