[MPWG] White list & invasive plants issues...

Mon Oct 25 13:10:31 CDT 2010

Hello Bob,

Point(s) well stated and taken.   "Native since when?" asks the most logical
question to me. Even the 'books' list 'aleins' but different references to
how they were determined to be aliens! 
Per the purchasing power of the public. Overall we are becoming to much of a
"Wal-Mart Society" meaning always looking for cheaper with quality taking
more and more of a back seat. This does push us to wards 'Made in China'
products, sending them more of out money that they can lend back to us and
put us further in debt to them!!!  
If more people would buy based on quality, if affordable, each link in the
supply chain is duly rewarded and this would support a healthier economy. 
Back to point... invasives are a big problem... but like drugs, the demand
has been created and we are feeding it by what we buy!
Always good to debate such issues...see other viewpoints...if nothing else
but for increased enlightenment! 

Genuinely,
Edward J. Fletcher

-----Original Message-----
From: "Robert Layton Beyfuss" <rlb14 at cornell.edu> 
Sent: 10/25/2010 1:50 PM 
To: "Edward Fletcher" <efletcher at skybest.com> 
Cc: "mpwg at lists.plantconservation.org" <mpwg at lists.plantconservation.org> 
Subject: RE: [MPWG] White list & invasive plants issues... 

Hi Ed
There is really no good defintion of what a "native" plant is. Native to
where? Mexico or Texas? 
Minnesota or Canada? Northern PA or southern PA? CA or NY? The mountains of
NC or the outer banks? This is a big country with lots of different
ecosystems that differ as radically from each other as Asian ecosystems do
from ours. Native since when? since the glaciers moved stuff around? Since
Native Americans moved plants around? since Europeans brought plants with
them here in the 1600's? Since temperatures warmed up a couple of degres?
should we be prohibited from growing exotic medicinal plants?   The whole
native versus exotic argument is xenophobic BS. There are plenty of exotic
plants that don't need extra inputs to grow here just fine. 
Requiring people to purchase only native plants is like requiring us to buy
only American made goods? Most of our foods are exotic. Should we only eat
local "native" food?  The average working class American cannot afford to
shop at the local farmers market. They have to shop at Wallmart with 85%
Chinese made goods.  Makes no sense at all. Americans used to have freedom
to choose what they wanted, now Big Brother chooses for all of us. 
Bob

  _____  

From: mpwg-bounces at lists.plantconservation.org
[mpwg-bounces at lists.plantconservation.org] On Behalf Of Edward Fletcher
[efletcher at skybest.com]
Sent: Monday, October 25, 2010 12:01 PM
To: mpwg at lists.plantconservation.org; michael.d.ward at aphis.usda.gov
Subject: [MPWG] White list & invasive plants issues...

While I do understand the 'invasive plants' concern, reiterated when I drive
through the South and see kudzu climbing over 100' pine trees and choking
out acres of plants, I know the horticultural/ornamental market is driving
this demand. It has always been the desire to have plants from 'exotic'
places rather than 'native' plants in one's landscape. Then even if not
invasive, there are inherent problems that come along with this, i.e., extra
water in dryer climates, pest issues, diseases, etc. 

So it seems to me a companion list to this 'white list' is a 'native plant
list' that is allowed. Many counties and some states only allow or require
indigenous plant species to be planted. Bravo, Bravo!!! This makes the most
sense to me, then we can still go to the botanical gardens to see exotic
plants perhaps. 

Notes to remember: We have invasives that are native also. Many hybrids of
native species are available for diversity in the landscape. 

Genuinely,
Edward J. Fletcher

-----Original Message-----
From: "mpwg-bounces at lists.plantconservation.org"
<mpwg-bounces at lists.plantconservation.org> 
Sent: 10/24/2010 3:53 AM 
To: "mpwg at lists.plantconservation.org" <mpwg at lists.plantconservation.org> 
Subject: [MPWG] Fwd: 

"WHITE LIST" OF AUTHORIZED PLANTS (Canada and U.S.) 

The U.S. and Canadian governments are planning to introduce a "white list"
of plants that are allowed entry into each country under a joint Canada-USA
greenhouse certification program. The United States Department of
Agriculture (USDA) and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) are
requesting comments from stakeholders on a proposal to replace the current
list of prohibited plants with this new list of allowed plants. What this
means is that if a plant is not on the allowed list it cannot enter the U.S.
from Canada or vice versa. Many thousands of plants including many herbs
will be barred entry under the proposal.

This change is highly significant for both countries because it appears to
be a first attempt to implement a controversal "white list" approach to the
control of cross-border plant movement. The proposed "white list" is far
more restrictive than the current "black list" of prohibited plants that has
been in place since the inception of the binational Greenhouse Certification
Program in 1996. The proposed "white list" of allowed plants includes less
than 1000 plant genera, out of over 12,600 genera of flowering plants known
to man. The current "black list" of prohibited plants has fewer than 100
genera.

Some suggest that the powerful anti-invasives movement in the U.S. is behind
the push to introduce "white lists" of plants that are allowed into the
country. While invasives are a problem for both countries, the new list will
affect thousands of plants already in the horticultural trade, and will
limit the introduction of new plants to gardeners.

For gardeners, it is worth reflecting a moment on how many new plants that
you have enjoyed growing over the past 10-20 years, and how many of them
might not have been available to you had this "white list" been in place.

Gardeners, herbalists, commercial growers, and the gardening and herbal
media are encouraged to submit comments.

The deadline for comments is October 31, 2010.

United States: Email your comments to Michael D. Ward, Senior Accreditation
Projects Manager, USDA-APHIS-PPQ (michael.d.ward at aphis.usda.gov)
<mailto:michael.d.ward at aphis.usda.gov?Subject=GCP%20Comments> 

Canada: Email your comments to the CFIA (horticulture at inspection.gc.ca
<mailto:horticulture at inspection.gc.ca?Subject=comments> )

The relevant documents, including the proposed lists of authorized genera
and families, are available here
<http://www.richters.com/newdisplay.cgi?page=Issues/documents.html> .

-- 

\_\  RICHTERS HERBS

/ /  Goodwood, ON, L0C 1A0, Canada

\_\  Tel +1.905.640.6677  Fax +1.905.640.6641

/_/  http://www.richters.com

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