The First Annual Reptile and Amphibian Law Symposium and Workshop in Houston, Texas, Sept. 28-30 continues to gain momentum as the date for the event draws closer. Panelists from the United States Fish & Wildlife Service as well as the Food & Drug Administration, Centers for Disease Control, and other agencies have signed on, as have reptile industry leaders such as Robroy McInness of Glades Herp Farms Inc., Mark Cantos of the Florida Reptile Industry, and Ty Park of Ty's Lizards.

To ensure representation from a wide a variety of stakeholders, a wide net was cast in the outreach for panelists for the event, which is the first of its kind. Panelist invitations were sent to more than 70 state and federal agencies, as well as dozens of private organizations, including those as diverse as Defenders of Wildlife and The Nature Conservancy, the International Herp Symposium and the United States Association of Reptile Keepers. Private businesses were not excluded, with panelist invitations being extended to a dozens of breeders, importers and exporters, pet stores, manufacturers, and other related businesses.

Confirmed panelists so far include:

Dr. Michael Murphy - HHS/FDA
Susan Jewell - Injurious Wildlife Listing Coordinator, USFWS
Craig Hoover - Chief, Branch of Operations, USFWS
Dr. Elliott Jacobson - ARAV / University of Florida
Andrew G. Gluesenkamp, Ph.D. - Herpetologist, Texas Parks and Wildlife
Megan Russell, - Wildlife Permits Specialist Texas Parks and Wildlife
Collette Adkins Giese - Attorney, Center for Biological Diversity
Scott Hardin - Biologist, Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council
Dr. Jennifer Wright - Centers For Disease Control and Prevention
Ken Foose - President, International Herp Symposium
Cindy Steinle - Chicago Herpetological Society, Small Scale Rescue
Carole H. Allen - Gulf Office Director, Sea Turtle Restoration Project
Gerald Keown - Executive Director, SW Center for Herpetological Research
Michael Maddox - Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council
Dr. David Doherty - East Texas Herpetological Society
Doug Hotle - Curator of Herpetology, Albuquerque Biological Park
Jeff Barringer - Founder, Kingsnake.com
Robroy McInnes - President, Glades Herp Farm Inc.
Marc Cantos - Florida Reptile Industry
Ty Park - Lasco Inc./Ty's Lizards

All of these people and more are expected to converge on Houston to discuss the wide array of regulations and laws that govern reptiles and amphibians in the wild and in captivity in the United States. Topics to be covered include CITES and other international laws, the Lacey Act, the Endangered Species Act, and other federal laws, as well as state laws, codes, and regulations. Other topics include parasites, diseases, and pathogens and the law, and private reptile ownership, ethics and the law.

The conference is free and open to anyone with an interest. To register for the conference as a panelist or attendee, please go to http://www.nraac.org/register. Panelist registration will close at midnight on September 15 to allow us time to prepare printed programs for the event, so if you, or your agency or organization, plan on participating, please submit your registration as soon as possible.

Special reduced rates at the event hotel, the Crowne Plaza Houston Northwest in Houston, are available. To book your room online, click here. Make sure to use group code NRAAC to get the discounted event rate.

This Symposium is co-hosted by the East Texas Herpetological Society, which will be holding its annual expo in parallel. Make sure to visit their expo, one of the longest running events in the reptile community, held the same weekend in the same facility. For information on attending or vending at the ETHS Expo, please visit their web site at
http://eths.org/

If you are a member of a reptile club, herp society, or conservation organization, please forward information on this conference to your organization and its membership to make sure your organization is represented at this important event. And make sure to let your reptile and amphibian friends know as well!