Bill Nelson wants Everglades snake hunt

Sounds like a Carl Hiaasen plot, but it's for real:

U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson wants a kill-'em-all python hunt in the Everglades this winter. He sent a letter (see jump) today to Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar urging him to allow deputized agents and volunteers into the park to curtail the growing menace.

Setting aside a real problem, we wonder what title you'd give this Hiaasen-like story.

Dear Secretary Salazar: 

As we have discussed, we need to get a grip on pythons invading America's Everglades. Thus, I would offer two things. 

First, I appreciate your input on my bill that would ban the import of Burmese pythons. Many of these dangerous snakes are making their way into the ‘Glades because they are being released by their owners.  My legislation would classify pythons as an injurious animal and would prohibit their import and interstate trade.   

Passage of this bill would put an end to people importing these things. And, I hope we never again would have to see what we saw in Florida three weeks ago: a toddler strangled to death by a pet python. 

Second, when we visited the Everglades recently we heard a variety of ideas for capturing or killing many of the estimated 100,000 or more pythons now roaming the ‘Glades. They are threatening endangered wildlife there -- and, Lord forbid, a visitor in the Everglades ever encounters one. 

One idea seems particularly promising. Some, including Florida Gov. Charlie Crist and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, appear open to an organized hunt. This is not intended in any way to open our national parks to hunting per se. Steps must be taken to protect the Florida panther and other wildlife. 

Instead, the U.S. Park Service, under your direction, would allow for a supervised hunt of pythons by park staff, authorized deputies or agents and volunteers. Given the serious threat from these snakes, I ask that you approve of taking this step. 

Sincerely, 

Bill Nelson

*

Comments

[snakes?]

White Trash Pick Up Day

[Jimbo]

GIT-R-DONE SENATOR!!!

[Rockabilly]

The pythons are an invasive species and should be removed from the Glades. I'm with Senator Nelson on this one.

[Pickle]

Maybe someone should call Butch Calhoun? He could wrangle him some snakes and craft himself some new boots.

[great]

The yahoos will end up doing more damage than good, tromping all over the place in their ATVs and halftracks, and in the end, FWC will end up managing pythons as a recreational resource. Case in point? Feral hogs are incredibly destructive and FWC does a FABULOUS job of making sure we never get a handle on them, because the opp for a dwindling number of hog hunters far outweighs the devastation wrought on native habitats...

[Snakes-not-alive]

The People's Python Possee. Everyone gets a club in this club. No rules is the rule. Go get 'em!

Too, saw another estimate that there may be closer to 150000, not 100000, pythons in the Everglades. The cleanup might take an extra weekend to get all of the pythons.

[Geeeesh,dems cant win.whats wrong with this other then a dem may get credit?]

This is fantastic!!!
I'll put in for a permit and enjoy every minute of it.
I have to say,when the gator permits allowed 6 to be taken by fewer hunters was far better then now when far more permits get to take fewer gators.
Lets go snake huntin'!!!
Good call Bill

[Nag F. Dabbit]

How many thousand of those things are crawling around in this state!!!!?????

[Alice]

Forest Gump (Sen. Nelson) is worried about snakes in Florida and he should be more worried about himself and his fellow democratic snakes in Washington. Not only will every electric bill skyrocket but the cost of just about everything we buy will increase. As the cost of doing business and production increases said costs will be passed along to the consumer. THIS CAP AND TRADE TAX IS A JOB KILLER. Obama and his Chicago gang of democrats own this failing economy now and it shows. The so called stimulus package was nothing more than a package of pork and it is failing as more and more jobs are lost. Obama said if we pass his stumulus package of pork unemployment would max out at 8% and now it's 9.5% and soon to be 10-12% or higher. WE CERTAINLY CAN'T TRUST THEIR NUMBERS. Forest Gump needs to vote no on the Cap & Trade Tax but he will follow orders from Obama and his fellow socialists as usual.

[Space Cadet]

I'm glad this is the most pressing issue the "senior" Senator from the 3rd largest state in the country has to deal with. Incredible.

[Jodie]

Every time this subject comes up, I end up with this mental image of Samuel L. Jackson yelling about how he has had it with these M-F snakes in the M-F Glades.

[bob]

hmmmm....how much more can we put florida further into debt....balance the budget not increase it...

[Dunstock]

This is why we're Floriduuuuh:

Last in Education, FIRST in corruption!!

[Blue Ribbon]

Whoever came up with this issue is a genius in terms of getting Nelson's face in front of cameras. No TV crew will pass this up.

[America]

The pythons, the Senate, the Congress, and the political parties are all an invasive species, and should be removed from the picture completely. I'm with smart people on this one.

[Sandy Roman]

This snake hunt makes me sick. Why is it that every time we get over run with ferrel wildlife the only solution we can come up with is killing them off? We want to do the same thing with the iguana population in S. Florida. whats wrong with mankind? Can't we find a better solution to solve this problem? We have an over run of illegal immigrants in our country yet we don't organize a hunt to destroy them.

[alice]

SEN.NELSON (FOREST DUMP) HOW ABOUT WATCHING THIS SNAKE WHO IS A GOOD BUDDY OF YOURS?

With the public’s trust in his handling of health care tanking (50%-44% of Americans disapprove), the White House has launched a new phase of its strategy designed to pass Obamacare: all Obama, all the time. As part of that effort, Obama hosted a conference call with leftist bloggers urging them to pressure Congress to pass his health plan as soon as possible.

During the call, a blogger from Maine said he kept running into an Investors Business Daily article that claimed Section 102 of the House health legislation would outlaw private insurance. He asked: “Is this true? Will people be able to keep their insurance and will insurers be able to write new policies even though H.R. 3200 is passed?” President Obama replied: “You know, I have to say that I am not familiar with the provision you are talking about.” (quote begins at 17:10)

This is a truly disturbing admission by the President, especially considering that later in the call, Obama promises yet again: “If you have health insurance, and you like it, and you have a doctor that you like, then you can keep it. Period.” How can Obama keep making this promise if he is not familiar with the health legislation that is being written in Congress? Details matter.

[Andrew]

i just want to know where to sign up, seriously. i'd love to go down there with my airboat and kill some snakes

[John Spurlock]

Sandy roman has a great idea!

"We have an over run of illegal immigrants in our country, yet we don't organize a hunt to destroy them."

What a great plan! Just like ferrel wildlife, illegal aliens spread disease and harm the local environment and economy. Here in Texas, illegal aliens have even started killing Sheriff's Deputies, gunning them down with automatic weapons.

Pythons or wetbacks, maybe it's time we shot ALL the dangerous snakes that have snuck into this country.

[C Fike]

Pythons or wetbacks, maybe it's time we shot ALL the dangerous snakes that have snuck into this country.

LOL I love it.

[Shiva]

Snakes are the oldest species on mother planet earth and occupies deep pockets of the earth. One should not interfere with the environment by calling oneself environmentalist. Let's not try to control the population of each and every specy on the planet as we are not the god.

[Shiva]

Sandy, you raise a very valid point and all environmentalist and wild life protectionist should consider other options before killing any animal. If one animal eats another animal for survival, it's nature, it doesn't mean human should kill them unless they want to eat them for their own good, which will be very stupid!

[Just Sayin]

While we are discussing what to do with dangerous reptiles; what can we do about the ever-growing Marxist threat from within?