Below are remarks from the California Waterfowl Association's website. They have always been present to argue against ferret legalization and amnesty. They also have a guest book. Please read the below and post your comments on their guest book: http://pub.alxnet.com/guestbook?id=1088519%20 SB 89 (Alpert) - Legalization of Ferrets - Oppose The pro-ferret camp has again convinced a state legislator to introduce a bill that would legalize ferrets in California. Senator Dede Alpert (D-San Diego) has authored SB 89, which would deem that any person who owns a domestic ferret on or after July 30, 2004 owns that ferret legally if the owner of the ferret is able to produce (1) a license from the Department of Fish and Game (DFG) and from the county in which that person resides, (2) documentation that the ferret has been vaccinated for rabies, and (3) a certificate of spay or neuter issued by a licensed veterinarian. The bill would also require (1) the University of California to complete an environmental impact report (EIR) regarding the effect of ferret ownership on the environment and (2) the California Fish and Game Commission, on or before October of 2005, to hold a hearing on whether to remove ferrets from the list of prohibited species. Finally, SB 89 would effectively prohibit DFG and the Commission from enforcing any anti-ferret related statute or regulation after January 1, 2004, thereby neglecting the both the bill's required EIR and any relevant scientific information on this subject. Because of the likelihood that feral populations of ferrets and other weasels would significantly impact ground-nesting birds in California (as has occurred in New Zealand and Hawaii, for instance), CWA will continue to fight any ferret legalization effort, particularly those like SB 89 which do not provide for a legitimate environmental review and commission process. Unfortunately, this time around the Chairs of both the Senate Appropriations Committee and Natural Resources and Wildlife Committee have joined the pro-ferret camp, thus making it very likely that SB 89 will easily make it to the Assembly. [Posted in FML issue 4143]