Georgia Legislature Rushes to Regulate Reptiles; Hasty Move Could Cost Jobs

/PRNewswire/ -- Senate Bill 303, a bill that seeks to regulate the ownership and trade of certain reptiles is being rushed through committee. The bill introduced by Senator Douglas (District 17) would require a cost prohibitive permit system and micro chipping provision that could put reptile farmers out of business and take away the ability of people to own animals that are currently legal to own in Georgia. Penalties for violations of the statute could bring fines of up to $1000 and a year in jail.

Herpetoculture is a non traditional agricultural pursuit that represents a $3 Billion trade in the United States. Similar legislation at the federal level, although pushed aggressively by the Animal Rights Industry, has stalled do to severe impacts to small business and poor quality of underlying science being used as justification to shut down trade. The US Chamber of Commerce opposes the federal proposal citing, "this legislation would adversely impact tens of thousands of businesses". A group of top scientists from University of Florida, Georgia Southwestern State, The National Geographic Society commented in regards to "evidence" being used to condemn the industry, "It is a misrepresentation to call the document 'scientific,'" and further stated, "As written, this document is not suitable as the basis for legislative or regulatory policies."

The United States Association of Reptile Keepers, a reptile industry advocate, suggests a more balanced approach such as the law just recently passed in NC requiring caging standards and escape prevention protocols. Andrew Wyatt, President of USARK, insists that what is being proposed in GA will not add any level of secure containment. Wyatt says, "the bill we wrote and helped pass in NC addresses specific concerns with secure containment, safety and escape prevention that are not addressed in S303. Additionally it costs nothing and does not require state Dept of Natural Resources to administer. It is written into criminal statute." The USARK proposal actually provides a framework of best industry management standards that protects the public and the environment while allowing responsible ownership and trade to continue.

Georgia bill S303 will go to hearing for the second time before the Senate Natural Resources Committee on Wednesday, February 3rd at 2pm in the State Capitol.

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SBA Opens Business Recovery Center in Douglasville

(BUSINESS WIRE)--The U.S. Small Business Administration announced yesterday that it will open a Business Recovery Center to help businesses impacted by the severe storms and flooding in Georgia that began on September 18, 2009. The Center opens at the Douglas County Chamber of Commerce on Monday, October 5, at 9 a.m.

The disaster declaration covers Bartow, Carroll, Catoosa, Chattooga, Cherokee, Cobb, Coweta, DeKalb, Douglas, Fulton, Gwinnett, Heard, Newton, Paulding, Rockdale, Stephens and Walker in the state of Georgia which are eligible for both Physical and Economic Injury Disaster Loans from the SBA.

Small businesses and most private non-profit organizations in the following adjacent counties are eligible to apply only for SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loans: Banks, Barrow, Butts, Clayton, Dade, Dawson, Fayette, Floyd, Forsyth, Franklin, Gordon, Habersham, Hall, Haralson, Henry, Jackson, Jasper, Meriwether, Morgan, Pickens, Polk, Spalding, Troup, Walton and Whitfield in the state of Georgia; the counties of Cherokee, Cleburne, DeKalb and Randolph in the state of Alabama; the county of Oconee in the state of South Carolina; and the county of Hamilton in the state of Tennessee.

Businesses and non-profit organizations of any size may borrow up to $2 million for physical losses. For small businesses, and most private non-profit organizations of all sizes, the SBA offers Economic Injury Disaster Loans to help meet working capital needs caused by the disaster. Economic Injury Disaster Loan assistance is available regardless of whether the business suffered any physical property damage.

Interest rates are as low as 4 percent for businesses, with terms up to 30 years. The SBA sets loan amounts and terms based on each applicant’s financial condition.

SBA’s representatives will be on hand at the Business Recovery Center to issue loan applications, answer questions about the disaster loan program, explain the application process and help individuals complete their applications. The Business Recovery Center will be located in the following community and will open as indicated below:

Douglas County Chamber of Commerce
6658 Church Street
Douglasville, GA 30134

Opens: Monday, October 5 at 9 a.m.

Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday – Friday, until further notice

Disaster loan information and application forms may be obtained by calling the SBA’s Disaster Assistance Customer Service Center at 1-800-659-2955 (1-800-877-8339 for the hearing impaired), Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. EDT, or by sending an email to disastercustomerservice@sba.gov. Business loan applications can also be downloaded from the SBA Web site at www.sba.gov/services/disasterassistance. Completed applications should be returned the Center or mailed to: U.S. Small Business Administration, Processing and Disbursement Center, 14925 Kingsport Road, Fort Worth, TX 76155. Businesses may apply for disaster loans from SBA’s secure Web site at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela/.

