If you try to move one of these protected species you can be prosecuted
for it, whether you want it in your pond or not. Draining the pond would
also be illegal, fencing it in, cleaning or most other things if it
disturbs the protected species.

Green politics run amuck! Property rights trump all this environazi
invasion into your property. Send the snake packing, I say, just don't
tell anyone... even if it's "protected". Meanwhile, send the environuts
packing out of your local congress, if they're passing laws that make
it so that you can't maintain your own pond and land!!!

C//