[MPWG] Oregon Grape

Robyn Klein robyn at rrreading.com
Mon Jan 5 14:38:09 CST 2004


Hi Myron,

A point of clarity.  Oregon Grape (Berberis/Mahonia) is on the To Watch 
List, not the At Risk List of the United Plant Savers. This is one of the 
problems of the To Watch List. It has gotten confused with the At Risk List.

In my opinion (not others) the To Watch List should have never been 
published.  I believe it would have better served as an in-house working 
list of species needing to be further investigated and 
evaluated.  Publishing of the To Watch List has created great confusion and 
misunderstanding, for example, the commonly found species Berberis/Mahonia, 
or Arnica cordifolia (A. montana being a European species and a different 
story). What medicinal wildcrafted species should NOT be on the To Watch 
List? Okay, maybe yarrow. :)

I'd like to emphasize that these UpS lists are primarily based on 
conjecture and opinion, though still very valuable as a place to recognize 
examples.  There is some data to back up some of the plant species 
(goldenseal is one), but most of these species have no current population 
survey in each state where they occur, nor wildcrafting tonnage, nor sale 
amount per year.  Using current, good data to back up these lists is a 
valuable goal which I think UpS agrees. However, it is extremely costly to 
produce such data these days.

I always like to say that saw palmetto is rare and endangered in Montana. 
But now I am mixing official terminology with un-official, which is also a 
problem. One should seek official sources of species' position in each 
state to really understand the nature of each species population and 
occurrence. Natural Heritage Program websites are good sources for this 
info.  Also, USDA website (oh there are many others some of you might want 
to mention).

The more important issue to me are the effects of mass harvest in a 
specific area or ecosystem.  Each case is different.  It is perilous to 
view the At Risk List as a black and white simplicity.  Sustainable harvest 
(managed for continued population growth and health) of ANY wild plant is 
at the core.  Though it is important to identify particular wild species, I 
believe it is better to focus on how to develop and maintain sustainability 
practices. For then all plant species will be treated with respect and 
cherished, and a stewardship attitude/second nature practice are more 
likely to develop.

Best Regards,
Robyn Klein


At 03:11 PM 1/5/04 +0900, you wrote:
>What I consider curious:
>No mention yet of the appropriateness of using endangered goldenseal for a 
>dental infection.
>I concur the use of other berberine containing plants. Memebers on Another 
>herblist to which i subscribe decried the at-risk status of Oregon grape 
>root which elicitted a barrage of comments regarding viable propogation, 
>range, and appropriate application.  Issues that, while welcome 
>(especially Robyn's) might be considered off-topic for a therapeutics list 
>yet Incredibly appropriate for THIS list  (and less so the concerns of a 
>dental infection)I have also used spilanthes, but less so on concerns of 
>sustainability despite its absence from a number of watch lists, BTW.
>What is the thematic focus of this list?  I am presuming (hoping) 
>sustainable promotion of herbal remedies with respect to their use as 
>alternative pharmaceutical substitutes (if only to reduce the burden on 
>our diminishing water table) AND their use within a living herbal 
>tradition/philosophy which runs counter to conventional drug use.  A tall 
>task no doubt, and I appreciated more the "conservation" comments of IVOR 
>rather than the attempts to prescibe over the net. which I consider 
>inappropriate for this list ( Despite gleaning a couple of good resources 
>and staying abreast of opinions I highly respect .  Nevertheless I am 
>simply deleting the therapeutics recommendations while wishing the best of 
>luck to the questioner)
>myron
>On the other hand many of us like to see the questions and answers even if
>we are not participating in the conversation.
>
>Most important is to keep the responses to the point and send thank yous and
>asides to the individuals in question and not to the list.
>
>Jackie Wootton
>
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