Tuesday, September 14, 2010

The only endangered species involved in this outrage are members of Thuggus Federalus who are stretching the law to harrass hunters.


The Lacey Act, 16 U.S.C. §§ 3371-3378, protects both plants and wildlife by creating civil and criminal penalties for a wide array of violations. Most notably, the Act prohibits trade in wildlife, fish, and plants that have been illegally taken, possessed, transported or sold. Thus, the Act underscores other federal, state, and foreign laws protecting wildlife by making it a separate offense to take, possess, transport, or sell wildlife that has been taken in violation of those laws. The Act prohibits the falsification of documents for most shipments of wildlife (a criminal penalty) and prohibits the failure to mark wildlife shipments (civil penalty). The Lacey Act is administered by the Departments of the Interior, Commerce, and Agriculture through their respective agencies. These include the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Marine Fisheries Service, and Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.

The Lacey Act was first introduced by Iowa Congressman John Lacey in the House of Representatives in the spring of 1900. It was signed into law by President William McKinley on May 25, 1900. The original Act was directed more at the preservation of game and wild birds by making it a federal crime to poach game in one state with the purpose of selling the bounty in another. It was also concerned with the potential problems of the introduction of non-native, or exotic species of birds and animals into native ecosystems. Finally, it sought to buttress state laws already in existence for the protection of game and birds.

The Lacey Act has been amended several times since its inception in 1900. The most significant ones occurred in 1969, 1981, and 1988. The 1969 amendments expanded to include amphibians, reptiles, mollusks, and crustaceans. The maximum penalty was increased to $10,000 with possible imprisonment for one year. Additionally, the mental state required for a criminal violation was increased to "knowingly and willfully;" civil penalties were expanded to apply to negligent violations. -- Lacey Act Overview.


Feds target 60 hunters in Kansas hunting probe.

Poor pragmatic Fudds. So willing to throw us evil black rifle folks under the Federal bus, so vulnerable to the same kinds of outrages.

11 comments:

sofa said...

Sad that citizens are subjected to a long train of abuses.

We know the names of the victims. Do we know the names of the petty tyrannts, prosecutors, field agents?

j3maccabee said...

One alter-ego posted the following:


blighted karma / second ago

Maybe they will build a Deer Mosque on the site ;o) The send the fed ayholes to Hunter Sensitivity Classes so that they can learn that shooting things you can eat is a long standing tradition - although admittedly, the feds won't get as big of a hard-on at the thought of killing deer, as they do reminiscing about Waco or Ruby Ridge.

And as long as we are pondering the imponderable, maybe Wayne LaTrine of the NRA will do semething seriously meaningful, like speaking a firm word, or offering a special deal on the new Bobblehead Doll showing him and Harry Reid tongue kissing. Hubba hubba!!!

Anonymous said...

Our Royal Masters are on the verge of reenacting the Reign of Terror on themselves. I wonder which will be the spark unleash the Furies on utterly unsuspecting and clueless (and clearly second rate) would-be tyrants?

Defender said...

Nothing less than federal terrorism.
Do you know the law? ALL of them, even if it's not your state and you have a guide? Is that even possible? How about "interpretations"?
About 20 years ago I read about American Indians -- pedigreed members of recognized tribes -- going to prison for using shed eagle feathers they FOUND in ceremonial tools. Possession without a federal permit is a felony. The feds have only YOUR WORD that you didn't kill an endangered eagle for them. A nation of suspects.
We knew they'd cast the net wider.

Pat H. said...

It would appear that the US government hasn't thought this through, not surprising since they've yet to be taught a single lesson.

It seems to me that US Fish & Wildlife officers, US Forest Service officers, BLM thugs, and the like travel alone and out in the rural areas.

There are lots of dangers out there in the wild, lots of dangers.

Anything can happen.

Anonymous said...

the Lacey Act is one of the most egregious laws ever passed IMO.
"The Lacey Act also makes it unlawful to import, export, transport, sell, receive, acquire, or purchase in interstate or foreign commerce any plant (or wildlife) in violation of the laws of the United States, a State, an Indian tribe, or any foreign law that protects plants."

up to date on the latest foreign and tribal laws? How about the laws of ALL the states?

Bill O' Rites said...

"Poor pragmatic Fudds. So willing to throw us evil black rifle folks under the Federal bus, so vulnerable to the same kinds of outrages. "

Whoa!
That's an uncalled for generalisation Mike.
I come across to hunt in the US every year & those I hunt with are ALL ardent defenders of the Right to keep EBR's & all have a LOT of them too. In fact I visit in the Spring too - spending time with these same people & shooting said EBR's as much as I can.
Don't tar all hunters with the Fudd brush because only a small number are of that mindset IMO.

Anonymous said...

Whaaat! Can we not hunt deer upon our own lands, the lands of the people?
- Robin Hood

TPaine said...

Hey! Yeah, you! How'd ya like to buy an endangered muskrat? How about a rare albino wallaby! A baby bottlenosed dolphin, perhaps? We can make a deal, just don't let the feds find out. Got encryption?

Kansas Scout said...

I am disappointed that you would take up the side of game law offenders as somehow being harassed by the Feds. I am glad the Gov. enforces the game laws. This is a good thing government does. Yes, good. Simply being against everything just makes you look....well, you know. With the WRSA saying that Lincoln is "Lenin" and your saying enforcing game laws is harassment, I am just pretty much gone.

Dedicated_Dad said...

kansas,

Apparently you missed the point again...

Last year (IIRC) this same state spent large sums paying "sharpshooters" (read: overpriced cops on OT) to kill deer by the thousands.

These guys kill a dozen - on their land - and their looking at a decade or more in federal PMITA prison.

DOES THIS MAKE SENSE?

Hint: NO!

DD