[APWG] Fw: [PCA] princess tree/Paulownia

Mon Aug 15 16:20:38 CDT 2011

Gena and APWG:

I must have been out hunting when Fleming's post zipped past my eagle eye; I hope to make up for my dilatory dilettantism herewith: 

In my narrow, biased view, the whole nursery/landscaping industry is anti-ecological, even those which proffer "native" plants. But that is not to imply that the kind of ignorance which fails to consider that which the Lord hath lain before them or Nature has evolved in a multitude of contexts before wiping it out and decorating the earth in accordance with their whim is the fault of those practitioners--I confess that I have done all that and more to insult Mother Earth and its life. My own experience in the business has seen the merchandizing of death in the guise of "beauty," and a whole list of sins against Nature. The dollar, in as many places to the left of the decimal point as possible, comes first, along with stockholders ("stakeholders" can try to stake out a position, but they are mere transitory decorations, grease for the skids with which to sell out Ma Earth). 

WT

PS: Any organism in any ecosystem is advanced or damned by the slings and arrows of outrageous passion. If there are "carbon credits," there should be "carbon debits" for dispersing any organism that is inefficient in its place (especially when it requires energy, direct and indirect, to support that dispersal and maintenance. By definition, the organism that evolved in place is most efficient. We need no grants to fund research into the obvious. Or DO we? 
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Gena Fleming 
  To: Chang, David 
  Cc: apwg at lists.plantconservation.org 
  Sent: Friday, April 15, 2011 3:59 PM
  Subject: Re: [APWG] Fw: [PCA] princess tree/Paulownia

  Dear APWG:

  For what it's worth, I find a lot of customer complaints on the internet about trees ordered from gardenerschoice.com, which has the same customer service address in Hartford, MI as royaltreedeal.com.   This does not seem to be a reputable company.

  I am more concerned about the  ECO2 Forests story.  If you follow the link to their website, you will see they are selling carbon credits.  Carbon credit selling is what is behind a lot of the genetic engineering or forest trees.    

  Paulownia has been genetically engineered for mass production.  It already sequesters a lot of carbon.  Other trees are genetically engineered to increase their carbon sequestration abilities and thereby create a market for carbon sequestration.  Other reasons for genetically engineering trees include the creation of mass plantations of weak, reduced-lignin trees to increase the profits of the paper industry.

  Paulownia is not an evil tree.  There is a place for it on our planet.  

  There is a problem, however, with mass introduction of any plant for economic investment purposes, and manipulating entire genomes for the convenience and profit of industry. .  

  The Global Forestry plan caters to multinational corporations that want to purchase carbon credits (that they can get from the mass planting of cloned Paulownia) so they do not have to reduce their carbon emissions.  Exotic plants (unmanipulated but from other countries) are nothing compared to the problems we will be facing down the road from the invasion of genomes with foreign DNA  from other genera and other kingdoms.

  It is the natural order of genera and kingdoms now that is being  invaded --- not just habitats.

  The problem, as usual, is not the plant.  It's people.

  best regards,

  Gena

  On 14 April 2011 16:42, Chang, David <dchang at co.santa-barbara.ca.us> wrote:

    I investigated a story I saw about an intentional planting of princess tree in Reno, Nevada.  The trees to be used are supposedly sterile.  Hopefully, the trees sold by https://www.royaltreedeal.com will also be sterile. 

    There is probably a regulatory process to nominate a species for noxious status in your area.  Unfortunately, California’s regulations include a stipulation that designation of a species as noxious cannot detrimentally impact agriculture.  

    Sincerely,

    David Chang 

    Agricultural Commissioner's Office 

    County of Santa Barbara, California 

    www.agcommissioner.com/wma 

    Below is the story I included in my local WMA newsletter.

    ECO2 Forests Smoke Creek Project 'A Tremendous Boost' Says Reno Mayor

    http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/ECO2-Forests-Smoke-Creek-Project-A-Tremendous-Boost-Says-Reno-Mayor-1143812.htm 

    ECO2 Forests, http://www.eco2forests.com/,  wants to plant, near Reno, 14,000 acres of Kiri trees, also known as princess trees, (Paulownia tomentosa), in order to sequester CO2 and as a sustainable yield forest. Ironically, this environmentally beneficial project could become an environmental nightmare. 

    Paulownia tomentosa is an invasive tree in the eastern United States and is listed as an invasive plant on the Invasive Plant Atlas of New England, with the Invasive Plants of the Southeast, and with the Alien Plants Working Group

    Princess tree is an aggressive ornamental tree that grows rapidly in disturbed natural areas, including forests, stream banks, and steep rocky slopes. It tolerates infertile and acid soils and drought conditions.  It easily adapts to disturbed habitats, including previously burned areas, and landslides and can colonize rocky cliffs and scoured riparian zones where it may compete with rare plants in these marginal habitats. Its ability to sprout prolifically from adventitious buds on stems and roots allows it to survive fire, cutting, and even bulldozing in construction areas. A single tree is capable of producing an estimated twenty million seeds that are easily transported long distances by wind and water. (Adapted text courtesy of Alien Plants Working Group)

    ECO2 Forests has a Global Forestry Plan that is frightening in its scope.  Those concerned about the spread of Paulownia tomentosa may want to question their Global Forestry Plan by contacting ECO2 Forests.

