Poachers harvesting wild plants are doing increasingly serious damage to the natural community on public lands across the country, finally prompting attention by the agencies charged with protecting those lands and plants.
The U.S. Fish Wildlife Service recently announced a crack-down on the wild ginseng trade it says is designed to help ensure the long-term conservation and sustainable use of the plant in the wild. For the 1999 harvest the agency will issue export permits only for mature wild ginseng roots.
Ginseng plants do not begin to produce seed until they are 5- years-old, so it is critical that only mature plants be harvested to ensure their replacement and the long-term survival of the species.
The age of a ginseng plant can be determined by counting the number of bud scars on its root. A single scar is produced every autumn after the plant's stem falls. Mature plants are easily identified in the field because they typically have three or more leaves (prongs).
The service's goal is to make certain that underage plants are not removed from the wild before they produce seeds. Ginseng is an herbaceous perennial found in the understory of mixed hardwood forests of the northeastern, midwestern and southeastern United States and Canadian. It is long-lived, with a life expectancy of at least 60 years.
Wild ginseng root has been valued for centuries as a medicine in Asia, where it is believed to enhance physical and mentalvitality. Although ginseng is cultivated extensively, wild roots are preferred and are much more valuable.
In 1975, because of the high demand for wild roots, American ginseng was listed on Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), a treaty that regulates trade in animals and plants to ensure the survival of wild populations. An Appendix II listing means that export permits must be issued by the country of origin stating that a particular shipment for expooortt was legally collected and that its export is not harmful to the survival of that species in the wild.
The service began approving export of ginseng on a state-by-state basis in 1978. Pennsylvania is one of 19 states that have programs approved by the USFWS for the export of wild ginseng . Biologists are concerned that ginseng is not being allowed to reach maturity in the wild and that very few older plants remain. Recent reports indicate that wild ginseng may be declining throughout much of its North American range.
It was previously believed that the wild ginseng populations found in national parks and national forests were healthy. However, new information provided by the National Park Service has shown that the species is declining in spite of the fact that collecting it within the parks is unlawful. Significant poaching has been reported.
Also, there have been recent declines in the amount of wild ginseng harvested in many states. According to export data collected by the Service, in 1997 the U.S. legally exported 527,547 pounds of cultivated ginseng roots and more than 22,000 pounds of wild roots. Nearly all ginseng harvested in the U.S. is exported.
In addition to helping ensure that wild ginseng plants have at least one season in which to reproduce, the new export condition is aimed at helping states within the species' range curb the poaching of wild roots by providing consistent law enforcement throughout the country.
- BY: Marcus Schneck
- SOURCE: The Harrisburg Patriot
Source: The Chosun Ilbo
1999.08.26
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