The filing deadline to return applications for physical property damage is November 23, 2009. The deadline to return economic injury applications is June 24, 2010.

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Governor Perdue Issues State of Emergency for 17 Georgia Counties

Late this afternoon, after viewing storm damage in Douglas and Paulding counties from the air, Governor Sonny Perdue issued an executive order declaring a state of emergency in 17 counties affected by heavy rain and severe weather that passed through Georgia. The counties are Carroll, Catoosa, Chattooga, Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, Crawford, DeKalb, Douglas, Forsyth, Fulton, Gwinnett, Newton, Paulding, Rockdale, Stephens and Walker counties.

“Mary and I are saddened by the human cost the recent storms have wrought,” said Governor Sonny Perdue. “We are currently focused on rescuing victims of the storms targeting Georgia and preventing further damage. State personnel and equipment are being deployed to assist effected communities. The Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA) is coordinating our response and managing the State Operations Center, the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and Environmental Protection Division (EPD) are deploying boats, high-water vehicles, and testing water. Other state agencies are deploying manpower and additional resources.”
State agency responses include:

Georgia Forestry Commission- Manpower and debris clearance, water tanker for Douglas County Hospital, water tender strike teams for structural fire support

Georgia State Patrol - Law enforcement for traffic control, road closures, helicopters

Department of Transportation - Road closure signs, bridge inspection, detours

Department of Human Services- Hospital coordination, shelter coordination, boil water advisories

Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Division- Boats, high water vehicles, manpower, water rescue, dam inspections, haz mat spill assistance, water testing
Department of Agriculture- Large animal evacuations and pet sheltering

Georgia Emergency Management Agency - Response coordination, running State Operations Center, damage reports, public information, situation reports, resource coordination, field response

“The Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA) will work with state agencies, utility companies and volunteer organizations to coordinate disaster response and recovery activities and serve our citizens,” said GEMA Director Charley English.

GEMA is the lead state agency for coordination of emergency and disaster response activities. For more emergency information, visit GEMA's Web site at www.gema.ga.gov. To learn how to prepare for disaster, visit www.ready.ga.gov.
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Georgia’s Uninsured Rate Holds Steady but Employer Coverage Loses Ground

Georgia’s Uninsured Rate Holds Steady but Employer Coverage Loses Ground

Georgia has the sixth highest number of residents without health insurance in the United States and ranks 11th in its percentage of the population lacking coverage, according to a new report from the Georgia Health Policy Center and the Center for Health Services Research at Georgia State University. In 2007, about 18 percent of all Georgians and 20 percent of those under age 65 (approximately 1.66 million people) were without health insurance — roughly the same number reported in 2005 and 2006 but higher than the national average of 15 percent (45.7 million Americans).

Nationally, the number of uninsured Americans decreased from 46.9 million in 2006 to 45.6 million in 2007 while Georgia’s number of uninsured remained constant.

The report is a combination of data from the U.S. Census Current Population Survey (CPS) and an independent Georgia Population Survey of more than 15,800 people commissioned by the Georgia Department of Community Health. The Georgia Population Survey was conducted between February and April 2008.

Though the overall number of uninsured Georgians remains relatively unchanged over the past few years, the share of the population with employer-based private insurance has declined over the past eight years while the share with publicly funded health plans (Medicaid, PeachCare) has edged upward. Between 2000 and 2007, the percentage of Georgians with private health insurance coverage dropped by about eight percentage points. And from 2000-'06, the percentage of uninsured non-elderly Georgians rose from 16 percent to 20 percent. All Georgians 65 or over are eligible for Medicaid and are therefore not included in the report.

Unemployment or employment with a small firm increases an individual’s likelihood of being uninsured. According to the report, roughly half of Georgia’s uninsured live in a family headed by someone who works for a small business with fewer than 100 employees.

And while the majority of Georgians have private insurance through companies large enough to provide it, the economic slowdown could leave thousands without coverage. More than 90 percent of Georgians with private health insurance have employer-based health plans, the report finds.

“When people lose their jobs, they lose their coverage,” said Bill Custer, director of the Center for Health Services Research in the J. Mack Robinson College of Business at Georgia State. “And throughout economic downturns, more people move into poverty, putting added strain on sources of public health coverage.”

According to the report, only one in five individuals living below poverty have private insurance and nearly 38 percent are uninsured.

