Before you jump on any bandwagon, read any bill carefully, as well as responses to the bill. You can track the progress of a national bill at www.govtrack.us and the progress of a state bill at http://public.leginfo.state.ny.us.

Will it affect our status as companion bird keepers?  Links to the text of the bill itself, as well as to the responses of other reputable sources including World Parrot Trust, are listed below.

To read the original text of the bill, click on the link: http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=h111-669

For the WPT's perspective:  http://scienceblogs.com/grrlscientist/2009/05/world_parrot_trust_speaks_out.php

For additional perspectives, click on the following links:
http://www.nohr669.com/

http://nohr669.com/blog/?p=223

Individuals wishing to comment on either or both sets of bills should write to their local State Senator and local State Assembly member, asking them to support the bills and become a co-sponsor. In addition, copies of those letters should be sent to:
1.  Hon. Linda B. Rosenthal, NY State Assembly Member, 230 West 72nd Street, 2nd Floor, Suite 2F, New York, NY 10023
2.  Hon. Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr., NY State Senator, 159-53 102nd Street, Howard Beach, NY 11414

Individuals wishing to comment on either or both sets of bills should write to their local State Senator and local State Assembly member, asking them to support the bills and become a co-sponsor. In addition, copies of those letters should be sent to:
1.  Hon. Linda B. Rosenthal, NY State Assembly Member, 230 West 72nd Street, 2nd Floor, Suite 2F, New York, NY 10023
2.  Hon. Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr., NY State Senator, 159-53 102nd Street, Howard Beach, NY 11414

As of JUNE 2009, the resolution was in the Environmental Protection Committee.

Persons interested in commenting on this resolution (and one does not have to be a NYC resident) may write to:
1.  Hon. Tony Avella, 38-50 Bell Blvd., Suite C, Bayside, NY 11361
2.  Hon. James F. Gennaro, Chair, Env. Prot. Committee, 185-10 Union Tpke., Fresh Meadows, NY 11366.

The New York Invasive Species Council released a report MARCH 31, 2010, for public comment (http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/63402.html). The report does not propose a listing for Monk Parakeet.  Rather, the monk parakeet is listed (in Appendix J, line 59 on p. 114, under Assessment Priorities), as a species that should be assessed via the recommended process.  You will note that monk parakeet does not have an asterisk indicating it has not been identified as a priority for the initial assessments. Basically, the Council feels that the Quakers do not pose enough of an environmental threat to be studied right now, nor categorized.

Interested people may want to go to the web site (http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/63402.html), read the report, and comment.

Those who comment may or may not want to suggest that the Monk (use Monk since the State does) remain as an unregulated species. It is possible that if Quakers are legally  categorized as unregulated, they may avoid documentation as invasive, or they may be reprioritized to reduce  scrutiny by NYSDEC. However, without any laws protecting wild Monks, these birds may continue being the subject of poaching and inhumane nest take-downs.

At present a Monk Parakeet Protection Act is being developed to afford some protection to wild-born Quakers. Just like the County and City of San Francisco afforded their wild Conures a degree of protection years ago, the state of NY can provide protection to wild Quakers here. Such protection would need to be offered by the state, as Quakers are documented in NYC’s 5 boroughs and other areas, most notably lower Westchester. Any Quakers presently living in Nassau or Suffolk Counties need to be documented immediately, to assist ongoing initiatives.