ALBANY, N.Y. (AP)--
A popular herb said to relieve stress, jumpstart the libido and cure a host of other ills is giving environmental officials a headache.
In the first-ever raids of their kind in New York, state Department of Environmental Conservation officers have seized some 11 pounds of illegally harvested ginseng . Estimated worth: $4,500.
With the price of ginseng skyrocketing 300 percent since 1989, and New York's variety considered among the best in the world, the illegal ginseng trade has become a booming business.
"It's a dirty little secret, really, said Doug Schmid, a senior forester with the DEC who coordinates the state's ginseng programs. "It's the new big thing.
In sting operations late last week, DEC officers armed with search warrants raided a home in Dresden, Washington County, and another in Windham, Greene County. They found about 2,160 wild ginseng roots.
Because the plant is classified as protected in New York, it is illegal to harvest before Sept. 1 and illegal to sell it before Sept. 15, DEC spokeswoman Jennifer Post said. Even then, sellers need to obtain a state license, she said.
The regulations are intended to give the plants a chance to grow berries, allowing the plants to mature and reproduce, Post said.
But with wild ginseng root selling for anywhere from $400 to $500 a pound, some traders just can't wait to start digging. Cultivated ginseng , by comparison, goes for only about $30 a pound, Schmid said.
The homes that were raided apparently belonged to middlemen in a well-organized ginseng ring. They had been given cash and scales by an out-of-state buyer, DEC Lt. Robert E. Henke said. Twelve local diggers also were allegedly involved, he said.
No arrests have been made and the names of those involved have not been released yet. They will likely be charged with buying ginseng before the legal date and buying ginseng without a permit, both violations of state environmental law, officials said. If cconviccted, they could face 15 days in jail and fines of up to $250.
"In New York the problem is particularly bad because we have what are considered to be some of the best plants anywhere because the soil and climate make it very potent, Schmid said.
"Because ginseng has become so valuable, we really have to be concerned with the continued life of the plant, he said. The state's licensed growers are pleased with the effort to crack down on the illegal trade, Schmid said. Some have had poachers clean out their own fields, he said.
Ginseng 's popularity in the United States has closely mirrored the nation's growing obsession with health and fitness. The plant has been used for centuries in Asia as a natural stimulant and a medicinal cure-all. The plant favors hilly, heavily wooded terrain and grow particularly well in the western Catskill Mountains. It is distinguished by woody, gnarled-looking roots.
- SOURCE: The Star-Ledger Newark, NJ1996.09.09
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