In addition to employees of small businesses and those in poverty, other groups at particular risk for being uninsured include those in families headed by a part-time or part-year worker and young adults between the ages of 18 and 24, according to the report. And while those aged 45 to 65 were once the least likely to be uninsured, they’re the only age group to see an increase in the percentage of uninsured over the past two years.

Georgia’s men are also at risk – they’re more likely than women to go without coverage, but women are more likely than men to have public coverage.

Those surveyed who were without health coverage were also more likely to report being in poor health, increasing their likelihood of needing emergency care in the near future, Custer said.

As in past years, residents of Georgia’s rural areas, who are more likely to have low incomes and work for small firms, were also found to be more likely to lack health insurance than those living in urban/suburban areas. When grouped by public health district, about 22 percent of residents in Southeast and South Central Georgia health districts are uninsured; 21 percent in Southwest Georgia; 20 percent in North Georgia; and 19 percent in West Central, Northwest and Northeast Georgia districts.

By contrast, metro Atlanta has a significantly lower percentage of uninsured (though greater in its total number of uninsured due to its larger population). Only 12 percent of residents in the East Metro Georgia health district (including Gwinnett) are uninsured, 13 percent in Fulton, and 15 percent in the Cobb-Douglas and DeKalb districts. The only exception, according to the report, was Clayton County, in which 24 percent of residents are uninsured.

“Georgia’s relatively high rank nationally for uninsured residents has several causes,” said Patricia Ketsche, an associate professor in the Robinson College of Business. “We have a large rural population and rural workers are more likely to be employed at small firms. Rural residents usually have fewer options for employment and for coverage. And although parts of metro Atlanta have high coverage rates, there are other areas where a large number of families live at or near poverty.”

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The Wild Side of Georgia Tech

In a community where greater enrollment is often the goal, several members of the Tech community are concerned with keeping their numbers at a status quo.

Construction project manager Steven Johnson and utilities analyst Susan Wardrope work to keep feral cats on campus at a sustainable level, all while preventing more from moving in. Together with a network of campus participants, the group works on its own time—and in most cases, its own dime—to alter, monitor and feed these felines.

A part of Auxiliary Services during his “day” job, Johnson instills the practice of Trap, Neuter and Release (TNR), which works to equalize rather than eliminate feral cat populations. When animal control officers capture these cats, euthanasia is the typical result, as they are well past the age of human socialization. In doing this, a vacuum is created wherein other feral cats will just move into the area, continuing the cycle.

However, the central TNR theory is that a controlled community of altered cats aids in maintaining area populations and keeping more feral cats from moving in.

“The best advantages to having them altered is that they start to concentrate around the feeding stations, and they don’t have any urge to mate,” Wardrope said. “They have their food, their sleeping place and their area that they’re familiar with.”

“They defend their territory, keeping other cats from moving into the area, which stabilizes the population,” Johnson said. “An unaltered male will travel up to three miles. An altered cat will only travel about 300 meters.”

The program at Tech started in 1996. “We’d get reports of cats in the area,” said Johnson, who added he discovered students and employees were leaving food for the animals.

He said they counted 19 adult and juvenile cats on East Campus in those early days. In the first full feral cat census for the Institute, Johnson said they easily counted 179 cats in late 1998—32 in one colony that lived in the president’s glade. (Today, Johnson says, that colony is down to three occasional visitors.) Now, as far as Johnson and his group can tell, about 34 cats call Tech home, including only two or three unaltered females—which Johnson says he is still trying to trap.

According to the duo, 30 to 35 cats on campus is very sustainable. Each feeding station has enough of a colony for one dominant male and one dominant female that protect the territory. This “territorial management practice” leads to a fairly accurate understanding of where overlap between the colonies exists.

Johnson and Wardrope work to answer the call—literally—if someone reports a cat on campus. “I’ll go out that night, see if it’s a new cat or one of our own,” Johnson said. “If it’s a new cat, I’ll try to stake it out and see where it’s going—to established food stations or somewhere else.” Sometimes, Johnson said, people who don’t know about the campus program put a food dish outside of a building for any “strays” they see.

If it is determined that a sighted cat is a new “resident,” Johnson traps it—an undertaking that may require several hours of waiting. (“I know all the third-shift police officers by name.”) He keeps the caged animal in his garage overnight and then carries it to the vet the next morning. The cats are neutered or spayed, vaccinated—many for the first time—and dosed with flea control medication. Males are released the following day after surgery. Females are released three days later. For captured kittens, Johnson either finds adoptive families or takes them to no-kill shelters after they are socialized.