    ADDENDUM – ECO2 Forests Apparently Not Invasive

    In response to my request for a clarification to ECO2 Forests’ Global Forestry Plan, I received the following email from Andrew Laing, Marketing and Communications Manager with ECO2 Forests:

    “The US Sustainable Forest program will not be using the Tomentosa strain [SIC]. The following link discusses the non-invasive attributes of our Kiri that will be planted in this project - http://www.eco2forests.com/ECO2_Forests_Secure_US_Sustain-279-5-98.htm“

    Regards,

    Andrew Laing

    Marketing and Communications Manager

    ECO2 Forests' website, http://www.eco2forests.com/ECO2_Forests_Secure_US_Sustain-279-5-98.htm,  states they obtain their non-invasive stock from the Pauwlonia Tree Store - http://www.paulowniastore.com/ 

    [I was informed by a knowledgeable source that,] CLIMEX modeling indicates that survival in Reno, Nevada even with supplemental watering will prove difficult, and the likelihood of escape and naturalization of a reproductive type is low.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

    From: apwg-bounces at lists.plantconservation.org [mailto:apwg-bounces at lists.plantconservation.org] On Behalf Of Patricia_DeAngelis at fws.gov
    Sent: Thursday, April 14, 2011 10:35 AM
    To: apwg at lists.plantconservation.org
    Subject: [APWG] Fw: [PCA] princess tree/Paulownia

    Perhaps someone on this listserve can advise this discussion. Be sure to respond to the original message sender in your reply. 

    Thanks, 
    Patricia 

    Patricia S. De Angelis, Ph.D.
    Botanist - Division of Scientific Authority
    Chair - Plant Conservation Alliance - Medicinal Plant Working Group
    US Fish & Wildlife Service
    4401 N. Fairfax Dr., Suite 110
    Arlington, VA  22203
    703-358-1708 x1753
    FAX: 703-358-2276

    Promoting sustainable use and conservation of our native medicinal plants.
    <www.nps.gov/plants/medicinal>

    ----- Forwarded by Patricia De Angelis/ARL/R9/FWS/DOI on 04/14/2011 01:33 PM ----- 

          Lewis_Gorman at fws.gov 
          Sent by: native-plants-bounces at lists.plantconservation.org 

          04/14/2011 12:53 PM 
         To
               Susan <sggarden at skybest.com> 

                cc
               native-plants at lists.plantconservation.org, Olivia Kwong <plant at plantconservation.org>, native-plants-bounces at lists.plantconservation.org 

                Subject
               Re: [PCA] princess tree/Paulownia

    It's a pretty slick advertisement they have.  Seems you'd at least need a similarly slick one to educate consumers and potential buyers. 

    Lew Gorman III
    Partnerships Coordinator
    Division of Partnerships and Outreach
    Endangered Species Program-Washington Office
    US Fish and Wildlife Service
    703-358-1911-w
    703-358-1735-Fax

    "If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, your are a leader"  John Quincy Adams 

          Susan <sggarden at skybest.com> 
          Sent by: native-plants-bounces at lists.plantconservation.org 

          04/14/2011 12:20 PM 

                To
               Olivia Kwong <plant at plantconservation.org> 

                cc
               native-plants at lists.plantconservation.org 

                Subject
               [PCA] princess tree/Paulownia

    Anyone know how to stop these from being sold.
    https://www.royaltreedeal.com/?mid=1140692&a=168468&s=600352&ClickID=04_53269907_6a5179b9-8b8c-480c-bede-3d7b4a753e86

    Susan Wright
    Shady Grove Gardens & Nursery
    828-297-4098

    _______________________________________________
    native-plants mailing list
    native-plants at lists.plantconservation.org
    http://lists.plantconservation.org/mailman/listinfo/native-plants_lists.plantconservation.org

    Disclaimer
    Posts on this list reflect only the opinion of the individual who is posting the message; they are not official opinions or positions of the Plant Conservation Alliance.

    To unsubscribe, send an e-mail to native-plants-request at lists.plantconservation.org with the word "unsubscribe" in the subject line.
    _______________________________________________
    native-plants mailing list
    native-plants at lists.plantconservation.org
    http://lists.plantconservation.org/mailman/listinfo/native-plants_lists.plantconservation.org

    Disclaimer
    Posts on this list reflect only the opinion of the individual who is posting the message; they are not official opinions or positions of the Plant Conservation Alliance.

    To unsubscribe, send an e-mail to native-plants-request at lists.plantconservation.org with the word "unsubscribe" in the subject line.

    _______________________________________________
    PCA's Alien Plant Working Group mailing list
    APWG at lists.plantconservation.org
    http://lists.plantconservation.org/mailman/listinfo/apwg_lists.plantconservation.org

    Disclaimer
    Any requests, advice or opinions posted to this list reflect ONLY the opinion of the individual posting the message.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  _______________________________________________
  PCA's Alien Plant Working Group mailing list
  APWG at lists.plantconservation.org
  http://lists.plantconservation.org/mailman/listinfo/apwg_lists.plantconservation.org

  Disclaimer
  Any requests, advice or opinions posted to this list reflect ONLY the opinion of the individual posting the message.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  No virus found in this message.
  Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
  Version: 10.0.1204 / Virus Database: 1435/3511 - Release Date: 03/16/11
  Internal Virus Database is out of date.
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.plantconservation.org/pipermail/apwg_lists.plantconservation.org/attachments/20110815/27818663/attachment.html>