“Without a feeding program to localize a colony, you’ll continue to have mangy-looking cats that are more susceptible to diseases and other vectors that they can catch.” But, in what could be seen as a disadvantage in the program, unaltered females tend to have larger litters because of the better nutrition. “When we first started, cats were giving birth to four, where only 50 percent survived. Now they can give birth to a litter of nine, and seven will survive,” he said.

One challenge Johnson and Wardrope have noticed is well-wishers often will leave food out, which aids in diluting established feeding stations. “We leave a note and let them know,” he said. “We’re trying to get the word out that there is a good program—just by going from 179 to 34 cats shows it’s working.”

But Johnson and Wardrope are by no means acting alone. Roughly 30 people are on his e-mail list, Johnson said, and about six handle the campus-wide feeding stations. Johnson himself handles the heavy lifting: tracking the cats’ movements and trapping them.

“We just started doing this out-of-pocket,” Johnson said. Through the e-mail network, however, people donated food and money for surgeries beyond spaying and neutering.

The duo’s efforts have led to collaborations outside the Institute. When Fulton County’s Animal Control units respond to an on-campus call, Johnson receives a courtesy call if it’s a cat issue. This in turn has expanded his TNR efforts, establishing partnerships with Fulton, Cobb, Douglas and DeKalb counties.

“It’s a quid pro quo,” he says. “Fulton County has the Fix ‘Em Free program. When they found out we were running this initiative at Tech, they offered us use of this program. In exchange, when they have reports of a feral colony somewhere, I’m available to go out and talk to people [about TNR].”

In assisting with feral cat colonies in off-campus communities, Johnson explains the Trap, Neuter and Return philosophy, letting people know the usual fate of a feral animal taken to a shelter. “Once people learn about the program, and Steve offers to take [the cats] in to have them altered and vaccinated, they usually have no problem throwing food out for them,” Wardrope said.

“I volunteer to support both the Fulton County Animal Services and Catlanta, a local organization that is basically the feral cat coordinator of the Lifeline Animal Project.” Catlanta recently received a grant to aid in the spaying and neutering of feral cats within the area. It’s a supplement to what Fulton County currently provides, and the group is now in negotiations with DeKalb County to create a similar “Fix ‘Em Free” program.

“We’ll help get them spayed or neutered, all of them are vaccinated for rabies [and] they can receive additional vaccinations, if requested,” Johnson said, adding that almost all counties have a low-cost program that supplements the cost of altering a cat or dog. “I mainly concentrate on the feral cats, and I’ll go out and do the assessment—is it just a backyard colony; or an abandoned cat colony that’s gone feral. Then I’ll report to the agency that’s going to sponsor it—Catlanta [or] Southern Hope.”

And evidence points to TNR reducing the load on animal shelters. Excepting a spike due to foreclosure increases, Johnson said, Fulton County has noticed a marked reduction in the amount of feral cats brought to the shelter.

According to Johnson, Atlanta-area programs have attracted the attention of several national organizations, including the Humane Society of the United States and Alley Cat Allies (which fights for TNR protocols nationwide). “We haven’t gotten our city commissions to enact ordinances yet, but we’re working toward that.”

Some organizations, however, oppose the principles of TNR, including People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), The Wildlife Society and the American Bird Conservancy. PETA states on its Web site: “Because of the huge number of feral cats and the severe shortage of good homes, the difficulty of socialization, and the dangers lurking where most feral cats live, it may be necessary—and the most compassionate choice—to euthanize feral cats. ... If you leave them where they are, they will almost certainly die a painful death. A painless injection is far kinder than any fate that feral cats will meet if they are left to survive on their own.”

Johnson doesn’t see it that way.

“In a managed colony, human caretakers have just made portions of [the cats’] lives easier by removing the stress of producing multiple litters,” he said. “By offering a tended food station, caretakers provide a steady supplemental food source, which also permits the cats to be observed for injuries and, when necessary, to be trapped for treatment. A minority of cats specialize in bird hunting as opposed to rodent hunting,” Johnson concedes. “But rodents are still the main natural prey species of outdoor cats. Just because one might kill a chipmunk or Carolina wren does not mean they, as a species living within a habitat, deserve to be exterminated.”

Overall, Johnson and Wardrope are trying to get the feral cat management plan under way in the metro area, and then slowly branch out to the outlying counties. And he’s been reaching out to other University System of Georgia units.

But as for Tech, the next steps for the program include establishing the Library and Information Center’s feeding station and then moving further north on campus to the Howey building and the College of Computing. “We’ve gotten reports from the building manager, as well as from the College of Computing, that they’ve seen cats in the area. We’re trying to identify where would be the best place to establish a feeding station.”